the teaching of information literacy in irish secondary schools
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The Teaching of Information Literacy in Irish Secondary Schools. The Transition From Second To Third Level June 2014 Katharine Ryan BA DipLIS MSc. Disclaimer. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Teaching of Information Literacy in Irish Secondary Schools
The Transition From Second To Third LevelJune 2014
Katharine Ryan BA DipLIS MSc
Disclaimer
The information and opinions expressed in this presentation are not necessarily those of St. Andrew’s College or the School Library Association of the Republic of Ireland (SLARI)
• SLARI is the School Library Association of the Republic of Ireland• It’s a voluntary organisation and is part of the SLA (UK)• SLARI campaigns for better school library facilities in
all primary and second level schools in Ireland• It offers support and information to all those
involved in primary and post-primary school libraries
SLARI Policy Statement
SLARI believes there is an urgent need for the establishment of a comprehensive system of school libraries throughout the country, in recognition of the following:• the necessity for all students and teachers to have access to a wide range of information sources in an increasingly resource-based system of education
SLARI Policy Statement Cont’d
• the need to equip students for full participation in the rapidly changing “knowledge society”
• the importance of developing students’ information literacy or information handling skills• the vital role of the school library inencouraging young people to develop good reading habits
Education and Information
Education will be more about how to process and use information* and less about imparting it. This is a consequence of both the proliferation of knowledge – and how much of it any student can truly absorb – and changes in technology
Lawrence Summers – Former president of Harvard UniversityNew York Times Education Life 20 January 2012* Presenter’s emphasis
What is Information Literacy?
" ... the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use* that information for the issue or problem at hand.“
Source: American Library Association * Presenter’s emphasis
Information Literacy (IL) in Irish Secondary Schools
The Dept. Education does not fund school libraries or their resources with the exception of JCSP/DEIS libraries
The Dept. Education does not employ school librarians with the exception of JCSP/DEIS school librarians
JCSP = Junior Certificate School ProgrammeDEIS = Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools
IL In Irish Secondary Schools
There is no Dept. Education/NCCA Information Literacy syllabus
New JC Key Skill – aspects of IL covered
There are no standards or guidelines for implementing information literacyprogrammes/short courses in Irish secondary schools
IL In Irish Secondary Schools
School libraries can, if they wish, follow SLA/SLARI best practice guidelines
There is no requirement to link IL to every subject in the curriculum
There is no requirement to be competent in any aspect of IL when leaving school and/or entering third level
Evaluating IL In Irish Secondary Schools
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DWHMHC5
IL Survey Results
Sent to over 700 second level schools on Dept Education website
Only 29 replies received
15 from professionally qualified librarians
14 from teachers given responsibility for the school library
Poor Response Rate Due to…
Addresses on Dept Education website ‘bounced’
Email addresses from schools’ websites ‘bounced’
Emails were not forwarded to librarian/person responsible for library despite request to do so
Emails were not forwarded to librarian/personresponsible as the school doesn’t have a library
Wrong time of the year - exams and holiday time
The results of the survey cannot be read as a clear picture, or indeed, as any kind of a picture of what is happening regarding ILteaching in Irish secondary schools
Are There School Libraries?
27 of the 29 respondent schools had a school library NOT a classroom library
JCSPDEISPrivateOther
However, SLARI belief is that there are few school libraries
Respondents Definition of IL
28 responses
19 responses - being able to search for, evaluate, store and manage information
4 responses – as above with concept of ethical use of information
4 other responses-
Definition of IL
Other “definitions”
Children learning through reading
Vital for the future of our students both in education and society.
digital literacy the ability to read, and comprehend text the ability to use strategies consciously to understand texts. I'm not sure what you mean about information literacy...I only realised what you meant when I read the latter questions- I think it would be helpful if you were to define information literacy first. Currently this is not being taught in schools I am not the librarian …..
While the concept of literacy is a complex and contested one, our understanding of information literacy is that it promotes a student's ability to use and produce new forms of IT related communication using spoken language, print and multimedia.
Who gets taught IL?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
5
10
15
20
25
What’s Taught?
Who’s taught about the RQ?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
How to formulate a well-focused, debatable research question
19 respondents
Formulating A Good RQ Move from the GENERAL (Broad) to the (SPECIFIC) focused
Source: IBO
Who’s Taught About Multiple Sources?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
books, magazines, internet, newspapers, databases etc.27 respondents
Who’s taught to search the catalogue?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
17 respondents
Who’s taught Dewey?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr 4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
16 respondents
Who’s taught to search a database?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
2 respondents
Who’s taught adv. internet search techniques?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 respondents
Surprised 1st and 2nd years taught advanced internet search techniques
Who’s taught about Boolean logic?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
6 respondents
Who’s taught to evaluate information?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Print and internet sources of information20 respondents
Who’s taught to read for argument?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Taught how to pick out an author's argument from a text17 respondents
Who’s taught how to draw conclusions?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
How to draw conclusions from their research20 respondents
Who’s taught about plagiarism?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
22 respondents
Who’s taught to prepare a bibliography?
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr TY/4th yr 5th yr 6th yr0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
18 respondents
If taught other IL skills why aren’t 1st-3rd years taught this?
How should IL be taught ?
Integrated with a lesson eg history(23 responses)
As a module(6 responses)
Integrate JC Key Skill‘Managing Information and Thinking’ Into The Curriculum?
Yes
No
Don’t Know
To Be Decided
School specifically discussed/planned for how the Junior Cycle key skill 'Managing Information and Thinking' will be integrated into your school curriculum? 29 resp.
3 respondents
Junior Cycle Key Skill – Managing Information and Thinking
Will commence Sept 2014 with its integration Into the English curriculum
It is NOT an Information Literacy course. It contains some IL skills
www.juniorcycle.ie/NCCA_JuniorCycle/media/NCCA/Documents/test/Managing-information-and-thinking-Toolkit_Feb-2013.pdf
Help LC Students With Research?
YesNo
Help Leaving Certificate students research their pre-submitted essays and/or fieldwork (history, geography, religion)29 respondents
Do Irish Secondary Students Have The IL Skills To Transition To Third Level?
YesNo
Some Points To Consider
School librarians are not seen as teachers
Teachers are overwhelmed trying to get through the curriculum
Irish curriculum does not encourage the use of a library or the learning of IL skills
Some Points To Consider
Contrast this with the Int. Baccalaureate IB EE 4,000 word academic essay
Students don’t appreciate the need to learn how to research until they reach 5th/6th yearpre-submitted course work
However, it’s difficult to teach IL to 6th years due to pressure of finishing syllabi/exams
Some Points To Consider
Opinion - IL skills, if offered, are on a ‘bell curve’ ie ‘poorest’ and ‘richest’ schools have school libraries. There’s an uneven ‘playing field’
The teaching of IL skills varies from school to school – there is no consistency in what is taught (syllabus) or how it is taught (standard)
Students knowledge of IL is fragmented
Some Points To Consider
The fact that IL is taught at all in a school depends on the school librarian being proactive
Difficult to get timetabled – you’re in competition with the syllabus
Timetable changes annually
You may get to teach a few forms from a year
Some Points To Consider
Opportunity to teach IL depends on the subject – LC essays & practical course work eg Home Economics, History, Religion, Geography
Access to students depends on the teacher’s interest/ability to bring a class to the library
Points To Consider
Teachers are expected to teach IL as part of their coursework
They are not trained to teach IL skills
Are there courses being developed in the teaching of IL that will be recognised by the Teaching Council for CPD?
When will Dept Education/NCCA develop an IL curriculum and recognise school librarians as teachers?
What will it take?
SLARI, LAI, third level institutions recognise the need for IL instruction
SLARI has found it difficult to meet with the Department of Education
Easy for Department Education to ignore recommendations made by library org.s
So, how do we move forward?
What Will It Take?
To get school libraries, professionally qualified school librarians and IL programmes into Irish secondary schools employers particularly those involved in the ‘critical thinking’ sectors should be encouraged to lobby the government.
Who in industry and government will be our champion?
What Can SLARI Do?
Change the mind set of educational leaders.
School management and school management representative bodies could be approached with SLARI developed JC module ‘How To Do Research’ containing teaching material and lesson plans.
What Can SLARI Do?
We do this already – let’s be proactive and share our expertise
This will inform school management and teachers that SLARI is ready and willing to promote IL in Irish Secondary schools