Exploring the need: Re-examining our

information literacy offerKaye Towlson

Academic Team Manager (Information Literacy)De Montfort University

Our journey ahead…• Starting point• Historical note• Lay of the land• Road ahead• Points of interest• Which way now?

The Whys and wherefores• What we did and why

• How did we do this, who did we consult?

• What does this mean? Who do we need to tell and how?

• Lessons learnt and where are we headed?

What is it we do?• Long legacy of teaching information

literacy • Complex picture• Many Librarians involved• Pockets of practice• Slippery overview• Impact of change: People,

technology, HE landscape

We thought about what we do….• Pooled our thoughts to form a

“standard” student learning journey for all levels

• Acknowledged discipline differences

• Our Information Literacy offer to promote to academics

But what do the Academics think we need to do?Information Literacy Survey

• Responses revealed that academics agreed students required information literacy skills:

The ability to differentiate between

different types of information: professional,

promotional, research

Reminders of how to find what they need, expand a search, find a

range of journals

Evaluating the quality of different

sources

Better use of digital sources, realise

what’s available and how to search

What do our students think?

• Self Assessment Exercise: 2014/15: • Information (Library) Skills:– 66% Students said they were “Quite confident” – 26% Confident – 8% Not confident

Digital Literacy: 62% Confident, 38% quite Confident1% Not confident

Interpretations……….

So What?• Academics agree information literacy

is needed• ULTAS 2020: digital literacy, an enabler • Promote understanding of what we do,

the need and fit• Hurdle: Students’ perceived skills level,

curriculum needs, opportunities and engagement

Promotion• Articulated our offer: paper to the FLTCs• Presented at DMU L & T Conference

plus shared survey results • Shared survey results with academics• This will be followed up by comment at

PMBs• Underpinned by ongoing liaison

activities

IMPACT• Better understanding of what we do• Activity that pulled Librarians from different

faculties together• Made them think about demands of different

disciplines• Helped to identify elements for e-learning bites • Created another area for consultation with

Faculties• Reminder of what we do…for all• Help impact on student experience…retention

Where to now?• Starting to think about future

demands and changing landscape• H E Changes: UDL, No DSA, TEF?

Information Literacy Teaching Coverage: Undergraduate

•Induction: Library “housekeeping”, access to library services and e-resources, using an HE library, how to use the library, role of library in your study (library use boosts academic success), library physical orientation, help and support, web page navigation and coverage. Confidence boosting, removing the fear factor

•In curriculum: Library search and catalogue, journals, subject guides, referencing and good academic practice , keeping track ( Flow/ Refworks) , evaluation. Different types of information, role and function, information cycle, benefit of using a range of different types of material. How to access material.

Year 1

•Refresher of above and focus on subject specialist databases, search strategies, Refworks, good academic practice. Pre-dissertation/final year report or project support. Literature search and review, evaluation, referencing. Peer review journals.

•Google Scholar, Systematic Review, Evidence based/Critical appraisal (Medicine etc)

Year 2

•Planning and managing your search/research: Selection and evaluation. Dealing with too much or too little information . Subject databases and more advanced searching, Refworks: keeping track, referencing, good academic practice, journal discovery, citation searching. Literature search and review. Dissertation/final year project support.

•Information literacy beyond University: Employability, Lifewide and independent learning

Year 3

Information Literacy Teaching Coverage: Postgraduate (Taught)

• Getting started, Library Search and Libguides, refresher for some (recent DMU graduates).

Induction

• Advanced Literature searching, specific discipline databases, citation searching, evaluation, referencing, good academic practice and Refworks. Peer review

• Google Scholar, Systematic Review, Evidence based/Critical appraisal (Medicine etc)

In curriculum

• Information literacy beyond University: Employability, Lifewide and independent learning

Beyond University

Information Literacy Teaching Coverage: Researchers

• Induction: Library e-induction

REST7001

• E-learning module: Enables students to effectively explore the available resources for their research topic and to demonstrate that they have done this. This offers a variety of resources that guide students through key aspects of literature searching, and helps build confidence in working independently.

REST7001

• Advanced searching, conducting a comprehensive literature review. Database usage, selection and evaluation, referencing , good academic practice, Refworks and other bibliographic management software, keeping up to date/current awareness, bibliometrics, open access, Social Media. Obtaining material (ILL, British Library, theses etc).

Face to Face

About me……