Information Competence
Development in Europe:
trends and future prospects
Sirje Virkus
Tallinn University/Manchester Metropolitan University
1.07.2005
Outline
Context and Concepts
 My research
 Methodology
 Survey: preliminary findings
 Multiple-case studies: preliminary findings
 Conclusions

Personal background

TPU – student, Library and Information Science

ISTIER – researcher, ICT, information systems

TPU, 1985 - teacher, administrator

ODL 1994 (WebCT, LearnLoop, IVA) – learner,
designer, teacher, tutor

MMU, 2001 – student, researcher, teacher,
designer, tutor (distance mode)
Competencies
Competencies

Debate of competencies

Transferable skills, key or core competencies,
[transversal skills, generic skills, soft skills,
personal skills, general competencies, soft
competencies]

Creativity, analysis, problem solving, self
development, learning skills, communication….

Meta-competencies
Key Competence



Contribute to a successful life
Contribute to the development of the quality of
societies
Apply to multiple areas of life (Gilomen, 2002).
OECD surveys of competencies


Adult competencies
- International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)
- Adult Literacy and Lifeskills (ALL) survey
Students at school (15-year-olds)
- Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA)
Complexity of the topic (Gilomen, 2002)
Theoretical models and
concepts
WHICH KEY
COMPETENCIES?
Visions of
society and
individuals
Political negotiation,
consensus formation
Cultural
context,
biographical
variability
HE and competencies

The general move is clearly towards a greater
attention to employment prospects and the
acquisition of core or transversal skills.
Transmission of competences


Not exclusive responsibility of the education
system
Other social institutions such as family,
workplace, mass media or cultural organisations
are important
……but further research needed (Gilomen,
2002).
Assessment issues





Assessment strategies should include assessment of
social contexts
More importance should be given to the competencies of
acting autonomously and joining groups
Focus on critical aspects of key competencies
Cyclical structure of assessment program among adult
population
Alternative methodologies have to be explored
....but further research needed
Importance of
Information use
Importance of information
handling and use
Several reports have emphasized the
importance of finding, evaluating, and using
information in our modern society
Importance of Information use
“The knowledge-based economy is characterised by the need
for continuous learning of both codified information and the
competencies to use this information. …the skills and
competencies relating to the selection and efficient use of
information become more crucial... Capabilities for
selecting relevant and discarding irrelevant information,
recognising patterns in information, interpreting and decoding
information as well as learning new and forgetting old skills
are in increasing demand”
OECD (1996). The knowledge based economy. Paris: OECD.
Importance of Information use
“The ability to produce and use information
effectively is thus a vital source of skills for
many individuals. So, the knowledge economy is
based on the production and use of information
and knowledge… “
OECD (2001a). Educational policy analysis 2001. Paris: OECD, Centre for
Educational Research and Innovation.
Importance of Information use
Having the competence to use information
effectively has been suggested also by
management gurus as essential to
organizational success
Drucker, P. (1993). Post-capitalist society. New York, NY: Harper Business.
Drucker, P.F. (1994). Managing in turbulent times. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Senge, P.M. (1994). The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning
organization. New York, NY: Currency Doubleday.
Grainger, P. (1994). Managing information: your self-development action plan.
London: Kogan Page.
The report EU Policies and Strategic
Change for eLearning in Universities
Refers to the importance of using digital
information: ‘… they [students] should be
enabled to learn using digital information
sources.
Coimbra Group of Universities (2002). EU policies and strategic change for
elearning in universities. Report of the project 'Higher education consultation
In technologies of information and communication' (HECTIC). Brussels,
Coimbra Group of Universities.
Information literacy
Library and information professionals call
these information-related competencies as
‘information literacy’.
Lots of definitions
and models
Information Literacy Umbrella
Patrica Senn Breivik.
Definitions
IL cover the following experiences:
 the use of information technology;
 the use of information sources;
 executing a process;
 controlling information for retrieval;
 gaining knowledge;
 extending knowledge;
 gaining wisdom.
Bruce, C. S. (1997). The seven faces of information literacy. Adelaide:
Auslib Press.
Definitions

Information literacy is the adoption of
appropriate information behaviour to identify,
through whatever channel or medium,
information well fitted to information needs,
leading to wise and ethical use of information in
society
Webber S. & Johnston, B. (2002). Assessment for information literacy.
Paper presented at the International conference on IT and information
literacy, 20th-22nd March 2002, Glasgow, Scotland.
Information literate person
Recognizes the
need for
information
Uses and
presents
information
Develops
successful
search strategies
Processes
information
Organizes
information
Identifies
sources of
information
IL PERSON
Evaluates
information and
sources
Accesses
sources of
information
Definitions
Information Literacy encompasses knowledge of
one’s information concerns and needs, and the
ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and
effectively create, use and communicate
information to address issues or problems at
hand; it is a prerequisite for participating
effectively in the Information Society, and is part
of the basic human right of life long learning.
The Prague Declaration (2003).
Definitions
Information literacy - the ability to
recognise when information is needed and
to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the
needed information
American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information
Literacy (1989). Final Report. Chicago: American Library Association.
The Concept of Information

Information seems to be everywhere. We talk of its being
encoded in the genes… disseminated by media of
communication… exchanged in conversation…
contained in all sorts of things… Libraries are
overflowing with it, institutions are bogged down by it,
and people are overloaded with it … [yet] no one seems
to know exactly what information is.
Christopher Fox (1983, p.3)
Case,OD.Case.
(2002). Looking
Looking forfor
Information:
A Survey
of Research
on
Donald
Information,
2002
.
Information Seeking, Needs, and Behaviour. Academic Press
The Concept of Information

Anthropologist Gregory Bateson (1972) defines
information as any difference that makes a
difference to a conscious, human mind

Summarizing 30 years of commentary, Levitan
(1980) declared that 29 different concepts had
been associated with the term of information
Literacy
Literacy




“The ability to read and write” (Concise Oxford)
Literacy has been seen as a concept, a process, a
competency, a skill and a tool that has meaning in
relation to the demand of the economy and society
or individuals and communities
also a mode of behaviour, which enables
individuals and groups to gather, analyse and
apply written information to function in society
Gilster sees it as a fundamental act of cognition
(Gilster, 1997).
Literacy


The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) defines
literacy in terms of proficiency levels of usage
information to function in society and economy.
Literacy is defined as a particular capacity and mode of
behaviour, the ability to understand and employ printed
information in daily activities, at home, at work and in the
community - to achieve one’s goals, and to develop
one’s knowledge and potential (OECD/Statistics
Canada, 2000a, p. 12).
Literacy
In IALS literacy is measured operationally in terms
of the three domains:
 Prose literacy
 Document literacy

Quantitative literacy
Levels of literacy




Level 1
Level 2
Level 3 is considered a suitable minimum for coping with the
demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society.
It denotes roughly the skill level required for successful secondary
school completion and college entry. Like higher levels, it
requires the ability to integrate several sources of information and
solve more complex problems.
Level 4 and 5 describe respondents who demonstrate
command of higher-order information processing skills
(OECD/Statistics Canada, 2000a).
Concern

Several observers have expressed concern that
putting two fuzzy terms together doesn’t make
the overall concept clearer.

Others assert that it doesn’t matter what you call
or define it, as long as it gets done.
Competencies and skills




Competence has two dimensions – knowledge and skills.
“Knowledge may be seen as our understanding how our
everyday world in constituted and how it works.
Skills involve the ability to pragmatically apply, consciously
or even unconsciously, our knowledge in practical settings.
In this setting, “skills” can be conceived as the technical
aspects of competence, emphasizing the aspect of “how
to do”
Anttiroiko, A.-V., Lintilä, L. & Savolainen, R. (2001). Information society
competencies of managers: conceptual considerations, In: E. Pantzar,
R. Savolainen & P. Tynjälä, eds. In search for a human-centred
information society. (pp. 27-57). Tampere: Tampere University Press.
Competence




Complex cognitive skills (problem solving, qualitative
reasoning, self-regulation, learning to learn);
Highly integrated knowledge structures (e.g. mental
models);
Interpersonal skills and social abilities;
Attitudes and values.
Kirschner, P., Vilsteren, P., van Hummel, H., & Wigman, M. (1997).
A study environment for acquiring academic and professional competence.
Studies of Higher Education, 22 (2), 151-171.
Alternative terms








information competence
information competency
information mediacy
information problem solving
information problemsolving skills
information fluency
information mastery
information literacy
competence








information literacy
competencies
information literacy and skills
information literacy skills
information handling skills
information handling
competencies
skills of information literacy
Infoliteracy
information empowerment
Semantics



Information literacy = information skills=
information competence
IF information literacy = competence THEN
information literacy competence = information
competence competence
IF IL = competence AND competence =
knowledge and skills and attitudes THEN WHAT
is information literacy skills ???
Other terms and their relations with IL






Study skills
Learning skills
Learning to learn skills
Academic skills
Media literacy
Digital literacy….
Information literacy and learning


“Information literacy is about learning” (Bruce,
1997)
“Information literacy is a way of learning”
(Kuhlthau, 1993)
In the literature the terms “learning styles” and “cognitive
styles” are often used interchangeably


Learning style refers to how a learner perceives, interacts with, and
responds to the learning environment, it is a measure of individual
differences
Cognitive style refers to a learner’s preferred way of processing
information; that is, the person’s typical mode of thinking,
remembering, or problem solving
Terms for IL

In Finland informaatiokompetenssi,
informaatiolukutaito

In Norway informasjonskompetanse

In Denmark informationskompetence

in Sweden informationskompetens

In Estonia infopädevus, infokirjaoskus,
Statement

In modern society everyone needs to
develop increasingly sophisticated skills
for information handling and use
Information handling and use




identifying, locating, gathering, storing, retrieving
and processing information from a variety of
sources;
using a range of information-retrieval and
information-processing skills confidently and
competently;
organizing, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating
and using information;
presenting information clearly, logically,
concisely and accurately.
WHY IL?
Why there is an increasing interest
in information literacy?


New learning approaches
and new focus on student
learning in a lifelong
learning context
Expanding quantity information overload
- In different forms/places
- E-everything
- Uncertain quality
- Plagiarism
Old and new paradigms of HE (Kathy Tiano)
Old Paradigm
















Take what you can get
Academic calendar
University as a city
Terminal degree
University as ivory tower
Student = 18- to 25-year-old
Books are primary medium
Single product
Student as a ‘pain’
Delivery in classroom
Multi-cultural
Bricks & mortar
Single discipline
Institution-centric
Government funded
Technology as an expense
New Paradigm
















Courses on demand
Year-round operations
University as idea
Lifelong learning
University as a partner in society
Cradle to grave
Information on demand
Information reuse
Student as a customer
Delivery anywhere
Global
Bits & bytes
Multi-discipline
Market-centric
Market funded
Technology as differentiator
Responses of HE Institutions to
Changes






New technologies;
Student-centred learning approaches and constructivist
models of learning;
Improve and innovate traditional HE education and to
provide new and alternative learning opportunities (DE);
On-line education and electronic learning environments;
Open their doors to non-traditional learners and design
new programmes and courses;
Experiment with collaborative learning and teaching
supported by ITC.
Collis & van der Wende

The traditional lecture has still remained the
‘core medium’ for many HE institutions with ICT
serving as a complement to already existing
instructional tools
Collis, B. & Van der Wende, M. (2002). Models of Technology and Change
in Higher Education: An International Comparative Survey on the Current
and Future Use of ICT in Higher Education. Report, December 2002, Center
for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), Twente.
Information overload
Personal information overload - personal stress
and loss of productivity at work
Organizational information overload - overall
productivity of the organization
'information fatigue syndrome' (IFS)
Influence of overload




time is wasted - 38% of managers
decision-making is delayed - 43% of respondents
distraction from the main tasks - 47% of respondents
stress –
42 % leading to tension with colleagues, loss of job
satisfaction, illnness
61 % reduced social activity
60% tiredness
Information overload recognised as a critical problem
Reuters Business Information (1996). Dying for Information? An Investigation
into Information Overload in the UK and Worldwide. London: Reuters.
Reuters Ltd. (1998). Out of the Abyss: Surviving the information age. London.
HOW DO WE FACILITATE
PEOPLE TO BECOME IL?
Different approaches can be used







develop a guide for students to use or for resource
evaluation,
present a class sessions,
create a course Web site giving students a guided tour for
searching the Web,
develop an assignment where students work on a search
strategy appropriate to a problem statement,
assist students in preparation of their literature reviews,
develop online tutorials or
integrate or embed IL into curriculum.
Integration of IL into learning
An integrated ‘information literacy’ component in
learning would have a positive impact on
 students' mastering of context,
 fulfilling research tasks and problem solving,
 becoming more self-directed,
 assuming greater control over their own learning,
 enabling individuals to engage in a variety of
learning situations and opportunities in optimal
ways (Todd, 1995, George & Luke, 1995)
The Role of Library in Education

It is believed that library and information
professionals have an important role to
help students in becoming information
literate
New Skills
Sound pedagogical knowledge;
 Good technological skills;
 Advanced teaching skills;
 An ability to develop and deliver effective
learning experiences.

New Skills
It also requires that the teaching librarian functions as
an educational professional one who can:
 engage in educational debate and decision-making
processes,
 influence policy,
 forge strategic alliances and
 demonstrate diplomatic sensitivity.
Peacock, J. (2000). Teaching Skills for Teaching Librarians: postcards from
the edge of the educational paradigm. COMLA Seminar 2000: User Education
for User Empowerment Christchurch, New Zealand 19 – 20 October 2000.
Questions
How many librarians are qualified for the
role as teachers?
 Is it not more likely that teachers will
develop their own information expertise?

Brophy, P. (2001). The Library in the Twenty-first Century: New
Services for the Information Age. London: Library Association Publishing
IL education
“Whilst much attention has been paid to IL by
American policy-makers, librarians and
academics, the results are still relatively narrow,
giving a potentially superficial guide to the
nature of a curriculum for IL in HE”.
Johnston, B.; Webber, S. (2003). Information literacy in higher education:
a review and case study. Studies in Higher Education, 28 (3), 335-352.
How are things in Europe?
References to IL initiatives in Europe are,
however, quite rare and fragmented.
 The majority of publications have come
from the UK.
 Part of the problem of understanding
European IL activities stems from the
language barrier.

How are things in Europe?




EC funded projects EDUCATE and DEDICATE, from the
Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden
a research project for a doctoral thesis on information
seeking and use in a learning context by Louise Limberg,
from the Swedish School of Library and Information
Studies in Borås.
Webber and Johnston research
Albert Boekhorst, Claire McGuinness, Eva Ortoll Espinet,
etc.
Online delivery
Virtual tours
 OPAC tutorials
 IL tutorials

UK



About 50 universities have some form of electronic IL
package
the contents of IL tutorials vary from basic to advanced
searching skills, only some tutorials were subject specific
and most of them in generic in nature.
Only 10 tutorials outlined the learning outcomes and and
4 gave an indication of how long the tutorial would take
to complete (Stubbings & Brine, 2003)
Electronic IL tutorials




Most rely heavily on text with only few make good use of
colour, images and layout of text.
14 tutorials allowed participants to navigate their own
route through the packages.
Only 5 appeared to encourage reflection and discussion
There had little inter-activity throughout the tutorials, but
several provide quizzes at the end of each section or
tutorial (Stubbings & Brine, 2003)
Bas ic Library Skills
IT Skills
Novice
Competent
Proficient
Expert
Information literacy
Advanced beginner
Synthesise and create
Organise, apply and communicate
Compare and evaluate
Locate and access
Construct strategies for locating
Distinguish ways of addressing gap
Recognise information need
Seven pillars of information literacy
How are things in Nordic countries?




It is difficult to find national and Nordic
development programmes where IL is the objective
(aim)
Curriculum plans do not deal with IL directly
New pedagogic approaches contain such learning
mode that support IL
A lot of skills compete with each other
Maria Schöder, Hankeet 2001-2003, 19.11.2002 (NORDINFO)
MY RESEARCH
The aim of the study
To investigate information competence
development within European higher ODL in
order to develop a framework that facilitates the
effective delivery of information-related
competencies
Methodology
Mixed methods:
 Survey
 Multiple-case studies
 Grounded theory approach
Philosophical assumptions
Interpretative and constructive paradigm
 Ontology - relativism
 Epistemology - subjectivism
 Methodology - hermeneutic/dialectic

QUESTIONNAIRE
SURVEY
Sample
EADTU
member
Institutions
[map borrowed from EADTU
homepage]
Survey



E-mail survey (policy, curriculum development,
research, supervision, staff development)
The survey aimed to find out the size and scope
of information competence development in
EADTU member institutions and to explore the
role of libraries within this process.
to identify the examples of ‘good practice’
Method
Collection of data started in March 2003
 EADTU member institutions 150
dual/mixed-mode universities + 6 open
universities.
 persons who have overall responsibility for
teaching and learning

Some preliminary results
71 institutions responded, from 16 countries
 Belgium
 Norway
 Denmark
 Portugal
 Finland
 Slovenia
 France
 Spain
 Germany
 Sweden
 Hungary
 Switzerland
 Ireland
 UK
 Italy
 Netherlands
Institutional policy
I DON'T KNOW
1010
22
23
NO
38 38
YES
Some preliminary results
Policy documents in these institutions included
 strategic plans in teaching and learning
emphasising the integration of PBL and RBL into
the curriculum (23)
 lists of graduate attributes or ‘qualities of
graduates’ (16)
 information literacy plans (19)
Some preliminary results

26 of the institutions answered that library staff belong to
the educational committees that make decisions about
curricula and learning.

34 of the institutions indicated that existing procedures
for review of curriculum design in their institution require
the incorporation of ideas about ‘IL’ development

50 referred to collaboration between librarians and the
faculties to integrate ‘IL’ into the curriculum. However, 31
institution noted close collaboration between librarians
and faculty on planning learning
Some preliminary results
Librarians were involved in
 developing courses (always – 1, sometimes - 46),
 providing online tutorial support, assessment and
evaluation (always – 3, sometimes - 39),
 assisting students in the preparation of their literature
reviews and (always – 14, sometimes - 46)
 assisting students in the preparation of their assessed
work (always – 9, sometimes - 47).
 were involved in developing Web sites for courses and
subjects (2; 40), self-paced ‘IL’ modules (4; 34) and
Web-based learning materials that may be used by staff
and students (7; 44).
Some preliminary results








A brief tour of the library (34)
a handout &/or map (31)
verbal instructions from tutors or staff (30)
A section in a student handbook (23)
a lecture or seminar especially devoted to these topics
(17)
a course or series of lectures devoted to these topics (6)
a phased programme of detailed induction by staff (5)
several lectures/seminars on using the facilities (4)
Some preliminary results


13 of institutions indicated that their students earn
credits for a unit or component on ‘IL’ during their
studies on a cross-disciplinary basis and 31 of
institutions indicated that as part of a discipline specific
course.
17 institutions referred that there are some other
programmes that foster IL or a range of generic
attributes including IL
Some preliminary results


30 of the institutions referred to some research
in their institutions on ‘IL’,
Librarians and faculty partnership in the area of
research (4)
Supervision partnership where
librarians




…and faculty share expertise and responsibility
for helping students through the phases of
higher degree research (26)
…act as co-supervisors ensuring that literature
reviews are relevant (15)
…keep supervisors and students up to date with
information resources and services (45)
…participate in preparation of literature reviews
and research proposals (19)
Some preliminary results

42 of these institutions also noted that there
have been several workshops or other activities
aiming to introduce faculty to the idea of
‘information literacy’ education.
CASE STUDIES
Interpretative case studies




2 national and 3 + (1) dual/mixed mode ODL
universities in Europe.
Site visits: August 2003 – September 2004.
Semi-structured interviews with students,
academics, senior managers and librarians.
Document analysis, observations.
Interpretative case studies
4-5 DL students
 3-5 academics
 2-5 librarians
 1-2 senior managers


72 in depth interviews
PRELIMINARY
FINDINGS:
UNIVERSITY
Preliminary findings
University senior managers

1 rector

1 vice rector

1 educational development officer

1 sub-dean for learning and teaching, director of the
school

1 head of e-learning department

1 head of IT unit

1 international project coordinator

1 leader of IT innovation
The concept of IL
Accepted and appreciated (4)
 Accepted, but some hesitation about the
term (3)
 Unknown (1)

The concept of IL- Acceptance
Is the concept IL familiar to you and to your
institution?
 A1: Yes, absolutely, this is very commonly used
term in […..] discussions, also we have not yet
agreed what would be the [….] term or the right
[…] word for information literacy, because
literacy can be translated in so many different
ways.
The concept of IL - Acceptance
Is the concept IL familiar to you and to your
institution?
 A2: I think, in our University, during the last two
or three years, this term has been used very
often in different connections.
The concept of IL - Acceptance
Is the concept IL familiar to you and to your
institution?
 A3: Yes. In this part of the University […], we
take, I think, information literacy quite seriously
and recognize it as an important part of the
curriculum for our students.
The concept of IL- Hesitations
Is the concept IL familiar to you and to your
institution?
 A 4: I think that information literacy is a good
concept because it shows what is important. But
the word of IL doesn’t say what IL is and….IL
has been different things … and IL now is
another thing as it was just 20 years ago…
The concept of IL- Hesitations
Is the concept IL familiar to you and to your
institution?
 A5: … it’s too broad and at the same time it’s not
telling you very much when it wants to
incorporate everything from getting… or having
an information problem to solving it and
presenting the results to the outside world.
Importance of IL

A5: ….presenting information in a good way is
very important, because we have all this
project work, you know, producing a good
project, product, report or whatever you do, is
very important. So, it’s the whole way from
having an idea about what you need to know
and find it, and use it and present it.
Lack of IL

A7: In general that we have seen in their essays,
when they write essays, it’s clear that the ability
to make use of information services is not very
well developed, it is not so good developed than
we would expect.
Lack of IL

A1: We frequently face situations when
researchers who should be very skillful in using
information tools can not fully make use of those
opportunities that are available. We still should
find better methods to support our staff members
that they will make use of new opportunities for
finding literature and using it and handling it.
Integration of IL into curriculum


Integration of IL into learning is in the beginning
stage in all ‘good practice’ institutions
However, not all administrators are familiar with
the extent the IL is integrated into learning in the
whole institution
Integration of IL into curriculum
Please tell me to what extent IL is integrated into
learning in your institution.
 A3: I think, it would be too much to claim that it
is fully integrated into learning, I think; it is
patchy across the different courses and different
programs of study…I think it’s early days really.
Integration of IL into curriculum
Please tell me to what extent IL is integrated into
learning in your institution.
 A1: …I can’t say that we would have a situation
which is sufficiently good or we can be satisfied
with the IL skills of our students or our staff
members.
Integration of IL into curriculum
Please tell me to what extent IL is integrated into
learning in your institution.
 A2: Even the concept is familiar to us and we
have had this discussion, I do think that there is
still a lot of work to do…
Why IL is in this early stage and not
integrated?



The modular nature of the programmes, each
course is very free standing
University has used to provide the students with
all the resources they need
It is very difficult in terms of economy of
students’ and tutors’ time and effort
Why IL is in this early stage and
not integrated?

A3: It puts on load on the student and their time,
it also puts quite a load on tutors who are
working with them, because the tutors then have
to, if you like, a lot of sources of information they
are not aware of. In that a sort of contained
course, the tutors are pretty well clear about the
material the students will have been using. We
have to go certain way in that direction, but I
don’t think we can make the all course with that
kind of open source approach.
Why IL is not integrated?
Lack of awareness
 Lack of good examples
 Lack of time
 Lack of resources
 Personal issues
 High workload of staff

National Policy

National policy supports IL developments
(in the context of information society
developments, Bologna process,
electronic or digital library initiatives, elearning or key skills initiatives, lifelong
learning agenda)
National Policy

A1: …the most active discussions have now taken place
as a part of the Bologna process, if we are developing a
new university structure and new curriculum, the
important part of new curriculum in different fields will be
so called general skills, and now when we have started
to talk about it, about these general skills, then of course
information literacy has been one of the promising
candidate that should be included into those general
skills that should be taught in all disciplines in all degree
programmes.
National Policy

A2: IL has been very hot topic in […] discussions
at all levels of education and somehow it is also
included into the new curriculum of our primary
school and high school…
National Policy

A3: I have seen information literacy referred to in
a number of government documents, that are
about the development of higher education, the
development of education generally in the
country at different levels.
Institutional policy


Some respondents refer to strategy documents
which also emphasis IL, even the word IL is not
always explicitly mentioned
Other institutions has no such kind of strategy
documents, but the main strategy documents on
IL are developed by the library
Institutional policy

A4: No, I don’t think it’s written down in an
official document, because in schools and also
in university ….. it’s agreed that the
responsibility for all teaching activities is left for
individual teacher ….it’s integrated into culture
instead, you now….
How do you know that your students are
information literate or have attained information
fluency?

A3: I don’t think we do know that. I’m not aware
of any studies that, from which we would be able
to draw that…We have so many other
dimensions on which we have to assess
students, if you like, that I can’t image that very
sort of that tight framework of information literacy
skills is ever going to be the leading edge of a
course assessment.
How do you know that your
students are information literate



Student essays
Student project work
Master Thesis
Role of the library




Dramatic changes during some last years
related to the spread of digital materials
Very promising time for libraries
The role of the university library and good
contacts highlighted
Library staff is well represented in the main
learning and teaching committees and make
good use of these committees
Role of the library

A3: ..as the Internet took off and electronic
library services then, I think that it allowed all the
ideas about information literacy to flourish.
Role of the library

A3: I think they have been largely effective at
making us think and telling us about some of the
ways on which students ought to be behaving in
a kind of knowledge society.
Staff development

A3: And the library is very good at putting on whole
series of staff development events….The liaison librarian
or subject librarian working with that faculty will organize
things and push colleagues to take part in it. Other
events are much more focussed on, if you like, topical
areas and themes. And to my knowledge, I have been at
least three events, quite well attended, which were
getting over, if you like, the benefits of working with
digital resources and online access to information and
the associated skills what would be needed. So, I think
there have been a plenty of staff development events.
Staff development

A3: Course teams are so busy, so under
pressure that staff development events of that
kind often take a quite a low priority.
EARLY FINDINGS
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’
VIEW
Interviews with students
4-5 students from each case study
institution
 Limited interest to participate in this study
 24 students participated in the main study
and 8 additional students answered by email

Demographics
10 male and 14 female (1 M + 7 F)
 Age: 18-69
 Level: BA, MA, PhD
 Subjects: law, languages, management,
history, business, geography, etc.

The concept of IL
Is the term ‘information literacy’ familiar to you?
 Unknown (7)
 The majority of students can understand what
the term IL means but do not use it or have
hesitations about its meaning
 Some students connect IL mostly with ICT
literacy
 Some students offer other terms
The term IL - Unknown



A7: No, no. I have never heard it.
A9: No, that term is not familiar to me.
A18: Not familiar with this term…
The term of IL - not used, but they can
understand it


A8: It is not a term I have heard before…But I
think I can understand what it means – the ability
to search, read and understand after required
information.
A4: Actually that’s not so well known, it’s not part
of my vocabulary, but if I think it could be… it’s
like collecting information from different points
and like teaching how to do it the best way and
what different places you can use for that…
The term of IL not used, but they can
understand it

A2: Yes I know what it is but it is not an
expression I would use in everyday language.
When telling people about my course [recently
taken IL course] I would just say it was learning to
use the internet properly and search for
information about a particular subject.
The term of IL - not used, but they can
understand it

A6: Yes. I have probably heard it from [….] . I
have been in his lectures and so the concept of
information literacy is familiar to me, but what its
actually means is not so familiar. I’m aware that its
very broad concept that has many different kinds
of meanings. If I think what I myself think what it
means, its…, I feel it is related to the fact that
nowadays there is such a vast input of information
from everywhere and it is getting more difficult to
find a piece of information you need
The term of IL - not used, but they can
understand it

A 15: Yes, I have heard the term, but I find it a bit
confusing. It means nearly everything and it is
not possible to draw its exact borders, it is
connected with learning, thinking, problem
solving, analysing, communicating….it is a part
of everything… and you learn it through all your
education and through all your life… at different
level of your education … and in different
ways…
Other terms



A 20: The term ‘information literacy’ is not very
familiar to me, but it sounds like ‘information
competence’, which I’ve read sometimes in web
sites and other electronic resources and is
maybe related to the same subject
A 24: I have not used this phrase previously,
preferring to use terms such as Knowledge
acquisition, knowledge audit, research analysis.
A 71: It means… knowledge management
Information literacy is a good term

A 22: Yes – the term ‘information literacy’ is
familiar to me but I guess the term ‘information
skills’ is also used in HE. I feel information
literacy is a good term as it implies skills beyond
formal education – skills that could be used in
the workplace by professionals, managers etc.
The nature of their motivation





It was obligatory in their studies
It enabled to develop new skills or update skills
It enabled to support their career prospects
It was CPE course and paid by the institution
Personal reasons
The nature of their motivation


A 4: It was part of the study …[..] so you didn’t
have a choice
A 76: I want to join the police force eventually
as an information analyst and this was the
closest and simplest course I could find that
may demonstrate that I know how to find data,
analyse and report it. My main study is in
psychology and this course fit nicely between
years.
The nature of their motivation

A 16: …so I thought it would be useful to go to
the course also and you can get some training
from the University and the pay for it. So, I
applied for the course as far I could get it free
and I did leave it to the last minute, but I did the
degree anyway and I did get it, I did get it free.
How competent our students
think they are in IL?



Novice, advanced beginner, competent,
proficient, expert
All categories were covered, but the competent
user was the most dominant
Usually their level of competence increased one
level after participating in courses/programmes
with IL component
Satisfaction

Generally satisfied and believe that
achievement of IL has influenced their
general learning outcomes, academic
performance, course completion and
success
Satisfaction


A 17: It helped me in broadening my awareness
of development in online databases, electronic
journals etc. I found it useful for my continuing
professional development.
A14: Yes. Now I am an information co-ordinator
for a help centre at a local hospice. Having
completed the course recently helped my
application for the position and gave me
confidence in taking on the job
Satisfaction


A 15: I believe it has affected the whole results in two
main ways: there is usually a well distributed amount of
references in my works and there is also a clear
connection between them. This is mainly due to a hard
previous work in searching, selecting and distributing
data (sometimes I think this is what really guides the
order of the writing, somehow, the logic of the contents which it’s probably not bad).
A 4: It has saved me researching time – that I was then
able to spend on writing the essays
Satisfaction
A 5: Probably not, I’m not doing as well this
year as last year though the course is
harder but also I probably have too much
information now that I struggle to make
an essay from it that is flowing and
logical.
Some more complains:
Interaction

A 10: I was also disappointed to the extent,
there was an e-mail discussion list.., what they
call it…., conferencing or conference room…
And I was rather disappointed with that also
because it was supposed to be students, you
know, exchanging ideas and things about the
course and trying, I suppose stimulate what
would you get if you work doing things face to
face and it didn’t really.
Face-to-face meetings

A14: I did miss the face to face things, and I think I would
have got even more out of it with the opportunity to meet
some of the course team, maybe face-to-face, even for
an afternoon, even for two or three hours when I could
just, you can just go and say what I don’t like, I think this
resource you suggested is dreadful, I can’t get one with it
and they could say, no it isn’t if you look it in this way or if
you look it in that way and when they would suggest
something…
Knowledge finding

A17: the course seems to me not to have understood
why somebody would want to be doing research, it .., the
model that they had of learning was the knowledge is out
there, all you have to do is to go and hunt for it. This is a
librarian’s view of the world, it’s not the researcher’s view
of the world, the researcher’s view of the world is: I have
some interesting questions and I want to know is there
any good. I want to know how can I develop my
questions, I want to know if anybody else is similarly
interested.
Personalized tasks

A 19: …there is no need at all, it seems to me, for you to
determine what it is that should to be investigated as a
main project, because if you really do have the expertise
that you claim by virtually publishing this course you
would be able to check very quickly whether or not there
is any particular search, any particular project was
satisfactorily done, it would only take you 10 minutes to
do it. So, why not allow your students to investigate the
matter of their interest and curiosity…
Personalized tasks

A 8: I didn’t like the assignment, it wasn’t what I
wanted to do…I was not interested in research
on it and we had to research it and we had to
look up and I thought it was too descriptive, you
know and I only did it, because, I just felt I
wanted to complete it and also because it was
paid for…
Library support
Do you usually contact library staff for
help or advice? In what circumstances?
Library support



A8: I have only contacted library staff when there
were serious difficulties for finding basic data
(when I had quite nothing to start with, only a
few unknown references) or problems to access
online resources.
A9: Yes – only in cases of technical difficulties
A18: Yes, if I can’t locate something, to arrange
book loans via post
Library support


A 22: I have only used the resources available
on the Library web page, I haven’t contacted the
Library staff, no.
A 24: Very seldom. They have been a presence
on the FirstClass conference for the Masters
course… Generally they’ve come up with
answers long after certain clever students have
presented solutions on the course conference,
but good that they are there.
Library support

A10: ‘…because when you go to the university
library, there is obviously the desk, on which you
take the books and you return loans also, and I
think, those people there, there are always long
lines of people with their books and in a hurry
and people who could have the time and to help
us in research, I don’t actually know where they
are…’
Library support

A 8: I know one particular, when I had loans from
university libraries in Sweden and when I had to renew
them, then I knew that OK I go to that holeway and then
there is the door and I know the person who will renew
my loans is sitting there, but I wouldn’t contact her and
ask for help in searching information from the Swedish
library databases from the library where I got the loan.
No, they are not very visible, at least in here, so I
wouldn’t just go to the holeway and knock on the door
and, hey, can you help me search…
Library support



A74: We have a very helpful library/info
centre at work on the same floor as me
so often consult them
A 14: Yes – if I have queries about using
databases on or off campus etc.
A 16: Yes – when I am stuck and don’t
know what to do next.
Conclusions





IL is a complex phenomenon and may be
approached from a variety of perspectives.
Multiple meanings of IL
The importance of IL is acknowledged in Europe
even the term is not always used and some
confusion with the term
IL initiatives in European ODL are quite
fragmented and further exploration is needed
IL development still at beginning stage
Carol Kuhlthau

Kuhlthau said: "We do not have the
information literacy problem solved. More
work is needed."
The fourth Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) conference,
held May 2124 at the Interuniversity Centre in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Thank you for your attention!