It takes more than breadcrumbs

1
It takes more than breadcrumbs to learn generic
skills collaborating to improve information
literacy.
HERDSA 2003 The University of Canterbury
Christchurch, New Zealand
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
2
UNSW community
Over

• 40,000 students
• 5,000 staff

- 600 undergraduate programs - 300 postgraduate
programs
Source http//www.unsw.edu.au/about/pad/aboutfact
s.html
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
3

Why collaborate?
Why information literacy?
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
4

4 Rs of IL
Recognising needs Realising range of
sources Retrieving, using advanced tools Relating
to needs
plucking out the good from the bad and the ugly
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
5

Information
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
6

The task
Information literacy is so broad that the
responsibility for it does not start and end
with the library. In the context of higher
education, the academic, librarian and academic
skills/study skills advisor have joint
responsibility.
Lupton, 2002
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
7

Efforts so far
From behaviourist to cognitive orientation
From general to discipline to course-specific
Aligning outcomes and activities yet to include
assessment
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
8

Student approaches to learning
Anecdotally, invariably a surface approach
Its not assessable, so I didnt give any
attention to it. If it was worth one or two
marks, Id say, hey.. And Id pay attention. No
student is going to give up two marks
UNSW Library focus group student, 2003
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
9

Learning effectiveness

• Information skills viewed by students as
• a library thing
• not integral to their course

• Students value if marks are attached
• (and dont value if no marks are attached)

Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
10

Theoretical framework
How can information literacy be an assured
graduate attribute?
?
Critical reflection
After Brookfield, 1991
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
11

Lens 1
Autobiography as learner and teacher
- improve effectiveness

• observe far greater
• student involvement
• where linked to graded
• course assessment

Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
12

Lens 2
Colleagues in the library and faculty
- requests for help at the i desk
- students poor referencing, use of irrelevant
sources and reliance on the Internet
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
13

Lens 3
Teaching and Learning Literature
A student adopting a surface approach reduces
what is to be learnt to the status of
unconnected facts to be memorized.
Gibbs, 1992
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
14

Lens 3
Which database covers all this?
How can I just get full-text articles?
Is it OK to cite an abstract?
? grab it and go!
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
15

Lens 3
Surface approach what comes after what with no
reference to the overall journey
use markers / signs along the way like Hansel
and Gretels breadcrumbs
Only breadcrumbs to retrace search steps where
now??? where going??? why on this path at all???
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
16

Lens 4
Students own experiences
Critical Incident Questionnaire
? engaged ? distanced ? helped ? puzzled ?
surprised
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
17

?engaged/involved (positive emotion)
doing the assignment and practices
Students perception Active learning
Key factors in teaching learning environment -
Assessment task required thorough understanding -
Library teaching supported course lecturers aims
Student approach encouraged deep approach to
learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
18

?distanced (negative emotion)
no access to database and had to look on
Students perception No active learning
Key factors in teaching learning environment -
Creating anxiety
Student approach encouraged surface approach to
learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
19

?helpful/ affirming (positive emotion)
when the issues I had were immediately addressed
Students perception Self-directed,
interdependent learning
Key factors in teaching learning environment -
Learning environment positive - Questions
encouraged
Student approach encouraged deep approach to
learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
20

?puzzling/confusing (negative emotion)
finding cited articles, many steps involved
Students perception Lacking readiness to learn
Key factors in teaching learning environment -
breadth of coverage - insufficient time -
discrete parts, not structure
Student approach encouraged surface approach to
learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
21

?surprising (positive emotion)
so many ways to use PsycInfo functions I didnt
know about!
Students perception Seeing connections,
attaching meaning
Key factors in teaching learning environment -
New material linked to existing knowledge -
Misconceptions addressed - Assessing for
understanding and integration
Student approach encouraged deep approach to
learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
22

?surprising (negative emotion)
Ive been using PsycInfo for 3 years now, but I
still cant do the assignment!
Students perception Inability to complete
assignment
Key factors in teaching learning environment -
Missing the intrinsic structure - Low individual
expectations of success
Student approach encouraged surface approach to
learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
23

From here
- Flying a plane, brain surgery and IL are all
processes
being able to cope with the new, the
complex, or the unexpected requires a deep
approach to learning
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
24

Most
conducive learning environment
?
collaboration
Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
25

Sue Owen, The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia