Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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
Competencies
Competencies
Debate of competencies
Meta-competencies
Key Competence
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)
Visions of
society
and
individuals
WHICH KEY
COMPETENCIES?
Cultural
context,
biographical
variability
Political negotiation,
consensus formation
HE and competencies
Transmission of competences
Assessment issues
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
OECD (2001a). Educational policy analysis 2001. Paris: OECD, Centre for
Educational Research and Innovation.
Information literacy
Library and information professionals call
these information-related competencies as
information literacy.
Lots of definitions
and models
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
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
ones 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
Literacy
Literacy
Literacy
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
Competence
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 problem-solving
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
Study skills
Learning skills
Learning to learn skills
Academic skills
Media literacy
Digital literacy.
Terms for IL
In Finland informaatiokompetenssi,
informaatiolukutaito
In Norway informasjonskompetanse
In Denmark informationskompetence
in Sweden informationskompetens
Statement
WHY IL?
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, 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
HOW DO WE FACILITATE
PEOPLE TO BECOME IL?
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.
Questions
How many librarians are qualified for the
role as teachers?
Is it not more likely that teachers will
develop their own information expertise?
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.
Online delivery
Virtual tours
OPAC tutorials
IL tutorials
UK
Electronic IL tutorials
Most rely heavily on text with only few make good use of
colour, images and layout of text.
Advanced beginner
Competent
Proficient
Expert
MY RESEARCH
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
Survey
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
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UK
Institutional policy
1010
22
23
38 38
CASE STUDIES
72 in depth interviews
PRELIMINARY
Preliminary findings
University senior managers
1 rector
1 vice rector
1 head of IT unit
1 leader of IT innovation
The concept of IL
Accepted and appreciated (4)
Accepted, but some hesitation about the
term (3)
Unknown (1)
Importance of IL
Lack of IL
Lack of IL
National Policy
National Policy
National Policy
National Policy
Institutional policy
Institutional policy
Student essays
Student project work
Master Thesis
Staff development
Staff development
EARLY FINDINGS
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
VIEW
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
Other terms
Satisfaction
Satisfaction
Satisfaction
Satisfaction
A 5: Probably not, Im 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.
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 dont like, I think this
resource you suggested is dreadful, I cant get one with it
and they could say, no it isnt if you look it in this way or if
you look it in that way and when they would suggest
something
Knowledge finding
Personalized tasks
Personalized tasks
Library support
Do you usually contact library staff for
help or advice? In what circumstances?
Library support
Library support
Library support
Library support
Library support
Conclusions
Carol Kuhlthau