Loughborough University Library: Open Journals
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The value of collaboration: raising confidence and skills in information literacy with first year Initial Teacher Education students
Get PDFThis paper will focus on the increasing staff-student-librarian collaboration, and integration of information literacy (IL) teaching, within a Primary Initial Teacher Education undergraduate course. These developments arose from an action research project which started during the academic year 2010-11. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of the IL teaching upon students’ confidence in their abilities to find, select and use information. Results of the first research cycle (2010-11) indicated that overall, the teaching had a positive and desirable impact upon students' confidence. However, staff and student feedback suggested that mutual expectations, and the consistency and timing of support, were important factors in the development of students' IL skills. During the analysis of our initial findings, we will focus our discussion around two identified themes which relate to these issues – role and collaboration – and share our experiences from the second and third cycles of the research, which led to a transformation of IL teaching for our students in 2013-14. This paper charts our four-year journey, sharing the ideas and opportunities realised through the project and through increased collaboration as a teaching team and with our students. This paper is based on a presentation given at LILAC 2014
Developing a new approach to information literacy learning design
Get PDFThis article reports on the development of a new model for information literacy (IL) learning design created as part of Innovative Technologies for Engaging Classrooms (iTEC), a European project focused on redesigning teaching and learning. Findings from this project, along with a review of previous studies of IL models, demonstrate why a new approach is needed. The resulting model, InFlow, has been designed to encourage students to engage with information in a variety of ways as they map, explore, ask, make, reflect, imagine, show and collaborate. The rationale behind the development of this model raises fundamental questions about current teaching practices in relation to IL, such as the need to encourage collaborative working; the role of students as producers of information as well as consumers; and the privileging of particular types of information sources and outputs. This article describes the process by which this model was developed, based on approaches used in iTEC, and explains how it responds to criticisms of existing models. A short case study of the use of InFlow in a UK university library demonstrates how the model can work in practice to create IL programmes for students of the 21st century.
Assessing information literacy programmes using information search tasks
Get PDFThe aim of this article is to present information search tasks as an alternative to standardized tests for the assessment of scholarly information literacy (IL). The article describes how a task taxonomy and scoring rubrics were developed as a basis for the construction of standardized search tasks. Based on this taxonomy, sample tasks were created and used in an evaluation study in which an IL instruction programme was scrutinised. In this study, the tasks were applied alongside with a standardized IL test to determine their convergent validity. The results show that IL can be assessed using information search tasks in a reliable and conceptually as well as ecologically valid way. To our knowledge, this is the first publication using information search tasks for the assessment of IL with this degree of standardisation. The task taxonomy, sample tasks, and scoring rubrics are included and can be used by practitioners to create information search tasks tailored to their needs
Developing ‘Design Minds’ for the 21st Century Through a Public Sector Initiated Online Design Education Platform
Get PDFEducation in the 21st century demands a model for
understanding a new culture of learning in the face of
rapid change, open access data and geographical diversity.
Teachers no longer need to provide the latest information
because students themselves are taking an active role in
peer collectives to help create it. This paper examines,
through an Australian case study entitled ‘Design Minds’,
the development of an online design education platform
as a key initiative to enact a government priority for statewide
cultural change through design-based curriculum.
Utilising digital technology to create a supportive
community, ‘Design Minds’ recognises that interdisciplinary
learning fostered through engagement will empower
future citizens to think, innovate, and discover. This paper
details the participatory design process undertaken with
multiple stakeholders to create the platform. It also
outlines a proposed research agenda for future
measurement of its value in creating a new learning
culture, supporting regional and remote communities, and
revitalising frontline services. It is anticipated this research
will inform ongoing development of the online platform,
and future design education and research programs in K-
12 schools in Australia
Drawing in Space
Get PDFThis project became all about knowing a space. Through drawing from observation, using a digital Interface (I Pad applications), making notes in a blog, working with new materials, the process became a way of carrying forward different ways of thinking through drawing. The project lasted for about three weeks in which I worked in a near empty house
In Passing
Get PDFThis paper addresses the fundamental question: How does drawing on site inform the way we think about place and space
Professional self-efficacy and role perception of school librarians and their impact on the development of students' information literacy
Get PDFThe current study evaluated the degree to which school librarians are involved in two different dimensions of their work that directly relate to developing information literacy (IL): (1) providing students with basic and advanced reference work services (RWS); and (2) assisting students at different stages of their research process assignments, as defined by the Big6 model. In addition, to examine factors that may affect the degree of involvement in these two dimensions, the professional self-efficacy of the librarians and their perceptions of their role within the school community were assessed. Data was collected from 71 Israeli school librarians through online questionnaires and analysed quantitatively. This analysis reveals that school librarians provide primarily basic RWS, which require a low degree of professional and technological skills and little collaboration with school teachers. Similarly, school librarians are mainly involved with two specific stages of the students’ research processes, namely, the seeking and evaluation of information, which again reflect a low degree of IL training. The degree of involvement of librarians in these dimensions of their work is significantly and positively correlated with (a) the perception of the librarians of their own self-learning ability and professional updating level; and (b) their perceptions of their role as co-teachers or leaders within the school community. These findings should increase the awareness of the IL community to the work of school librarians, to their role in shaping information-related processes in young students, and to possible means of achieving these goals
Designing and Developing Mobile Based Instruction: A designer’s perspective
Get PDFMobile devices are increasingly being used in classrooms
and corporations as a means to deliver instructional
content. Currently, there is limited research on how to best
design and develop mobile based instruction. As a result,
the purpose of this research study was to examine
students’ perceptions of designing and developing mobilebased
instruction by a) interviewing instructional design
graduate students in a computer based instruction course
who were given the opportunity to construct mobile-based
instruction and b) surveying instructional design graduate
students to uncover their perceptions of mobile instruction
design, usability, and delivery. Results of the survey and
qualitative data analysis indicated that usability was a key
issue on the mobile device. Users enjoyed quick access,
good organization, user control, single column layouts, and
large links/buttons. These findings contribute to the
literature base on the design and development of mobile
based instruction