Loughborough University Library: Open Journals
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Justification of the Dual-Phase Project-Based PedagogicalApproach in a Primary School Technology Unit
Get PDFThis research paper describes the use of the Cognitive Apprenticeship (CA) framework to analyse the practices of teacher and students observed during a technology unit.Twenty three children aged 9-10 years were involved in the research and they were taught in a standard classroom. The analysis provides evidence that a two-phase project-based approach was an effective way to implement a technology unit with this primary school class
LibGuides in Political Science: A Gateway to Information Literacy and Improved Student Research
No full textThis paper discusses the use of LibGuides as an effective tool for teaching Information Literacy and specifically enhancing student research in Political Science and International Affairs. With myriad evidentiary sources available for course papers, LibGuides provide a framed gateway for library research which reduces student apprehension and enables faculty to guide inquiry to a variety of sources and a multitude of perspectives. Flexible and personal, LibGuides enhance teaching effectiveness by expanding faculty guidance while still leaving the challenges of Information Literacy such as efficient acquisition, evidentiary choice, and ethical use up to the student. Experience and adaptation of LibGuides at North Georgia College & State University provide the evidence in this paper by which Information Literacy is promoted, enhanced, and an improved product in student research
Book review of Torras, M-C. and Sætre, T. P. 2009. Information literacy education: a process approach. Professionalising the pedagogical role of academic libraries. Oxford: Chandos.
Get PDFUsing teaching faculty focus groups to assess information literacy core competencies at a university level
Get PDFGrand Valley State University librarians designed and conducted teaching faculty focus groups to gauge their response to a new information literacy (IL) core student competencies document created to support a developing library IL programme. Although the competencies were inspired by existing, widely known information literacy standards and guidelines the University Libraries' Information Literacy Competencies document (ILCC) is unique and written specifically to address the university's culture and curriculum. The authors of this paper formed a research team to assemble two groups of teaching faculty from various disciplines and to analyse focus group transcripts using a content analysis approach. The resulting data revealed unexpected perceptions about information literacy among teaching faculty and concerns about how to apply the ILCC document. In analysing the data, we generated ideas for supporting teaching faculty as they apply the ILCC document. Focus groups were used to gauge teaching faculty perceptions of the ILCC document. The results of the focus groups informed our efforts to tailor the ILCC document to existing university programs and curricula by using the language that was familiar to teaching faculty; and to explore teaching faculty perceptions of challenges and needed support. The paper explains how the focus group method was employed to test information literacy competencies in order to provide a potential model for other universities who are customising their own information literacy standards
Using online video to promote database searching skills: the creation of a virtual tutorial for Health and Social Care students
Get PDFIn recent years, online tutorials have become well-established tools for the delivery of information literacy training as information professionals continue to seek new and more effective ways to reach audiences. However, the rapid transience of technologies, and the ongoing need to maximise the efficiency of services, mean that the question of how best to exploit the online medium needs further exploration. This paper focuses on a project at the University of Surrey Library to develop a new approach to online instruction. The goals of the project were to explore how the addition of video might create a more engaging user experience, and how the online video tutorial might therefore both improve existing information literacy training as well as offering a ‘just in time’ point of support. This paper examines the practical challenges involved in creating useful and accessible content and compares different software solutions for producing and editing video, audio, screencasts and subtitles. Further, it also examines the specific issues encountered when using external content, including database modifications and e-copyright issues. Finally, it touches upon the feedback collected so far in order to begin the evaluation of the resource. Using video can maximise the impact of e-learning tools, helping online tutorials to deliver information in a more personal and immediate way. However, when allowing for the time investment in creating and managing such resources, both their role alongside alternative information literacy approaches and their lasting value must be carefully considered
Book review of Woodward, H. and Estelle, L. (eds.). 2010. Digital information: order or anarchy? London: Facet Publishing.
No full textThey can find it but they don't know what to do with it: describing the use of scholarly literature by undergraduate students
Get PDFThis article discusses a two-part research study. In the first part, the impact of a library instruction session on the quality of sources cited by upper-division undergraduate students was measured. Student papers and bibliographies were analysed with the use of a checklist in order to determine if students who attended a library instruction session were more likely to cite scholarly sources that addressed their paper topics than students who did not attend a session. Twenty students in total participated in the study and it was discovered that most of the students had no difficulty finding and evaluating sources in order to meet or exceed the professor's bibliographic requirements, including those students who had never attended a library instruction session. However, half of the students in this study had problems synthesising the quality information they found and incorporating it into their papers. This realisation led to the second part of the study. The students’ papers were reexamined in order to describe students’ use of the scholarly materials. A rubric was created in order to determine if the papers exhibited evidence that the students had synthesised the materials they found. Many of the students only summarised the scholarly sources specified by their professor’s bibliographic requirements then went on to make assertions about their topics without making any connection to the scholarly literature they so carefully accumulated. These findings question some of the assumptions about the information literacy needs of undergraduates held by many practitioners, as evidenced by the emphasis most instructional librarians place on teaching students how to locate, retrieve, and evaluate materials from “acceptable” sources. Further research on how undergraduates actually use the information they find can only inform librarians’ pedagogical efforts and may lead to increased collaboration between librarians and discipline faculty
The role of Information Literacy in the provision of virtual reference services at the enquiry desk.
Get PDFVirtual Reference (VR) tools are a useful means of allowing remote interaction between librarians and library users. This paper focuses on the use of synchronous VR tools and their potential for fostering information literacy. The use of chat software, co-browse and Second Life was surveyed and follow-up interviews were undertaken. Conclusions: The three tools investigated all have merits as ways of promoting information literacy within VR services at the enquiry desk, with chat being the most popular because of its stable and user-friendly nature, and the ease with which it can be integrated with other products such as blogs, webpages and co-browse tools