Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | A | Australian Academic & Research Libraries

Embedding information literacy in the sociology program at the University of Otago.

Article Excerpt
The origins of information literacy (IL) can be found in both information science and bibliographic instruction (1) and the concept now features prominently in a very wide cross-section of education-related academic literature. (2) Although there is no universally accepted definition for the term information literacy, it is generally agreed to be a learning outcome focussing on the lifelong ability to recognise the need for, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information. (3) IL has emerged as part of a paradigm shift (4) in the philosophy of education towards student-centred learning. (5) Today IL represents a cornerstone of both librarianship and discipline-related pedagogy within the higher education community. (6) In an information society all students need to be information literate if they are to stay up-to-date with developments in a particular subject.(7) Information literacy is therefore intrinsically linked to the emerging concept of 'lifelong learning'. (8)

Lifelong learning is a core component of the University of Otago Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP) 2002 and, like many other tertiary institutions, features as a 'graduate attribute'. (9) In general terms lifelong learning refers to the continuation of learning throughout the lifespan of an individual. (10) More specifically, however, it emphasises processes of developing new skills and understanding new concepts beyond the period of formal education traditionally associated with learning. (11) It is now widely accepted both as a social and economic imperative, (12) and has dramatically increased in importance in recent years as individual needs have adapted to the changing demands of the information society. (13)

The abilities to locate, evaluate and use information effectively have long been fundamental to academic study. Tertiary students are encouraged to develop these core attributes early in their undergraduate careers. Until recently, however, traditional library education practices have been 'add-ons' taught by librarians and rarely integrated into courses of academic study. As outlined in the Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy (ANZIIL) Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework (14) (ANZILF), one of the most effective ways to raise levels of IL is to 'embed' skills and concepts into established academic curricula. 'Embedding' in this context refers to the process of aligning IL objectives with the learning outcomes of an academic course or program. As Hine et al. argue, '[t]he embedding of information skills into a subject integrates it into the content, learning activities and delivery modes of the subject.' (15) Students are much more likely to retain IL skills, and hence develop into lifelong learners, if IL is presented as integrated within a subject rather than as a 'clip-on'. (16) The practice of embedding IL into the curriculum has only recently become widely accepted (17) and many university-based librarians are now working in conjunction with academic staff towards this goal. Such initiatives also represent a valuable opportunity for librarians to collaborate and improve overall relationships with their faculty-based colleagues. (18) Such improvements are vital, not only to the successful development of IL, but also to the 'continued viability of academic libraries and librarianship'. (19) The growth in initiatives to embed IL has been partially enabled by the proliferation of IL standards that have promoted agreement about the meaning of terms (20) as well as facilitating the application of IL theory. In New Zealand the most widely used standards are those prescribed in the ANZILF. This framework is actively promoted at the University of Otago and many other tertiary education institutions throughout New Zealand.

Sociology at the University of Otago

The University of Otago is a multi-campus tertiary institution based in Dunedin on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island and is the most southerly of the 50 universities in Australasia. (21) Founded in 1868, the university is the country's oldest and currently has approximately 18,000 students (16,000 equivalent fulltime students, or EFTS) spread across four academic divisions: Health, Business, Science and Humanities.

Sociology is a relatively new program currently taught out of the Anthropology Department, School of Social Sciences, in the Division of Humanities. The first sociology course was offered at 1 st year level in 2002. In 2004 six sociology courses were offered across all three undergraduate years, accounting for 45.7 EFTS. Two new courses at 1st and 3rd year were offered in 2005. Sociology courses are increasingly popular and student numbers are likely to grow. From 2005 onwards students are also able to 'major' in sociology.

Although various library information skills and concepts were incorporated into the sociology program from the outset, it soon became evident that a more formalised and structured approach was required. The sociology program is well placed to adopt such an approach because of its small academic staff and coherent core course offerings. Thus the decision was made to embed IL throughout the sociology program; academic and library staff then worked collaboratively to devise the IL package. The research project outlined here was created to assess the effectiveness of both the package and the embedding process. Work began mid-2003 on the embedding of IL into undergraduate courses in the sociology program, with the aim of teaching the first two 'embedded courses' in semester one, 2004.

Sociology students at the University of Otago begin their courses with a library tutorial in which they are introduced to the university's sociology holdings, discipline specific databases and search strategies. These tutorials are matched to the particular course requirements and requisite IL level. For example, students in one of the first two embedded courses, SOCI 101 The Sociology of New Zealand Society, are provided with a short tour of the library during which they are shown where the sociology reference, books, journals and reserve collection are housed. They then undertake a computer-based session during which they learn how to access discipline specific databases with key word, subject and author/title searches; to conduct searches both through national archives and world-wide web search engines; and to distinguish the difference between academic and non-academic sources. This session is taught by both library and academic staff. Having completed this tutorial, students take a web-based test on library skills as the first course assessment. This test is devised by the subject specialist librarian in consultation with the lecturer in charge of the course and is marked electronically by the Blackboard...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!