I have every intention of continuing to be active in information literacy. I have been asked to guest edit a special issue of Library Trends, and I will be contributing to a couple of planned books. I am also thinking about writing a book about information literacy in non formal educational situations with Christine. I have recently been elected to CILIP Council and will be keen to promote the ‘gospel of information’.

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all the project partners, collaborators and supporters for the valuable contributions which they have made without which the Project could not have been so successful.

 I am very pleased to say that Lesley Thomson and Jenny Foreman are taking the Community of Practice forward as an online vehicle to keep everyone connected.

As a CILIP councillor I will be fairly visible but I am sure Christine can act as a contact point where necessary.

It has been a real pleasure working with Christine over the past five years during which she has built up an impressive reservoir of expertise especially in the education sector which I hope she will be able to continue to deploy after the Project ends.

 Best wishes to all our readers for a Happy and Restful Christmas and a prosperous and information literate New Year. 

John

All LIS sectors and Welsh education were represented and I was particularly impressed by the willingness of all sectors to work together and learn from each other.

The initial presentations were devoted to reviewing the various sectors and the familiar theme emerged of pockets of excellent good practice which were not being supported by an overarching strategy. I spoke about the work of the Scottish Information Literacy Project and the lessons which Wales can learn from it. After dinner there were sectoral discussion groups and I joined the public librarians and was impressed by their grasp of the role which public libraries can play in informal learning and the good work they are already doing.

The following morning Gareth Evans from Caerphilly Public Library spoke about the work he has been doing with the Open College network which could well be replicated elsewhere.

The conference concluded with a list of action points which included:

• The production of an overview/vision statement (urgent)
• The development of a strategy and Framework
• Making cross sectoral/partnership contacts including outside the LIS sector
• Developing a National Forum for Information Literacy in Wales
• Appointing an Information Literacy Development Officer for Wales
• Accrediting library staff information literacy training skills
• Include IL concepts in teacher training
• School librarian posts should be a statutory responsibility
• Pursue media literacy issues through Ofcom

However if these objectives are to be achieved funding will be a key requirement

 Question to Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Scottish Government

My question to the minister is:

 The important skills of critical literacy / information literacy has been highlighted within the Curriculum for Excellence: Literacy across learning (finding and using information, understanding, analysing and evaluating) levels Early to Fourth. Does the minister agree that  information literacy  skills are essential in  independent learning at all educational levels, career choice and long term management, employability training, workplace decision making and lifelong learning and what strategic initiatives does she think the Scottish Government can engage in to promote it?

Answer from the minister

Thank you for submitting a question, please see below the response from the Education Secretary,

 The Scottish Government is determined to help our children and young people develop the literacy skills they will need to thrive in the 21st century. Skills in literacy unlock access to the wider curriculum, increase opportunities for the individual in all aspects of life and lay the foundations for lifelong learning and work. Curriculum for Excellence, the Scottish Government’s major programme of reform for the education sector, emphasises the importance of literacy skills and makes clear that all teachers have responsibility to promote their development.

The Curriculum for Excellence principles and practice paper for literacy sets out the outcomes we want our young people to achieve as they progress through their education.  Young people will need to know about the fundamentals of reading and writing but also how these skills can be applied critically, across different media, to analyse and evaluate information and to work out what trust they may place in it and identify when and how people are aiming to persuade or influence them.

As our children and young people progress through learning they should develop increasing independence in applying these skills, and the ability to use them across a widening range of contexts in both learning and life. Glow, the world’s first national schools Intranet, provides learners with  a range of tools and rich learning materials which can be accessed at any time and anywhere there is an internet connection, offering a safe, accessible online environment which supports independent learning.

There are 6 candidates standing for the 4 available CILIP Council places.

.John Crawford

.Isabel Hood

.Emma McDonald

.Nick Poole

.Neil Simmons

.Steve Thornton

You can read the candidates’ manifestos (and nominating statements) on the

CILIP website at

http://www.cilip.org.uk/aboutcilip/howcilipworks/elections/annualelections/annelect2010

=

…and learn more about them CILIP by asking questions and engaging them in

conversation at the eHustings at:

http://communities.cilip.org.uk/forums/p/9836/54278.aspx#54278

Note that these Hustings are NOT restricted to current CILIP members: if you

are a non-member, you might ask candidates what they would do to encourage

you to join (or you might tell them what it would take!)

Timescale for the elections themselves:

. 16 October – ballot papers despatched

. 5pm GMT, 23 November – deadline for return of ballot papers

. 24 November – count 

. 24 November – election results announced

 Best wishes

John

Open Meeting 2009

The Scottish Information Literacy Project’s third Open meeting took place on Wednesday 16^th September 2009 at Glasgow Caledonian University and about 45 people attended. It was a genuinely cross sectoral event with people attending from all library sectors, educational agencies, government organisations including the Scottish Government and academia.  Inevitably a few people dropped out at the last moment through illness or other commitments. Unfortunately this included our keynote speaker, Professor David Smith, who had to pull out through illness.  

The theme of the day was information literacy as part of the wider skills agenda as one of the Project’s successes has been locating information literacy (IL) within this agenda. I began the day by giving an overview and update of the Project including some of the initial findings of the evaluation which we have done of the excellent employability skills courses which Inverclyde Libraries run.  This drew attention to health as an employability issue and the difficulty in disentangling personal from vocational motivations. This provoked a lively audience discussion during which it emerged that people from different library and educational sectors had shared concerns.  Next Jenny Foreman, the Scottish Government’s Information Literacy Librarian spoke about the Scottish Government’s Information Literacy Strategy. This was very much a policy level presentation explaining the need for a strategy and the issues likely to be encountered in developing it. Jenny also described how the policy is turned into practical training. Her colleague, Lesley Thomson, Knowledge Management Officer at the Scottish Centre for Regeneration then described the Information Literacy Community of Practice which she and Jenny are launching and will host and lead. She explained the principles behind a community of practice and how the website will operate. All are welcome to join and contribute. For further details contact either Lesley.Thomson2@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or Jenny.Foreman@scotland.gsi.gov.uk who will gladly sign you up.

After lunch Christine Irving, the Project Officer on the Scottish Information Literacy Project, spoke about the restructuring of the Scottish Information Literacy Framework which is being restructured to make it a genuine lifelong learning document incorporating early years, the workplace, employability and lifelong learning. It is being physically restructured as a weblog so that postings of current activities and developments can be added. It is also interactive and comments and postings can be made. It includes exemplars of good practice from all educational sectors. There is, as yet, less on the workplace and lifelong learning but the work we are doing on the workplace and employability is helping to enrich it. It can be found at http://caledonianblogs.net/nilfs/ and through the project website http://www.gcal.ac.uk/ils/framework.html .

Next Lou McGill, an elearning and Information Management Consultant reported on a JISC funded study Learning Literacies for the Digital Age (LLiDA) - http://prezi.com/vv_ynswlwwkv/ see also Project website http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida/ . LLiDA is a study of academic, ICT and information literacies across a range of HE institutions including Glasgow Caledonian and takes the form of institutional audits with overall analyses and best practice exemplars drawn from participating institutions. She found that IL people were further ahead in their thinking than other learning literacies areas. Flexible education will be needed as it is impossible to predict future employer needs. She feels that there are still to many ‘silos’ in HE each with its own language. Academic teaching is slow to change and there is resistance to a holistic agenda.

IMcCracken Open Meeting 2009

The last speaker was Ian McCracken, Learning Resources Manager at Govan High School – Connections between Information Skills and wider skills: the Future Skills Project where he and his colleagues have developed a Future Skills System of 71 skills which pupils can acquire which includes IL.  The Future Skills System is matched to Standard Grades, local and national business requirements, curricular and extra curricular work and the Curriculum for Excellence. Ian also mentioned the problem of a common language as Lou had. The Framework has been in existence long enough for Ian to be able to identify the most used skills throughout Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes as ‘Analytical Skills’, ‘ICT E-Lit’ and ‘Gathering facts’ which have pretty obvious IL implications.

All in all it was a most useful day and a great deal of information was exchanged in informal discussions as well as the formal sessions. Similar issues were identified across a range of sectors and practical difficulties round employability and linking vocational skill training and personal development were reviewed.  The PPTs and accompanying documents will appear shortly on Slideshare as we are running out of space on allocated space with the university and will be linked to the project web event page http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/events.html. All the presentations were excellent and represent a great deal of work by those who gave them and I would like to thank all who contributed.

As with last year’s event there will be a strong focus on partnership involvement with presentations by  Project partners and supporters. This year’s theme is Information literacy within the wider skills agenda as defined by Government policy as the Project has been successful in locating information literacy within this agenda. Professor David Smith, the co-director of the Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning, has agreed to deliver a keynote reviewing the educational policy background to developments in information literacy.

To reserve a place email us as below listing: name, job title, email address and indicating any specific dietary and/or disability requirements by Friday 4^th September.

Best wishes

Dr. John Crawford,                          Christine Irving

Library Research Officer,              Researcher / Project Officer

Milton Street Building                    Milton Street Building

MS004, (ground floor)                   MS005, (ground floor)

Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University

Cowcaddens Road                           Cowcaddens Road

Glasgow, G4 0BA                              Glasgow, G4 0BA             

Tel: 0141-273 -1248                          Tel: 0141-273 -1249

Email jcr@gcal.ac.uk                       Email christine.irving@gcal.ac.uk

Project website    www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/

Project blog          http://caledonianblogs.net/information-literacy

Scottish Information Literacy Project Third Open Meeting – Wednesday 16^th September 2009

Information literacy and the skills agenda: a day devoted to linking information literacy with skills strategies at all levels                

Glasgow Caledonian University, Hamish Wood Building W115

Programme

9.30 – 10.00 – Registration and coffee/tea

10.00- 10.10 – Welcome and overview. Dr John Crawford, Director, Scottish Information Literacy Project

10.10-10.55 – Keynote. Information literacy and the knowledge society:  implications for higher education.  Professor David Smith, Co-director, Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning

10.55 -11.05 Comfort break

11.05-11.50 – Project overview and update.  John Crawford

11.50- 12.30 – The Scottish Government’s information literacy strategy and the launch of the Information Literacy Community of practice website. Lesley Thompson, Knowledge Management Officer, Scottish Centre for Regeneration and Jenny Foreman, Information Literacy Librarian, Scottish Government

12.30- 13.30 – Lunch

13.30 – 14.15 – Restructuring the Scottish Information Literacy Framework.  Christine Irving, Project Officer, Scottish Information Literacy Project

14.15 -15.00 – Learning Literacies for the Digital Age, a JISC funded study (LLiDA).  Lou McGill- eLearning and Information Management Consultant

15.00 – 15.20 Afternoon tea

15.20 – 16.05 – Connections between Information Literacy Skills and wider skills:  The Future Skills Project. Ian McCracken, Learning Resources Manager, Govan High School. 

16.05- 16.15 – Summary and close

Most presentations to run for 45 minutes including time for questions

Ofcom’s commitment to media literacy is not in doubt as it is specified in Section 11 of the Communications Act 2003 which requires it to promote media literacy. Ofcom also has a definition of media literacy:

‘the ability to  access, understand and create communications in a variety of content’

which must take its place alongside the CILIP definition of information literacy.

However Ofcom (UK) has recently produced a range of information reports in a Digital lifestyles series including:

Digital lifestyles: adults aged 60 and over   

Digital lifestyles:  young adults aged 16-24

Digital lifestyles:  parents of children under 16

Digital lifestyles:  hesitants, resistors and economisers

These reports, although not usually containing regional breakdowns, give a lot of information, useful to the IL specialist. For example the 16-24 report Figure 4 p. 9 give a list of Internet activity carried out at least once a week.  This rates Work/studies information second (48% all; 60% 16-24) which shows a high level of purposeful activity. On p.14; Figure 8 lists Interest and confidence in using Internet functions. Joining in debates come out lowest. The research was done in 2007. Would the same question asked now produce different results? Figure 18 on p.24 lists checks made when visiting websites and has a strong IL ‘feel’ as it includes questions like: How up to date the information is and Who has created the page and why.

The parents of children under 16 report contains the worrying statistic (p.23) that only a fifth of parents are very confident in being able to tell if a website is truthful and reliable.

Food for thought obviously.

After coffee I went to the discussion on ‘Our professional future’ chaired by Sheila Corrall of Sheffield University. A number of key questions were addressed: Is a professional qualification necessary? - there was no clear answer to this – for ‘core activities’ yes but for others like marketing a qualification in the speciality might be more appropriate. What are the benefits of having a degree in librarianship? – Ayub Khan from Warwickshire thought a rigorous education develops a reflective practitioner; do education programmes need to change to meet professional needs? – Skills like marketing, strategic thinking; advocacy, customer service and accountancy skills were all identified. Sheila Corrall believes strongly that academics should have professional experience so they can help students prepare for the real world of work which lies ahead. How should professional education evolve? –  Issues identified include more mixed routes into the profession, more competency based training, more flexibility in learning opportunities and more CPD and more employer engagement with information departments.

In the evening I attended the conference dinner at the RAF museum at Hendon where I had an opportunity to indulge my ‘Biggles’ enthusiasms.

In the morning of the 15^th I went to the first session on the Value of Libraries, something I have an interest in and which, in part, led to the Scottish Information Literacy Project.  I had hoped to doze quietly in the back row but was immediately asked by Philip Payne (Birkbeck College) to facilitate a discussion group. Philip and Angela Conyers (University of Central England) reviewed the work on value and impact which LIRG and SCONUL promoted earlier in the decade and Philip emphasised its value in view of probable further budget cuts. Angela reviewed the work of SCONUL including the recent VAMP (Value and Impact Measurement Programme) which is looking at how data is being collected.  After this we broke up into small groups. Our group was mainly from HE around which discussion focused. We looked at the accountability mechanisms of out institutions where there is some evidence of quality departments and requirements. Some school and faculty committees have requirements especially if they are part funders. There are the usual sources – module questionnaires, staff/student committees, course boards etc but the rather depressing conclusion was that there is an overall lack of institutional accountability requirements. However there are plenty of pressures to accountability: increasing demands for opening hours extension and pressure on space, restrictions on budgets, non replacement of staff and increased pressure from students because of fees, perhaps most notable among overseas students. We discussed evidence for the difference the University library makes. We agreed that the most direct contributions are likely to be understood such as the library’s contribution to costed Project proposals. Also mentioned were hours of teaching and impact on programmes. ‘Good news’ stories are an attractive idea but prone to subjectivity. Unfortunately there was not much time for us all to pull the threads together.

After coffee I went to the next Value of libraries session but this seemed more concerned with research methodologies rather than outcomes.

After lunch the Libraries Change Lives Award ceremony took place. This is not unconnected with value and impact. Leeds Library and Information Service was a worthy winner with Across the Board: Autism support for families.  The Service’s ability to pick up an unfamiliar idea and develop it to excellence was noteworthy.

The final session I attended was also chaired by me, The Library and Information History Group’s, Books, buildings and social engineering: the design of early public library buildings (1850s to 1939) in Britain from past to present. Alistair Black and Simon Pepper, both professors, reported on the outcomes of their joint Arts and Humanities Research Council funded study which sets out to rehabilitate the early public library building and review its modern social role as about 65% of them are still in use. This was an outstanding joint presentation and noteworthy for content, analysis and interpretation.  .

Overall it was a fairly useful conference although shoehorning it into two days perhaps reduced the ‘buzz’ a bit although I had useful discussions and networking opportunities which I am following up. The University of Hertfordshire continues to be an attractive venue with all the lecture rooms conveniently grouped together and easy to find.

Those present included representatives from COSLA, the Scottish Government Information Service, school libraries, the Centre for Lifelong Learning (University of the West of Scotland), STUC and independent researchers. Unfortunately none of the staff who organised the Open Space meeting was able to attend but Lynn Haughton who works for Skills Development Scotland (currently on secondment to LTS) did attend.

There was a lengthy discussion reviewing some of the issues arising from the Open Space event. The main issues identified were:

• The need to agree a common vocabulary across the education, skills, employability and workplace sectors
• Information literacy as part of the employability and skills agenda
• Training trainee teachers in information literacy

Agreed actions:

• Lesley Thomson and Jenny Foreman from the Scottish Government agreed to set up an online community of practice to facilitate further discussion and action
• Information Literacy as part of the wider skills agenda will be promoted by the Centre for Lifelong Learning (University of the West of Scotland) including to the West of Scotland Wider Access Forum staff based there. It was subsequently agreed that the Centre for Lifelong Learning would try to raise interest in training trainee teachers in information literacy among staff in the education department there.
• Contacts would be maintained and developed via the online forum

This is clearly an extremely helpful piece of work and will attract much interest and many citations.  We particularly like it because it highlights issues about which we have been campaigning for some time. It also draws attention to action needs and points which again reflect our experience.

There are useful references to staff training:  initial staff training and CPD programmes – p. 10 there is an equal imperative for employers to use and develop the skills of the people they already employ – p. 18 and. Web 2.0 as a communication medium is also discussed. …’it appears that lecturers and teachers are not generally disposed to interactive communication online’ – p. 24 (this is similar to Learning and Teaching Scotland’s finding re teachers lack of ICT skills.  

There are useful references to the potential role of web 2.0 and student interaction and activities like induction e.g. students interacting face to face – acquires added importance and significance. Face to face contact with staff is shown to matter to students. – p. 28. There are some reference to pedagogies and the use of web 2.0 technologies in assessment (tracking individual contributions in blogs, wikis  ) but they also talk about the students becoming part of the assessment – essays (from the web) found and critiqued..

The use of social networking software, usually Facebook, as a means of helping students establish contact with each other is discussed e.g. – make friends – prior to enrolment. – p. 31 also gain an understanding of the prior experience and expectations of their new entrants so that they are able to respond appropriately and effectively to them – p. 34

The report notes that Web 2.0 technologies fit perfectly with…. – the constructivist approach although this type of learning does not sit comfortably with all present day students who expect the tutor to function as a an authoritative transmitter of information. – p. 36 (Relates back to independent learning and information literacy).

A key finding on p.6: Information literacies…. - represent a significant and growing deficit area. – p. 6 (also p. 24). Also ‘Present day students are heavily influenced by school methods and delivery so that shifts in educational practice there can be expected to impact on expectations of approaches in higher education’. This is very useful but we are less happy about p.8, Practice in schools ‘Practice is variable, but the type of approach to learning outlined above – project and group-based supported by technology – appears to be in the ascendant and so likely to condition expectation in higher education’.

This seems to be linked to para 83 (p.37) which makes a number of optimistic statements, supported by only one reference and does not cite expertise in the specialist area, the School Library Association, for example. It is noteworthy that there has been no attempt to distinguish between key stages/levels/primary and secondary. Our experience on the Scottish Information Literacy Project is that while there are excellent areas of independent learning practice (See our Information literacy case studies/exemplars of good practice in schools http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/informationliteracyt) traditional methods of teaching and learning are widespread. In Scotland we now have a VLE for schools (Glow http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/glowscotland/) to promote innovative methods of learning and teaching but take-up is variable and some local authorities have refused to join it. Interestingly school librarians are among its most active champions.  The outcome is that the generality of students come to HEIs with no information literacy skills and a process of what is effectively remedial education is necessary. The experience of Glow has also shown that both copyright awareness and compliance is at a low level among both teachers and pupils and this skill deficiency must transfer to the HEI sector when school pupils become students.

Para 73 (information literacies in a digital age) refers to the CIBER report and the need for information literacy training at a young age, a point echoed by the Digital Britain report (p.64) http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/digital_britain_interimreportjan09.pdf. It is simply too late to leave this training until University. The HEI sector must actively engage with the schools sector from early years onwards to ensure a seamless skills progression from school to HEIS so that new students can immediately apply and develop further the independent learning skills they have learned at school.  This principle is enshrined in our draft National Information Literacy Framework Scotland. URL http://www.gcal.ac.uk/ils/framework.html

In September 2009 at the Scottish Learning Festival, Professor Richard Teese, the Australian authority on Scottish education, (see http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/previousconferences/2008/video/index.asp for video of keynote) criticised Scottish universities for failing to engage with and influence the Scottish school curriculum (Curriculum for Excellence). HEIs should be directly influencing the school curriculum from early years onwards in the direction of independent learning and information literacy outcomes. School teachers must also be trained in information literacy skills, a point made in the Digital Britain report (p.64).  We believe we are showing the way as we now have a contract with Learning and Teaching Scotland to develop information literacy training materials for early years, accompanied by CPD materials for teachers. 

Para 97 (p.40) which mentions employability skills is to be commended. These are also precisely the skills which can be introduced at school and further developed in HEIs. Govan High School in Glasgow has developed an elaborate ‘Future Skills Framework’ of 71 core transferable skills which is already attracting interest beyond the schools sector. (Summarised on our blog). http://caledonianblogs.net/information-literacy/2009/05/08/govan-high-school-future-skills-symposium/

We welcome – ‘JISC develops ongoing research and support programs for institutions in best practice in developing information literacy and web awareness’  – p.10

On p.41 recommendation:

‘HEIs take steps to keep abreast of the prior experience and expectations of their student body’

Is to be commended by should be supported by another:

HEIs should actively work with the schools sector at all levels to develop independent learning skills which are relevant to the HEI sector and can be further developed there.

Most of the presenters of oral evidence are based in Scotland – University of Edinburgh, Napier, Strathclyde (CAPLE). – p. 49

The report can be found at: http://www.clex.org.uk/ourfindings.php