Jane Secker & Emma Coonan

A New Curriculum for Information Literacy

Image: ‘Tulip staircase at the Queens House, Greenwich’ by mcginnly, flickr.com

The Arcadia Programme• Based at Cambridge University Library• Academic advisor: John Naughton• Exploring the role of academic libraries in a digital age

• 20 Arcadia Fellows in 3 years• Many from outside Cambridge, not all librarians

Our research remit:Develop a new, revolutionary curriculum for

information literacy in a digital age

Aims:

• Understand the needs of undergraduates entering HE

over the coming 5 years

• Map the current landscape of information literacy

• Develop practical curriculum and supporting resources

Our research remit:Develop a new, revolutionary curriculum for information literacy in a digital age

Method

Modified Delphi study means of obtaining expert future forecasting

consulted widely in the fields of information and education

Literature review theoretical overview of the field

revealed conflicts in terminology, pedagogic approach, values

Expert workshopmethod, findings and preliminary curriculum presented

curriculum refined in light of feedback

What our experts said…Modular, flexible

holistic, embedded,Relevant to students

Format and structure of the curriculum

Online / face to faceActive learning: discussion

and reflectionTraining > Teaching

Teaching style and method of delivery

Who teaches?

When?

And don’t forget….

Use of auditsMeaningful assessment

Learning outcomes

How to market IL to different audiences

Assessment

Marketing / hooks

Aligning the curriculum content to discipline specific knowledge, skills and behaviour

Rehabilitating information literacyIL is not:

• seen as part of the mainstream academic mission

• merely functional/technological skills

• the preserve or saviour of the library

IL is:

• a continuum of skills, abilities, values and attitudes around analysing, evaluating, managing and assimilating information

• fundamental to the ongoing development of the individual, social as well as academic

“Information literacy empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create

information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals.

“It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion in all nations.”

UNESCO (2005) Alexandria Proclamation

Our key curriculum attributes

Holistic – supporting the whole research process

Modular – ongoing ‘building blocks’ forming a learning spiral

Embedded within the context of the academic discipline

Flexible – not tied to a specific staff role

Active and assessed – including peer assessment

Transitional : Transferable : Transformational

Curriculum strands

1. Transition from school to higher education2. Becoming an independent learner3. Developing academic literacies4. Mapping and evaluating the information landscape 5. Resource discovery in your discipline 6. Managing information7. Ethical dimension of information 8. Presenting and communicating knowledge 9. Synthesising information and creating new knowledge10. Social dimension of information literacy

Using the curriculum

The strands cover 5 broad learning categories, from functional skills up to high-level intellectual operations

Classes can incorporate multiple strands at the same levelClasses should be active, reflective, relevant to student needYou could use the curriculum to audit your own (or your

institution’s) training provision

Careers UnitAlumni Office

Student ServicesResearch Support Unit

FacultyLearning Development

Learning DevelopmentStudent ambassadors

International OfficeDisability Unit

Student ServicesCareers Unit

FacultyLibrary

LibraryLibraryStudent ambassadors

LibraryFaculty

Learning DevelopmentFaculty

FacultyResearch Support

Unit

How would YOU implement the New Curriculum for Information Literacy at your own institution?

ANCIL outputs, July 2011

Executive summaryCurriculum and supporting documents‘Teaching learning: perceptions of information literacy‘

(theoretical background)Expert consultation report

Free to download at http://newcurriculum.wordpress.com/

Next steps, October 2011

‘Strategies for implementing the Curriculum for Information Literacy’

Dr Helen Webster & Katy WrathallArcadia Fellows, Oct-Dec 2011

http://arcadiaproject.lib.cam.ac.uk/projects/strategies-for-implementation.html

Thank you!

Jane Secker & Emma Coonan