UK Academics and Information Literacy Boon Johnston Webber

UK Academics and Information Literacy Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Outline … • • • Description of the project & who we are Scope of the project Timeline & methodology Early findings What’s next Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Project Description … • Three-year, £ 130, 000 AHRB-funded project (2002 -2005) whose purpose is: To explore UK academics’ conceptions of, and teaching practices for, information literacy. Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Project Aims … • • • Contribute to the development of the discipline of information literacy by identifying UK academics' conceptions and relating the results to information literacy research internationally; Develop a framework of academics' educational practice as regards information literacy and collect data using that framework; Identify whethere are differences in conception and practice in different disciplines, and relate any differences to previous research on disciplinarity Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Who we are … • Principal researchers: – Sheila Webber, University of Sheffield – Bill Johnston, University of Strathclyde • Research associate: – Stuart Boon, University of Sheffield Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

Bill Sheila & Stuart Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… IL in the university … • Academics are becoming more and more aware of information literacy • At the faculty level, numerous agendas are encouraging educators to include information skills into their classes and course designs • What we do not know is how academics are reacting to and thinking about information literacy? Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Project Scope … • Nothing on this scale has been done to date • Interviews with academics will take place across the UK in England, Scotland Wales • More than 20 universities will be involved with more than 80 academics across four disciplines Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Disciplines involved … Hard Pure: Hard Applied : Chemistry Civil Engineering Soft Pure: Soft Applied: English Literature Marketing Minimum of 20 academics in each discipline Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Widening the scope … • Based on the analysed results of the interviews, we will then create and pilot discipline-specific questionnaires • These questionnaires will be distributed to academics across the UK to provide us with a wider research sample Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Timeline … • Interviews and Analysis (months 1 -21): • Arranging, conducting, and transcribing interviews • In-depth analysis and development of four discipline-based models of conceptions of information literacy • Dissemination of these models • Questionnaires and Analysis (months 22 -36): • Sending out survey questionnaires to all UK universities • Detailed analysis of responses • Further dissemination and our final report Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Methodology … • Phenomenography – Looks for variation rather than commonality within experiences of a phenomenon – Seeks a more holistic and complete view of an experience by incorporating variation (e. g. seeing a situation from many angles) – Provides a detailed and descriptive ‘snapshot’ of the phenomenon studied Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Phenomenography … “Phenomenography is the empirical study of the differing ways in which people experience, perceive, apprehend, understand, conceptualise various phenomena in and aspects of the world around us. ” Ference Marton: In The International Encyclopaedia of Education. Second Edition , Volume 8. Eds. Torsten Husén & T. Neville Postlethwaite. Pergamon 1994, pp. 4424 – 4429. Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Phenomenography … • Phenomenography as a method of research began in Sweden in the early 1970 s • Modern phenomenography is closely linked with the writings of Ference Marton who evolved phenomenography as a research methodology aimed at “describing conceptions of the world around us” (Marton, 1981) • It gained further notoriety when Christine Bruce published her thesis “Information literacy: a phenomenography” in 1996 Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Early findings … • ‘Information’ means different things for different disciplines • Information literacy confused with ‘digital’ literacy and ICT skills Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Early findings … • Information literacy is not just textual • Disciplinary findings suggest IL needs to incorporate ‘multiple literacies’: – e. g. , academic literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, numeracy, visual/spatial literacy, etc. Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Early findings … • Conceptions are being informed by governmental agendas (quality assurance, key skills, etc. ) • Academics are often trying to provide skills that students will take ‘beyond their degree’ Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Early findings … • Information literacy as a recursive/reflexive act – keywords: crystallise, reinforce, reflect, assess, adding, augmenting, building a template, looking at what you have done, etc. • Information literacy as involving an affective change – i. e. building up confidence, altering perceptions/processes, getting students to ‘think for themselves’ and to conduct ‘acts of leadership’ Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… Early finding … • Librarians vs. ‘The Library’ • Academics’ information world extends well beyond the library and its resources – importance of colleagues and other ‘people’ resources – the invisible college Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… What’s next … • Looking toward a model of academics conceptions of information literacy • Looking toward models of practice for introducing, sustaining, and assessing information literacy in the classroom • Helping to bridging the gap between academics and librarians • Developing a model for an information literate university Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003

… More information … • Project Website http: //dis. shef. ac. uk/literacy/project/ • Information Literacy Place http: //dis. shef. ac. uk/literacy/ • Information Literacy Weblog http: //ciquest. shef. ac. uk/infolit/ Boon, Johnston & Webber © University of Sheffield 2003