Mark Hepworth's Blog

Evidence, value and impact: the LIS Research Landscape in 2010

2010-06-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since the last update. Some good projects over the last year and will provide updates.

I'm giving a 'minute of madness' talk at this conference and thought to put the text somewhere accessible. So here we go!

Research at Loughborough
At Loughborough we focus on people’s information experience and enabling effective use of information.

We’ve worked with young people to get a fundamental understanding of their perceptions of information.

We’re researching the ‘ingredients’ of successful community engagement in collaboration with Derbyshire, Leicester City and Leicestershire public libraries.

A current two-year project with Leicestershire County Council is exploring how to develop an information and knowledge management culture throughout the organisation.

We are using innovative participative techniques to research people’s information needs living in marginalized communities.

Plus we are developing cutting edge natural language processing techniques to organise and manage the email archive of the Welsh Assembly.

Numerous, funded, projects have taken place in the area of intellectual property.

We are also developing methodologies to evaluate the impact of information and knowledge management.

IFLA Presentation

2009-08-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

The session has been designed to facilitate exchange of ideas. As a result the presentation is short - only six slides. The hand drawn images are an attempt to convey ideas quickly and effectively. Unfortunately Slideshare seems to have cropped the images - so may delete this, unless someone can tell me how to rectify.
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkHepworth

Community cohesion, social justice, community empowerment, community engagement, community participation

2009-07-10T03:34:00.000-07:00

An interesting convergence of ideas is taking place, crystalised through a meeting with John Vincent. John runs The Network an organisation concerned with tackling social exclusion http://www.seapn.org.uk/. John kindly agreed to meet with myself, Gill Ragsdell and Hui-Yun Sung, a PhD student, who is studying models of community engagement and public libraries.

In the U.K. and overseas there are a number of initiatives whereby public services and, from my perspective most interestingly, public libraries are actively seeking to engage with their 'public'. The underlying philosophy is tagged by a host of terms: community engagement, community participation, creative collaboration, social justice, community cohesion, community empowerment; each having its own flavour or driver. These vary, some focusing on the political right to access resources 'equal citizenship' to sustainable development to developing user-centred information services.

Great examples of current U.K. public library activities can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT2vKs0KrTM where videos of winners of the CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award 2009 are shown.

The convergence is with ideas of 'participation' in developing countries. Over the last 15 years participative methods have evolved that lead to genuine participation of 'the community' in the development process. Robert Chambers is one of the main advocates and authorities on this approach http://www.ids.ac.uk/go/idsperson/professor-robert-chambers. See his books on Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ideas-Development-Robert-Chambers/dp/1844070883 . These approaches are leading to sustainable change.

Andrea Cornwall, who also works for the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Brighton, has been active in applying these ideas to engagement with communities in the U.K. See http://www.demos.co.uk/people/andreacornwall . This is echoed in a CFE publication on community budgeting and how lessons from Brazil could be applied in the U.K. http://www.cfe.org.uk/uploaded/files/Participatory%20Budgeting.pdf

Lot's of good practice and lessons to be learnt that can be applied to the provision of information services and information literacy ... underpinned by a belief in:

people's right to have access to and the ability to use the information and the knowledge available in society to enrich their lives and achieve their objectives;
respect for the individual's and community's capacity to use their knowledge, of their experience, to define the services that they need.

Community engagement

2009-07-10T03:23:00.000-07:00

A talk will be given on community engagement on the 14-15th July by John Vincent at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
http://www.umbrella2009.org.uk/JohnVincent.html

Interesting spin on a search engine

2009-07-10T02:52:00.000-07:00

WolframAlpha's long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone.

This search / information retrieval tool (it's not a search engine since it does not search the WWW but its own repositories) deals with factual information. 'It's a computational knowledge engine: it generates output by doing computations from its own internal knowledge base, instead of searching the web and returning links.'

Enter a place name or a chemical formula and see what you get.

Teaching information literacy book

2009-07-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

Geoff Walton and I are finally seeing the proofs of our book 'Teaching Information literacy for inquiry based learning'. It should be available in September and can be found at the Woodhead - Publishers site. [Woodhead now incorporates Chandos]. (click title above to connect to publisher).

The content of the book is as follows:

Teaching Information Literacy for Inquiry-based learning

MARK HEPWORTH AND GEOFF WALTON

Part 1: Four faces of learning and their implications for teaching
information literacy 1

1 Introduction 3

2 Learning and information literacy 15

What is learning? 15
What is literacy? 15
A plethora of literacies: transliteracy and information literacy 16
What is information? 18
Why are we seeing such an emphasis on how we learn and independent learning? 22
Information literacy 26
What do we need to know about the learner and learning to help foster information literacy? 32

3 The learner as a physical being – a sensory approach 37

Physical metaphors as a means of shaping thinking 39
Fundamental metaphors for thinking 42
Developmental aspects of learning 44
Approaches to learning 44
Implications for information behaviour 52
Implications for information literacy 53

4 The learner as a thinker – a cognitive approach 55

Thinking skills frameworks 56
Assessing thinking skills 60
How the SOLO learning outcomes relate to information literacy,
in this case, evaluating information 62
Knowledge and understanding 64
Demonstrating knowledge through language 66

5 The learner as a sense maker – a constructivist approach 69

The role of reflection in learning 73
Constructing meaning 75
Learning as an active participative process 76
Motivation 78
Inquiry-based approach to participation in learning 82
Implications for information literacy 84
Evaluating impact 86
Investigating information literacy 87
The learning context and its implications 90

6 The learner as a social being – a social constructivist approach 97

Learning as a community of practice 98
The importance of language 100
Embedding information literacy 105
Demography and information literacy 116
Culture and information literacy 118
Conclusion 123

Part 2: Teaching interventions 125

7 Introduction 127

The learning environment 132
The reflective practitioner 133

8 Learning intervention 1: understanding learners’ information needs and identifying that aspect of their knowledge base that they want to develop 135
Purpose 135
Context 136
Physical learning environment 136
The underlying pedagogy 137
Levels of complexity 139
Methods of assessment and learning outcomes 140

Examples of interventions 141
1 Example with Master’s students 141
2 Example with undergraduates 149

9 Learning intervention 2: understanding the information landscape 151
Purpose 151
Context 152
Physical learning environment 152
The underlying pedagogy 154
Levels of complexity 156
Methods of assessment and learning outcomes 157

Examples of interventions 158
1 Example with undergraduates – orientation to sources 158
2 Example with Master’s students – evaluating sources 162
3 Example with Master’s students or undergraduates –
exploring a source 165
4 Example with undergraduates – evaluating search engines 166

10 Learning intervention 3: using information retrieval tools and techniques to locate information 169
Purpose 170
Context 170
Physical learning environment 171
The underlying pedagogy 172
Levels of complexity 174
Methods of assessment and learning outcomes 175

Examples of interventions 176
1 Example with new undergraduates – searching e-resources 176
2 Example with Masters’ students – a participative approach
to fostering information literacy 183
3 Example with undergraduates – accessing e-resources 186

11 Learning intervention 4: interaction with and use of information 193

Introduction 193
Purpose 193
Context 194
Physical learning environment 194
The underlying pedagogy 195
Levels of complexity 197
Methods of assessment and learning outcomes 197

Examples of interventions 198
1 Example with undergraduates – evaluating information using online collaborative learning 198
2 Example with undergraduates – evaluating information using blended learning 204
3 Example with any learners – finding information in a book 216
4 Example with primary school children – evaluating a book 218

12 Learning intervention 5: enhancing information literacy in the workplace – a holistic approach 221

Ways of achieving information literacy 223
The complexity of incorporating information literacy 225

Part 3: Conclusion 227

13 Concluding comments 229

References 233
Index 249

User training or system training

2009-07-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

This is a link to a presentation I gave at the JIBS conference that may be of wider interest.

The question I was asked to address was whether we should spend time training the user of information retrieval systems or whether the focus should be on developing better systems.

There is a common assumption that young users/learners do not want to bother with learning how to use more complex information retrieval (IR) systems. I think this is mistaken. Yes, as Zipf noted, people put as little effort as possible into seeking information. But this is not unique to the young. It may be exacerbated among the young due to the prescriptive, assessment oriented education, that they have experienced, that tends to foster a pragmatic approach to learning.

Nevertheless I have found that, given the appropriate learning environment, learners do see the benefit of learning how to use information retrieval systems that are more complex than Google and provide access to different types of information. This can be seen from the quotes I have included in the presentation. Gradually the penny drops ... moving from reluctance to appreciation. The quotes, and the language used, also give an indication of 'levels' of information literacy.

Nevertheless, the design of IR systems plays a crucial role. I was pleasantly shocked that a representative of one of the library automated systems had actually read Marcia Bates and some of the literature on peoples' information behaviour. Slowly these systems have paid attention to the needs of the users. For example, automatically generated tag clouds help a user define their topic and identify useful search terms. Federated results means that the user can retrieve information from multiple sources rather than have to search each separately (although to critically evaluate the results they still need to know where the information is coming from and the relative merits of various sources). Faceted searching can help the user narrow down or broaden their search.

However, IR systems still need to pay more attention to the actual problems users experience and find ways to help them. For example, depending on the results received, systems could actually suggest ways to broaden and narrow a search. Faceted searching and tag clouds could be used more to help navigate the subject domain or a set of results.

Nevertheless, however user oriented the systems the learner still needs to be knowledgeable of their information environment and be able to use, critically, the information resources around them. They also need to be conscious of the processes and procedures of being informed - so that they can reflect and be strategic in their approach to learning.

New article on teaching academic information literacy to first semester undergraduates

2009-07-01T02:24:00.000-07:00

This article has just been published in ITALICS. It describes the design of a module that I have been teaching for three years that tries to develop the academic information literacy of first semester, first year, undergraduates. It also tries to engage students with independent learning and the subject information science. A similar structure could be used with students from other disciplines.

The students investigated areas where information and knowledge management is having an impact in the 'real' world. The approach allows students to define their own topics and does not direct them to recommended reading. The approach therefore falls under the broad heading of 'inquiry-based' learning.

The module starts and ends with an information literacy diagnostic test. The students are given instruction on how to: navigate their new information landscape; make use of the information sources; comply with the norms associated with academia; become familiar with teaching and learning procedures and technologies; communicate their findings appropriately. The latter took place via an event where large A0 posters were displayed that had been created by the students.

Some thoughts on the Reith lecture: Lecture 1 - Markets and morals

2009-06-14T01:54:00.000-07:00

Interesting to read the transcript of Prof. Michael Sandel's, Reith lecture (click title), where he argues that we live in a time 'of great hope for moral and civic renewal'. That we need a new politics of common good and we are not served well by a belief that markets are 'the primary mechanism for achieving the public good'.

He mentioned the role of the public library ... not ony to serve people who need the resource but to foster citizenship, bringing people togther. This, in turn, makes me reflect on the recent successes of particpative approaches to service delivery, including libraries, where the community actively engage and influence the design and implementation of public services, including libraries or community learning centres.

Can't help making the connection with the ethical and wise use of information, notions of information literacy - a 'higher' level of information literacy, noted by Christine Bruce. This is reflected in the open access, creative commons type debate.

Which, at a micro level, leads me on to ask when are we going to have Common Craft, http://www.commoncraft.com/ engaging, easy to understand, explanations of the skills and knowledge associated with information literacy. Maybe someone would like to collaborate? I've been thinking about doing this for some time and partly the thinking behind the kayaking metaphor.

Sandel's argument has the implication that, although we should promote information literacy for it's efficacy, we should also promote it in relation to wider, social goals, as well as, individual well-being and empowerment (as Paulo Freire strongly advocated) ... , associated with fostering the love of learning, the joy of reading and the sharing of ideas and knowledge ...

Law Island - students fill in the 'map'

2009-06-13T17:35:00.002-07:00

Metaphors people use to teach information literacy

2009-06-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

What follows are metaphors people use to teach the (generally individual) information literacy process associated with academic information literacy and aspects of information literacy, such as evaluation. These were contributed by people who belong to the LIS-INFOLITERACY list or heard of my original request for other people's metaphors. It would be nice if others put theirs up on this site as comments - or maybe the pool has dried up! I'm sure not. Some would make good cartoons.

1.[use – evaluation] Further to the shopping metaphor for finding information: when it comes to evaluation, most learners have already had the experience of
'comparative shopping' where they compare the relative merits of one product with another, weighing up the pros and cons of competing products (sources) before making a final decision where they will spend their money (or in the case of an information source, time); emphasising the skills that a learner already has can be a way of engaging them with a process they may initially take to be quite foreign and unfamiliar. In this sense it acts more like an analogue than a metaphor.
Jason Eyre

2. [access – sources – coverage] A& I tells you what is available no matter who published it or whether we have full text access - if it's important they may be able to get the full text on another database (we are in the happy position of having a lot of full text available via the IReL consortium deal funded by the Irish government) or through Inter-Library loans. Wiley (or Science Direct) give you the full text there and then, but it is only looking at one publisher's output and therefore extremely restrictive.
Claire O'Brien,

3. [process – planning] Explaining to students that searching for information can be a bit like planning an important dinner party. They shouldn't go shopping without first writing a list of ingredients (search strategy) as they might waste time and get the wrong items once in the shop. Also, the quality of the ingredients and organisation of items can differ depending on which shop they use.

[access - use – organisation - define topic - vocabulary] Also, the idea of where to find things once in the shop - I think supermarkets are quite good for explaining how information is categorised and how articles are indexed. For example, where would you find raisins? Could be several places: snack aisle, health food aisle, fruit and veg or the baking aisle. So an article can be indexed with several different tags.
Nancy Graham

4. [access – sources] Attached my map of 'Law island'- paths of convergent evolution at work ;) The idea is that this is a final 'map' of one part of law.

In the lecture that goes with it I 'follow' and idea as it moves from inception to being part of the law- like the rivers on the map. And then as a student you explore and annotate that map.

Smith, Peter

5. [process – constructivist – personal routes] I like all of these! But wanted to add to the kayaking/journeying metaphors - in a similar vein to Drew's comments on the needle in a haystack - that there may not be one "correct" route - people with the same assignment could use different information and produce equally good results (so long as the information was reliable of course!), they could also take different routes to finding the same information resources, and of course, most people have completely different information needs from each other, we are not all writing the same assignment/trying to get to the same place!

[process – access – strategies] So, to further develop the kayaking metaphor (one close to my heart, having done a bit of kayaking myself), there are lots of different rivers (ponds, lakes, canals, oceans - depending on the size of your task I suppose), and different ways to navigate each. If you come across some rapids, you might take a sensible, steady course, avoiding rocks, or you might rush in and get a bit battered (but maybe have more fun on the way....?). You could develop the "information as water course" metaphor as well - related to the natural resource ideas in point 6 below: water cycle/information cycle? tools that help you distill/filter?

I will stop now before I get too carried away ...
Anna Brown

6. [process - define topic – sources – evaluation – knowledge] My ‘body in the library’ metaphor. I talk about approaching a literature search as a detective approaches a murder investigation:

What is the identity of the subject (victim)? Does it have other names?
Does the subject relate to other subjects (the victim’s family / friends)?
Does it turn up on bibliographic databases (police records)?
Which ‘witnesses’ to the subject are more reliable and why (Wikipedia / Journals / Books)?
When was the subject last seen alive (what’s the most recent state of knowledge and debate)?

I’ve been using this approach particularly because departments asked me to talk about assessing the quality of information as well as search strategies. They wanted an emphasis on thinking critically about information as well as finding it. Also, most students (even where they come from other cultures) have seen some detective dramas.

However, I think it’s time I changed my metaphor as I’ve been doing this a number of years now…
Rebecca Read

7. [use – source – evaluation] I have used a mapping metaphor- textbook as basic guide, journal article vs latest update on a blog. The students make their own 'map' reflecting their needs and experiences.

Pete Smith

8. [process – define topic – access – evaluation – norms] We're currently redeveloping our info lit site and are planning to use a cake metaphor along these lines:

What ingredients do you need?
Incorporates:
Decide what you need to know
Types of information
Identify the resources you need
Learn how to cook (building a search strategy)

Where can you get the ingredients?
Incorporates:
Using books, journals, databases, internet
What, which, how

How does it taste?
Incorporates:
Evaluate the search results
Evaluate your search strategy

What is the recipe?
Incorporates:
Referencing
Plagiarism

We're still devising the content, but when one of my colleagues, Isobel Brooks, explained the idea we all took to it! As with all metaphors, we could probably extend it ... taste and textures of the finished cake, the essential ingredients, different varieties, what can go wrong...
I like the way your kayak metaphor is a journey, and highlights the many pitfalls (or whirlpools) when seeking information. It's also very dynamic, and might hint that next time you're going through the rapids, you'll be able to call on your previous experiences.
Tanya Williamson

9. [access - sources - evaluation] Our findit@portsmouth site uses the information landscape in terms of relative complexity/academic weight of different types of resources. (http://findit.port.ac.uk/)
Linda Jones

[process - constructivist] I have adapted "sporty reader" for students to describe their research habits. In sporty readers you have to describe how you read in terms of a sport (ie: " I am a deep-sea diver, I like to immerse myself in a new environment, sometimes it is murky, sometimes beautiful and colourful etc " you get the idea). For researching so far I had an orienteer (brilliant!), a hill-walker ("long and slow process but you get a great view at the top", fly-fishing (dips in) and lots of divers...

Sporty readers was introduced to me by Jerry Hurst during a Chatterbooks training session.
Agnès Guyon

For those doing research at a higher level then yes, just talking about the process is fine. But for many of our students, a metaphor helps them understand some quite tricky concepts. I always emphasise that it is a metaphor and that it is related to a research process. As long as they can make use of the metaphor, it’s ok.
Pete Smith

Your references to water reminded of the following metaphors for information seeking behaviour: http://www.abo.fi/~jheinstr/thesis.htm
Carol Webb

IFLA article on incorporating information literacy into a curriculum

2009-06-08T03:25:00.000-07:00

This article (click on the title of this blog to get to the article) should interest those of you who are busy incorporating information literacy into the academic curriculum. The IFLA (Milan 2009) article tries to unpick the ingredients that enabled us (Julie Brittain and her colleagues at the Institute of Development Studies and myself) to achieve our goals. The article also reflects on how such an intervention could have been improved.

Personally I think that a similar strategy could be taken at any educational level and in any discipline. Of course the expectations would be different and the information context and norms would be different but, essentially, similar activities could take place. It would be interesting if people disagreed!

One aspect of the intervention that I found particularly interesting was working with students from different countries and backgrounds and the nature of the subject domain 'Participation, Power and Social Change'. Participative methods, that originate to a great extent out of development work, are now highly developed and have lessons for anyone trying to engage with a particular community and facilitate learning and changes in outlook.

user centred design for people who want to know about cervical cancer

2009-06-07T08:00:00.001-07:00

Here a home page slide of the cervical cancer Web site the students designed.

Cervical cancer: user centred services

2009-06-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

As usual my students studying User Centred Design came up with some excellent ideas for an information service. The aim is to design an information service that is targeted at a specific group of people who share common information needs. The service must address their information needs; the questions that are in their mind and must relate to the demographics of the group, such as, age or gender and the information behaviour norms of the community. For example, whether the people like text or images; respond to certain colours; are going to respond to startling images. Younger people may want a gaming element to help them engage and so on. The emotional state of the user should also be considered - as well as all the bog standard stuff of good human computer interface design (HCI) and accessibility.

One group chose to enable people, young women in their early 20s, to get information about cervical cancer. Apparently in England women in the early twenties are not eligible for free screening or vaccination on the NHS, whereas in other places they are.

Any way, I thought the poster they created to advertise the service was good as well as the Web interface.

Kayaking metaphor

2009-06-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

This last image shows the kayaker en route and the questions in their mind. An alternative would be label the barriers, the rocks, with common problems e.g. too much information, not enough, irrelevant, wrong type.

The whirlpool of despair recognises that state - often experienced when I see a pile of marking - can't do it, not enough time, don't want to, won't, I deserve a break (do my blog) etc. etc. Various whirlpools exist - not being able to pin down ones topic; not sure which precise question to investigate; unfamiliarity with the information landscape (where to go and how to use it) etc.

People can be on the banks giving advice - emphasising the importance of other people as a source of information and knowledge.

Kayaking metaphor for information literacy instruction

2009-06-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

These next images shows the kayaker and highlights the 'ingredients' - the behaviour of the researcher (what they do) ' the kayaker', the knowledge of the research process and information literacy (of the information environment and the tools that would help) 'the kayak ... that keeps them afloat and safe'; the environment around them (the information landscape, the subject domain).

Kayaking, a metaphor for facilitating information literacy?

2009-06-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Starting where I left off i.e. metphors. While Sian, my daughter, was battling with her university final year project a metaphor came to mind - probably more appropriate for younger people, maybe early teens. I tried to capture a number of attributes associated with a piece of independent research: it's an adventure, a journey, an expedition, full of challenges, some easy bits (plain sailing!), opportunities for complete despair, but eventually a successful outcome.

The idea was a kayaking trip: an adventure, that involves battling through rapids; avoiding whirl pools or colliding with rocks; having to navigate channels; using one's knowledge of the water (environment), the kayak, the padel (tools); following an overall route or journey and so on.

The pictures above give an indication of what I mean. Here the kayakers (researchers) are in the lake of that is their environment; their subject and are having to decide on which way / route to take.

Rekindling blog

2009-05-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

The original intention of the blog was to share experience from the brief African trip and highlight positive information happenings. As a result it fell into demise after returning and getting swallowed up by the day job. Plus people like Shiela Webber http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/ do a great job of alerting us to Info. Lit. events; Moira Bent http://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/moira.bent highlights interesting stuff; the JISC INFOLIT list, the CILIP Infolit web site, ITALICS, new IL journals and so on ... overload starts to creep in!

My spare time has also been taken up with finishing a book 'Teaching information Literacy for Inquiry Based Learning', co-authored by Geoff Walton, that has finally been sent off to the publisher Chandos / Woodhouse and should now be available in September.

However, a blog seems to be a slightly less formal place for sharing experience and hopefully getting comment. So I will resume.

Mark

Metaphors to help foster information literacy

2008-11-17T02:41:00.000-08:00

Metaphors and information literacy

I held a workshop on the 5th November at Suilcop at Staffordshire University where we worked on the use of metaphors for teaching information literacy. This was a very enjoyable and productive event.

Metaphors help the learner to build on previous knowledge and to use knowledge to understand a new situation. For example if we describe something as a journey we know it is likely to take place over time, to have dead ends, loops, various routes and paths.

Delegates worked in groups and developed a number of engaging metaphors that could be used to help people get to grips with thinking about IL.

The session has been videoed and a podcast will developed by staff at Staffs which I will distribute in due course.

Information Literacy Diagnostic Questions

2008-10-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

Information Literacy Diagnostic Questions

I have enough knowledge to discuss my essay topic with my colleagues?
I find it easy to specify the subject area I am studying, identifying key words that describe the discipline.
I am confident I can identify the sources of data, information and knowledge relevant to the course.
When I start a new assignment I try to determine what information I need by listing key words.
When I start a new assignment I try to determine the type of information I need listing key sources.
When doing an assignment I look for sources that are not on the reading list.
I feel confident that I can find information that will help me undertake tasks, explore problems, get new ideas etc.
I consciously think about how I use information to learn about new things.
It is important to be conscious about how I learn, find things out, use data, information and knowledge.
I reflect on whether I have adequately determined the nature of the problem and the information I need.
I plan my strategy in advance to find information in catalogues, databases and the internet.
I make use of informal sources of information as well formally published sources (family, media, friends).
I check out how to search an information retrieval system before searching.
I use the advanced search interface in information retrieval systems such as Google, Nexis etc.
I type in the whole title of an article or book to find it.
I use author names to find information.
I use index terms to help retrieve documents.
I use hypertext links to find additional information.
I can narrow my search so only the titles are searched.
I can narrow my search by asking for more than one word to be in the documents.
I can narrow my search by searching for phrases using “ “
I can broaden my search by asking for alternative terms to be in the document.
I can broaden my search by searching for a word that has different endings (using *).
I constantly adapt, change and refine my search strategy while searching.
Searching for one or two terms is usually sufficient.
I reflect on my search strategy and think how it can be improved.
I am able to quickly scan text and identify relevant information.
I am able to judge the relevance of information I find when searching online.
I apply evaluation criteria (authority, origin, relevance, bias etc.) to judge the quality and credibility of information I find.
If a book is on the reading list and seems relevant I read it from cover to cover.
If a book is on the reading list or seems relevant I first read the contents page, use the index and heading to see whether it is really relevant for my assignment.
It is important to find alternative and conflicting views on a topic.
It is important to find views that confirm each other.
It is important to find views that represent different stakeholders.
I reflect on whether I have analysed and used information effectively and efficiently.
I am able to cite/reference my sources using a recognised referencing style.
It is important to reference any information that has influenced my ideas .
It is important to put quotation marks around any text that has been copied from another author.
I am able to present information in an appropriate format for other people or organisations (such as reports or proposals).
I reflect on whether I have presented information effectively.
I am able to store and organise the information I find and produce so that it can be easily found and used using folder, sub folders etc.
I reflect on how I manage my information.

Labuto Libraries - vulnerable youth

2008-07-22T04:10:00.000-07:00

Labuto Libraries - a charity, has set up libraries for young people. They have managed to work with young people who have lived on the streets. This is their first taste of books, a library, the possibility of free schooling, shelter and meals.

Some prefer to stay on the streets; their world; their family; a high degree of independence!

One young man, Vasoc, is writing his story.

I'll provide more detail later.

Digital Doorway project South Africa

2008-07-22T03:59:00.001-07:00

A fascinating initiative.

A unit has been designed to withstand the 'african' environment (heat, dust, unfamiliar users, possible damage) and to be used by anyone. Currently powered by the mains but solar is being developed. Runs standard PC applications; has a satellite link. Possibly, in the future each could become a hub for wireless, mobile, phone access.

In the remote hills and valleys West of Durban. This is being explored as a way to capture indigenous knowledge and will involve village leaders, villagers, schools and school children.

Obviously loads of potential - a resource for e-learning, ICT skills development as well as information literacy training and a link between indigenous knowledge and external information etc.

See
http://www.digitaldoorway.org.za/index_main.php

SCECSAL conference Zambia

2008-07-22T03:48:00.000-07:00

An excellent conference bringing together librarians and information professionals from East, Central and Southern Africa.

Key issues included:

ongoing underresourcing of traditional academic, public and school libraries;

interesting developments in the less traditional knowledge and information management areas taking place at a community level - icluding market price information for farmers via MSN and radio (Ghana); health (CHEP - Zambian Copper Belt); robust, satellite connected PCs in rural villages (South Africa, Durban); libraies working with children who live on the street;

as in the IDS conference a recognised need to get policy makers to see the value of information literacy and the need for people skilled in information and knowledge management. [A COOMON PROBLEM!!]

SA personal reflection

2008-07-09T06:17:00.001-07:00

As you would expect the gulf between rich and poor is immense. Today, my temporary abode in Woodstock, Cape Town, is cold and damp but compare this to life in the flooded shacks, a fat squalid necklace around this scenic old town. Presided over by Table Mountain, cliffs visible through the shifting cloud. Positive initiatives take place at national and grass roots levels including, for example, the growth of knowledge centres where indigenous knowledge is gathered (and valued) and blended with external information; micro credit schemes that give that important first step towards some control over destiny; innovative work with technologies facilitate distance learning. And yet at a macro economic scale will change take place that results in fundamental inequalities being broken down? Individual, corporate and national greed seem so ingrained and the power to change seems so firmly in the hands of those who have no vested interest in fundamental change. A visit to a secure, well-off, housing estate reminded me of predictions of long ago, private armies, wired, walled and electrified compounds protecting our assets from those that have little. Fortified and yet imprisoned. A contrast to the corrugated, plastic, one room shelters in the shanty town now flooded by rains. Cold, damp and dangerous. And yet some who were down have come up and vice versa ... a short term juggling that does not necessarily lead to any 'progress'. What works and why? Any change must involve and engage all parties; that much is obvious as is the need for people to make use of the knowledge that does exist, enabling some self-efficacy.

Web 2.0 and freeware can play a crucial role in developing countries: IDS Centurion conference

2008-07-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 can play a crucial role in developing countries: IDS Centurion conference

Euforic highlighted the availability of free software that could be of use to people working in the development context. The Web 2.0 technologies enable people to collaborate e.g. through Wikis, content can be created and published (as well as Facebook, Flikr etc.) as well as through Blogs. Content can be pushed through RSS feeds. Content can be combined and tools such as Gapminder create ‘mashups’ (check out life expectancy in Ruanda over the last twenty years!). The Google technologies for creating personlised desktops (iGoogle), storing documents, creating address books (GMail) etc. provide useful free applications. Portals, such as R4D, facilitate access to development research and finding tools.

Tools that could help with the dissemination of research and practice as well as enable access. (Ballantyne & Addison, Euforic paraphrased).

Obviously the technical infrastructure (availablility and bandwith are serious limitations) as is the cost of the Internet connection.

Knowledge centres of the Arid Lands Information Network: IDS Centurion conference

2008-07-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Knowledge centres of the Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN): IDS Centurion conference

ALIN provided an inspirational account of how access to knowledge can be facilitated.

Nguo described the impressive Arid Lands Information Network which included community knowledge centres which provided basic ICT training, documentation of indigenous knowledge in the local language; online pest information; worked in schools; provided farmer forums. Their only regret, despite having over 1300 visitors, was that they had found it difficult to influence policy makers.

One suggestion that came out of the conference was the need for intermediaries to provide a rich documentation of such success stories. It was suggested that Web 2.0 technologies could be used create rich, multiple views of such grass roots knowledge based projects using film, voice, photographs as well as text. The objective would be to enable policy makers to fully appreciate what had happened and how – rather than depending on distilled reports.

Philippines Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) raise the profile of research: IDS Centurion Conference

2008-07-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

Philippines Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) raise the profile of research: IDS Centurion Conference

PIDS have led a NATIONAL initiative in the Philippines to foster recognition of the importance of research and information literacy. Activities have included ‘research fairs’, press conferences, activities in schools. They have targeted capacity builders and received Presidential support. (Liguton paraphrased)

This initiative highlighted the potential of the intermediary.

The roles of intermediaries reaffirmed: IDS Centurion conference

2008-07-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

The roles of intermediaries reaffirmed: IDS Centurion conference

The conference reaffirmed the importance of the role of the intermediary – albeit the intermediary who actively enables learning and the management of information.

Intermediaries need to facilitate dialogue and exchange, be able to summarise, synthesise, create new knowledge, organise research, signpost research, enable access to research, present multiple perspectives, be trusted (Barnard (IDS) paraphrased)

Enhance the skills of policy makers: IDS Centurion conference

2008-07-09T06:03:00.000-07:00

Enhance the skills of policy makers: IDS Centurion conference

Intermediaries need to enhance the skills of policy makers to deal with evidence. (Mastoera paraphrased). Fostering the information literacy of the policy maker is therefore important.

One challenge is the emphasis on practice which can denigrate the value of research. Another is the false dichotomy between scholarship and activism. (Motala paraphrased). The intermediary therefore needs to take on the role encouraging beliefs that value research and research skills (independent learning skills) whether that be for the Union member investigating an accident involving health and safety, a farmer learning about new practice or the NGO reflecting on lesson learnt or methods to communicate their work.

Institute of Development Studies (IDS) conference Centurion, South Africa

2008-07-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Institute of Development Studies (IDS) conference Centurion, South Africa

This conference focused on the role of research brokers, knowledge and information intermediaries and their contribution to supporting and enabling evidence based pro poor policy and practice. Organised by Human Sciences Research Council and IDS.

Initial hypotheses were proposed and debated during the conference. These were (summarised and with comment as a result of discussion):

Hypothesis 1: ‘Evidence based policy and practice’ is more likely to be pro-poor if it encourages the inclusion of evidence and perspectives. [The term pro-poor was considered contentious by some delegates].

Hypothesis 2:Intermediaries represents a distinct, new communication structure that contributes to the use of a broad range of evidence in policy and practice. [The term structure may be overstating the case – and is not necessarily new – but we should work to this goal.]

Hypothesis 3: Intermediaries’ unique contribution is highlighting multiple perspectives. [Consciousness of this role i.e. the highlighting of different voices expands the simple notion of information provider; it implies proactive navigational role specifically facilitating access to varied messages as well as helping to sift the mass.]

Hypothesis 4: Intermediaries add value by creating ongoing platforms, spaces and places to promote engagement of actors with sources and perspectives. [Again although an easily recognisable function this hypothesis leads one to question how these ‘spaces’ are designed to promote engagement. The current conceptions of portals, gateways, knowledge centres etc. need to be viewed and possibly redesigned to meet the needs of the audience.]

Hypothesis 5: Intermediaries contribution is strengthened when they become aware of how they affect the flow of perspectives and sources of evidence into the research policy environment.

PROVIDING MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES AND PACKAGING THEM IN AN APPROPRIATE FORM IS FUNDAMENTAL. HOWEVER THERE IS A NEED TO ADD VALUE BY INDICATING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE PERSPECTIVES (NOT A TYPICAL INTERMEDIARY ROLE!) PLUS ENSURING THE AUDIENCE HAS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS AND MAKE USE OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED.

FURTHERMORE INTERMEDIARIES NEEDED TO BE AWARE OF WHERE PERSPECTIVES COME FROM I.E. WHOSE VOICE IS BEING HEARD.

2008-06-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

The outdoor classroom
I still have this idea of schools using the area around the school as a resource fordeveloping information literacy and information management skills. Here children would go out and research and document their surrounding (maybe focusing on a problem that the community around them would like investigated). They gather, capture material (using multi media), tap in to local (indigenous) knowledge and resources; identify external useful information sources (published, people, organisations etc.). Collect, process, organise, store and facilitate access to the material they have collected.

Such a approach could be low or high tech. Within such an intervention information literacy and information management skills integrated and embedded.

School gardens are being used in some places to some extent to this effect.

People have taken kids out and used minimal technology to enquire about the world around them … a stethoscope to hear the xylum and phloem going up and down the tree i.e. to do science, group work skills.

I am sure there are many other examples. And yet I wonder if there have been examples where information literacy, information management, research skills are consciously taught in this way. This would be different from a standard project where the end result (the report) is the primary focus rather than the process or the management of information.

Where schools have very limited resources then the outdoors may be the richest environment to hand!

School teachers learn to teach information literacy

2008-06-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

Training teachers in information literacy: University of Western Cape
A certificate is now funded so that people with a teaching qualification can now take an advanced diploma in information literacy and teaching information literacy at the University of Western Cape (UWC). THIS SHOULD HAPPEN EVERYWHERE or at least until it is incorporated explicitly in teacher education.

As part of their training they have to implement an information literacy intervention in a school. They also compile a portfolio and keep a learning journal.

Barriers for teachers include a lack of ICT knowledge (a large percentage have not used computers); finding time to learn new skills is difficult. However, the better schools tend to have computer labs. Big challenges are at the younger age range where children have had very little access to anything.

On the whole, as in the UK, most teachers have not been taught how to teach information literacy and independent learning. As is often the case even with project work the final outcome is marked and not the process and little guidance is given for the process.

Mobile phone learning applications: ICEL

2008-06-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Kids use mobile to write essay: ICEL
An anecdote. A younger person use their mobile / cell phone to write an essay. Then Bluetothed it to a PC and submitted their assignment.

Mobile as a polling device: ICEL
In a classroom mobiles can be used a ‘clickers’ to ‘vote’ on a question being posed by the teacher.

Mobile used for multiple choice: ICEL
A learner is asked to take a photo of a leaf. They are then asked multiple choice questions on their mobile. These are submitted and marked.

Mobile in the field for project based work: ICEL
Young people working on an outdoor project use mobile phones to record images and audio, including interviews with locals. Interviews concerned the place and its history. Students could maintain contact with the tutor via the mobile. A seeded video on the mobile provided guidelines and sets the learning context (the scaffolding).

One such project led to the result of the project being posted on the street where the story (about the past) came from and passers by could read and hear the story – referred to as ‘street memories’.

Access to Wikipedia via mobile: ICEL

2008-06-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

Access to Wikipedia via mobile: ICEL
Via Mixit, the cheap messaging service in SA, one Meraka project enabled the student to query Wikipedia. They received a text to voice message response. As well as text the ability to use of symbols is being investigated. This has obvious significant implications – all sorts of searchable databases/portals could be made available in this way.

It would be interesting to see how pertinent the responses were to the questions the users were asking.

Dr Maths mobile support: ICEL

2008-06-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dr Maths mobile support: ICEL
Dr Maths offered school children support with maths via mobile phone, Sunday to Thursday in January 2007, involving 20 students tutors. They dealt with 3000 calls. ‘Rules’ are set for tutors; they can’t contact people separately; only discuss school work; safeguard cell numbers; review logs of calls with tutors for learning purposes i.e. identify good practice, and to monitor.

Mobile learning, Meraka: ICEL

2008-06-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Mobile learning, Meraka: ICEL
Fascinating things are happening with mobile phones.

Meraka, a government backed research organisation are investigating different ways of using mobile phones (corporates see Africa as a huge new potential market for the mobile phone or cell phone as it’s called here in SA. It is also recognised they can have a huge potential impact – and already have done in other parts of the world such as India). Mixit a local vendor enables texting for approx. 1 cent per minute and currently have 7 million users, 45% are teenagers! There are 12 cell phones to every 1 land line.

Problem based learning: ICEL e-learning conference

2008-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Problem based learning: ICEL e-learning conference
Witwatersrand University, medical school: problem based learning (PBL) [practised elsewhere in medical schools around the world] where each week students have a ‘case’. This requires resources (information, learning objects) to be integrated across the curriculum. Groups of eight students start with a trigger question, decide their learning objectives, draw on information to ‘solve’ the case.

Monitoring use of electronic materials enables the course tutors to see whether the ‘curriculum’ is covered and learning objectives achieved.

In the same fashion in Singapore the students start the day with a question and finish the day, having researched the question (with facilitators available), with a presentation.

Digital libraries: ICEL e-learning conference

2008-06-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Digital libraries: ICEL e-learning conference
Witwatersrand University, medical school scanned 60000 (I think) images (X-rays, microscope slides etc. all annotated and using layers to attach pointers to features, a blocked valve etc.

Shared through a consortium of universities. Presumably what happens in many areas, databases etc. Interesting though what can be done with images and the idea of layering meanings / annotations and different ways of viewing the image and becoming informed. How in one case sound was integrated so that one could see (cardiogram), hear (heart beat) – and of course can repeat at will.
I am sure there must be a host of situations where images have been used to explore all sorts of themes, interconnections.

District Six museum - exploring memories

2008-06-25T01:21:00.000-07:00

District Six museum - exploring memories

As part of their role in supporting a community who were displaced from District Six, a suburb of Cape Town – quite near the centre – and exploring issues associated with displacement a ‘memory workshop’ was run. The workshop involved older women who initially needed to be persuaded to take part but later independently requested sessions. These sessions used topics such as cooking and embroidery to focus discussion but extended to memories in general. Photographs, maps, documents were used to explore these topics. Women brought quantities of their own memorabilia.

Working together individual’s stories were compiled. Bringing together different artefacts, recording stories, commenting on transcriptions, editing, condensing and finally storyboarding the result.

This is obviously a potentially powerful technique that could be used to consciously develop information literacy skills – which no doubt took place. However IL could have be the underlying focus of such an intervention and achieved partly through reflective practice following and between activities.

Dealing with memories provides a good information exploration context. It can benefit people by giving them a sense of narrative and worth, as well as a sense of community and shared experience. Hence generates motivation.

In similar fashion ‘genealogy’ has I think been used to contextualise information literacy?

CDRA practice ‘action learning’

2008-06-25T01:20:00.002-07:00

CDRA practice ‘action learning’

CDRA have practiced ‘action learning’ and are investigating the relationship to Action Research. Action based approaches means that rather than having people who do the studying and those that are studied a collaborative approach is taken. Here participation is seen to be on equal terms. Both parties are reflecting on the process and learning.

I intend to draw on this approach at a future intervention involving students from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). One question that is prominent in Action Research is whose ‘voice’ do you listen to. In other words one does not necessarily value the voice of an ‘expert’ over people who may have a deep insight but are not formally recognised as experts. This provides an avenue for exploring the range of sources of data, information and knowledge.

Has anyone taken either ‘action learning’ or ‘action research’ approaches in IL training?

CDRA explores KM in the community

2008-06-25T01:20:00.001-07:00

CDRA explores KM in the community

CDRA are, currently, particularly interested in facilitating ‘horizontal learning’ and peer-to-peer learning. They are working with a community of practitioners and agencies involved in Early Childhood Development implementing and developing methods to foster consciousness of learning and facilitate knowledge sharing and capture. There seems to be a possible (and necessary! I would argue) marriage here with information literacy i.e. between KM and IL.

CDRA: a learning organisation

2008-06-25T01:19:00.001-07:00

CDRA: a learning organisation

CDRA (Community Development Research Association) work with organisations that work in the development context

An organisation that not only talks about being a learning organisation but actually applies this thinking to themselves! During the month three weeks are outward facing and one internal. The latter involves people reflecting on their work, situations they have dealt with, what they have learnt. This then gets communicated, shared and discussed. Effort is made to encourage creative thinking, for example, bringing in artists who involve staff in creative experiences.

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT) : Knowledge Commons, brief 5 minute (max) interviews with students

2008-06-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT) : Knowledge Commons, brief 5 minute (max) interviews with students

1. Student from another country

The student from the Congo was using the various services but had difficulty with language. His first language was French and literal translations into English to search the electronic services was not always successful. Although he did use Google’s translation facility, however, some additional kind of translation or synonym look up facility would be useful.

2. Local student in education

She was putting together a curriculum for Grade 3, had used the Web to look at curriculum, find articles etc. used databases and electronic journals. She had been to a good state school and that had helped since she had a basic familiarity with ICT before University.

3. Local commerce student

Seemed familiar with a range of electronic sources both textual and numeric (mentioning Datastream).

How do we respond to different levels of information literacy, diversity, among users of information?

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT) : Knowledge Commons / Navigators

2008-06-25T01:16:00.002-07:00

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT) : Knowledge Commons / Navigators

A new area has been set up with carrels with computers (with good band width) in clusters. Students use them to do their research and assignments.

Student navigators circle the area, usually at least one student has been doing it for a while (one three years), and provide support. They dealt with common ICT problems to do with Word, Excel, and helping access to the catalogue and other electronic resources. This peer to peer approach to training worked really well and enabled one to one context based learning.

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Public libraries

2008-06-25T01:16:00.001-07:00

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Public libraries

Several have set up ‘business corners’ in libraries aimed at helping small business, including, for example, helping to develop a business plan, facilitating access to information etc.

This would be a good opportunity for information literacy training.

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Knowledge management with the Khoisan

2008-06-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Knowledge management with the Khoisan

A passing snippet. Maybe others can find out more. Hand held devices were/are being used by the Khoisan (in the past referred to as Bushmen) to capture knowledge. I seem to remember something similar was done in Australia?

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Information literacy in the Namibian school curriculum

2008-06-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Information literacy in the Namibian school curriculum

Prof. Peter Underwood mentioned a project to investigate the feasibility of the vision i.e. to incorporate information literacy in the Namibian school curriculum. Initial data collection noted difficulties associated with Internet access and bandwidth. Also a dramatic variation in distribution of resources such as in outlying areas, farm schools etc.. Staffing, stock issues (books etc.) and infrastructure were the main challenges.

In addition key institutions were without Internet connectivity.

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Plagiarism

2008-06-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Conversation at University of Cape Town (UCT): Plagiarism

The complexities of plagiarism and how factors such as students’ fear of failure, difficulty with English, a lack of understanding, the need to write (not a familiar medium) can lead to plagiarism. Instances where references have been given but swathes of text copied from a source – again for similar reasons.

This led to discussion of the need to incorporate in information literacy intervention training about the norms of academic writing and writing in general, including processes such as analysis and synthesis that precede writing.

Academic literacy and Epistemic literacy were also mentioned.

Metaphors for IL?

2008-06-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

Metaphors?

Creating a mental map of Woodstock, Cape Town, and how it connects to other places. The way to Pick and Buy, the hospital, a good bread shop, bottle store, the Internet café, various landmarks, a key road from which I can get my bearings. Learnt through initial guided forays. Looking at the map; simple, initial independent drives, honing in on favoured locations, starting to get a better mental picture of where ‘things’ are in relation to each other and how to use them. ‘Things’ that facilitate domestic, work and social needs.

This seems similar to ‘mapping’ a subject or information resources. Not knowing quite what you want because its new (for the novice). Getting lost, off course, in unfamiliar territory; needing to follow a map. Starting to get a …

Are other people consciously using metaphors in their information literacy training?

Introductory Blog

2008-06-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I've set this Blog up for a number of reasons:

Firstly, I will be in South Africa and Zambia attending three conferences over the next few months. These include the e-learning conference in Cape Town http://www.academic-conferences.org/icel/icel2008/icel08-home.htm; the Institute of Development Studies' 'Locating the power of in between' conference in Pretoria http://www.ids.ac.uk/index.cfm?objectid=7AF94E19-D422-7075-3BE48414703317C3 and the SCECSAL conference in Zambia http://www.scecsal.org/zambia2008.html. I thought people may be interested in highlights from these conferences - particularly people interested in the developing country perspective on learning and information literacy.

Secondly Geoff Walton and I are writing a book on teaching information and e-literacy and thought a Blog may be a good way to discuss ideas for the book. In particular, following an introduction on learning and learning theory, we intend to have practical examples of teaching interventions and we would welcome other people's ideas (credited of course!).

Thirdly this seems a good way to explore the technology! This is my first Blog and probably like most newbies have slight feelings of trepidation ... not being used to practicing the W2.0, self-publication, ethos it seems a bit pretentious. I also wonder whether I will keep it up; will anyone comment; is Blogger the best choice; perhaps Wordpress is better; should I use category clouds; how should I publicise it; where should I store linked documents - somewhere accessible on the move etc. etc.?

Mark