A national overarching framework of information literacy skills and competencies, which all sectors of education can recognise and develop or which can be applied to the world of work, equipping learners with skills needed for the 21st century, is seen as a key tool for the embedding of IL in schools, FE, HE, and throughout life.
Australia and New Zealand, leading lights in the field of information literacy, have had an IL framework for some years. Their experience is that information literacy requires sustained development throughout all levels of formal education and on into the workplace. It requires repeated opportunities for seeking, evaluating, managing and applying information gathered from multiple sources for different tasks, subject areas, themes and disciplines. It is this cumulative experience which creates the information-literate person.1
Developing an IL framework is one of the aims of the Scottish Information Literacy Project, which began in October 2004. This is being developed with cross-sectoral partners linking primary, secondary and tertiary education to lifelong learning including workplace and adult literacy agendas.
The project derived from two research strands: the Drumchapel Project,2 which looked at the ICT skills of school pupils in a deprived area of Glasgow; and a study of Glasgow Caledonian University students and alumni, looking at the link between the use of electronic information services and information literacy.3 The school was found to be the main centre of ICT skills learning. However, the outcomes suggested the need for a strong focus on IL training among secondary school pupils. Students and alumni broadly understood the concept of information literacy, but this was much more marked among alumni, as a result of the experience of work. The relationship of work activity to IL was found to be central, and alumni felt that an understanding of IL gave them a distinct advantage in job finding and seeking promotion. In many cases information-seeking skills, learned at university, could be directly applied to the workplace.
The outcomes of these two studies focused attention on an IL strategy which would link secondary and tertiary education and encourage the secondary and tertiary sectors to work together and would also look at the impact of IL training on the world of work.
The framework
Research confirmed the initial impression that while there were valuable local initiatives taking place in both the secondary and tertiary sectors there was no overall co-ordinated information literacy skills training strategy. In higher education, activity tended to be based on models like the Sconul Seven Pillars.4 The University of Abertay is a good example. Activists were immediately targeted for support and have, for the most part, become project partners.5 Others have subsequently joined. In order to illuminate the research question – what IL skills, if any, do students bring to university – focus groups were held with two groups of Glasgow Caledonian University students, two groups of senior school pupils in Ayrshire schools and academic librarians from Glasgow, Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian Universities. The findings supported other research in this area.6
Preliminary work on the development of a framework was supported by funding from Learndirect Scotland and the development of the draft framework was supported by the Eduserv Foundation.7
The draft framework is being developed by Glasgow Caledonian University with cross-sectoral partners using SCQF (Scottish Credit Qualification Framework) aims, structure and key features and existing frameworks and models. The idea is to:
- define IL learning in terms of statements of skills, knowledge and understanding
- support a continuing learning process through identifying a learning pathway within the context of SCQF as part of an educational guidance or personal development planning process
- map the existing learning that is taking place, allocating a notional level to learning outcomes using relevant reference points such as the SCQF generic level descriptors, with the intention of providing a general shared understanding of each level which can then be linked to academic, vocational or professional practice
- enable the notional levelling process and outcomes to become transparent and clearly understood by other learning providers, receiving organisations and/or employers to meet the needs of the lifelong learner more effectively
- incorporate and highlight skills and competencies from CILIP’s information literacy skills and competencies definition,8 SQA’s Information Handling Skills Intermediate 2 national qualification9 and existing models being used in specific sectors, e.g. Seven Pillars model in higher education and the Explore model in the 5-14 curriculum.
The draft framework contains sections explaining what information literacy is, and its application to lifelong learning, with appendixes including examples of IL material, existing skills definitions and the University of Abertay Dundee’s IL framework.
While it was not the original intention to have so much content (66 pages) it was felt that this information was required to educate the wider community and support the advocacy and implementation of the framework to the education sectors involved and the wider community. It also demonstrates the common themes that run through all the different models, definitions etc (see diagram) and pulls together a vast amount of information which the project advisory group and partners can use as a basis to take the framework forward.
The draft framework levels have been divided into the following sections representing the links between the different sectors, models, definitions, qualification and the relevant SCQF levels (see diagram):
- Schools
- Schools / Further Education Colleges
- Further / Higher Education
- Higher Education
- Lifelong learning including all information-using communities, e.g. learning centre, community learning, professional bodies and in the workplace.
The aim of the framework and levels is to:
- support the embedding of IL in programmes of learning and teaching across the curricula
- articulate the standards that can be expected:
- - within each level (schools, further education, higher education)
- - of new entrants to each sector, whether through progressing from one sector to another or as direct entrants
- - of employees entering the workplace
- inform the development of IL within learning centres and workplaces workshops and training sessions.
It was felt important to include information which could be used for advocacy and education purposes, explaining what IL can be used for, for example in cross-curricular areas such as:
- problem solving
- evidence-based and problem-based learning
- specific objectives, activities, and tasks involving research: project work and inquiry work
- planning and organising
- reviewing and evaluating
- making better use of resources
- independent thinking
- enhance learning.
It can also help with a number of information-specific issues of concern: problems of information overload; inappropriate use of internet material; failure to evaluate and synthesise information; and neglect of non-digital sources of information.10
An evaluation exercise of the draft framework is being carried out which involves the project partners from different sectors, the target audience, the CILIP Information Literacy Group, relevant professional bodies and email discussion lists. Project partners will pilot the draft framework in the 2007-08 academic year; this piloting will provide exemplars which will be included in the framework of how the skills, knowledge and understanding at different levels can be mapped into specific subjects or course design. What the end-product/s will look like will be based on the collaborative input of those involved (including the pilot work, the advisory group and partners’ experience, and thoughts and discussions) together with feedback and comments from the wider community.
Other aims of the Scottish Information Literacy Project include:
- advocacy on behalf of IL for education and wider community
- working with IL champions both UK and worldwide
- researching and promoting IL in the workplace
- identifying and working with partners, both in education and the wider community
- researching the role of IL in continuing professional development.
Already much has been accomplished. A petition was presented to the Scottish Parliament in December 2005 and evidence on the role of information literacy has been submitted to the Scottish Executive’s digital inclusion consultations.11
Work has also begun on the role of information literacy in the workplace. In early 2006, Learning and Teaching Scotland funded an exploratory study12 which consisted of six interviews with people in different workplace professions; of the six people interviewed three are involved in workplace training and another has links to training in the workplace. The study found that, although generally employers are not explicitly looking for IL skills and competencies by name, they are assuming that employees will come with these skills – particularly for professional positions. While people generally think they have the skills and competencies they need for their information-related activities, as defined by CILIP, the reality is that individuals are learning these skills to varying degrees at work, or in further education or university in an ad hoc manner. Most people generally cope with what they already know and do not realise that there are invaluable skills and resources that could greatly assist them both in the workplace and in life.13
Partnerships are now being formed with those with an interest in IL in the workplace, including workplace librarians and workplace trainers. However, it is clear that substantial challenges lie ahead.14 Discussions are also proceeding with Adult Literacy training contacts. Sufficient partners have now been recruited in this area to begin a new research strand.
References
1 Anziil (Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy). Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework: principles, standards and practice. 2nd edn, 2004 (http://www.anziil.org/resources/Info%20lit%202nd%20edition.pdf).
2 Dorothy McLelland and John Crawford. 'The Drumchapel Project: a study of ICT usage by school pupils and teachers in a secondary school in a deprived area of Glasgow.' Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol. 36, No.2, 2004, pp. 55-67.
3 John Crawford. ‘The use of electronic information services and information literacy: a Glasgow Caledonian University study.’ Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol.38, No. 1, 2006, pp. 33-44.
4 Sconul. Information Skills in Higher Education: a Sconul position paper. 1999 (http://www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literacy/
papers/Seven_pillars2.pdf).
5 See http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/partners.html
6 Suzie Andretta. Information Literacy: a practitioners’ guide. Chandos Publishing , 2005.
7 Eduserv Foundation Information Literacy projects (www.eduserv.org.uk/foundation/inflit/).
8 Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Information literacy: definition. 2004. (http://www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/
informationliteracy/definition/).
9 SQA. National unit specification: Information Handling Skills (Intermediate 2). 2004 http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nu/DF9J_11.pdf
10 B. Johnston and T. Anderson. Information Literacy and Study Skills: an overview of research for LT Scotland. 2005 (http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/informationliteracy/images/
overview_of_researchv2_tcm4-285566.pdf).
11 J. Crawford and C. Irving. 'IL and the petition to the Scottish Parliament.' Library+ Information Update, Vol. 6, No. 3, 2007, pp. 40-41.
12 Glasgow Caledonian University (2005) Information Literacy Skills: information literacy in the workplace. 2005 (http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/workplace.html).
13 C. Irving. The role of information literacy in addressing a specific strand of lifelong learning: the work agenda. 2006 (http://www.learningservices.gcal.ac.uk/ils/documents/
workplace_article.pdf).
C. Irving. MSc Research Dissertation, 2007. The role of information literacy in addressing a specific strand of lifelong learning: the work agenda.
14 J. Crawford and C. Irving. 'Information literacy, the link between secondary and tertiary education project and its wider implications.' Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2007, pp. 17-26.
Dr John Crawford is Library Research Officer and Director, Scottish Information Literacy Project, Glasgow Caledonian University (jcr@gcal.ac.uk).
Christine Irving is Research Assistant/Project Officer (part-time), Scottish Information Literacy Project (christine.irving@gcal.ac.uk).
Enquiries about all aspects of the project are welcome. A copy of the draft framework is now available as a pdf download from the project website, www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/framework.html (see bottom of the web page).