Welsh Information Literacy Project

Recent research has shown that inquiry‐based learning and project‐based learning (PBL) are better than the traditional didactic approach in promoting various learning outcomes. There is also a large literature on how collaboration among different teachers can enhance student learning. In Hong Kong, inquiry‐based learning has been integrated into the General Studies curriculum. This study investigated the effects of an intervention that used a collaborative teaching approach and inquiry project‐based learning on the development of primary students' information literacy and information technology skills. Students in a Hong Kong primary school completed two inquiry‐based group projects as part of their General Studies curriculum. A collaborative teaching approach involving three teachers with different specialties (Language [Chinese], IT, and General Studies) and a school librarian was taken in guiding students through the two projects. Results indicated the positive impact of collaborative teaching and inquiry PBL on the development of students' information literacy and IT skills.

This paper explores some sustainability issues as they relate to library services for a growing cohort of online university students. The students in question come from a range of educational backgrounds, countries and cultures. Addressing their needs has become increasingly important as the amount of information available continues to grow, the nature of information access changes, and the number of students taking up online study also grows. Lifelong learning has long been recognised as necessary to adapt to changing roles in the information rich society and the resulting need to upgrade education and work skills. The IFLA statement on libraries and sustainable development highlights the importance of improving educational and social skills in an information rich society. One of the results of development is the explosion of information; with that comes the need to be able to filter the good information from the bad. This author is convinced that the increasing amount and easy availability of information mean that the development of information literacy skills is more critical than ever. As Gorman1 argues, the key to bridging the literacy divide (thus being a contributor to sustainable development) is information literacy; the ability to understand, filter, evaluate and use information. Using the example of Open Universities Australia (OUA) students, the paper focuses on the emerging role of Distance Liaison Librarian at Swinburne University of Technology. Library services to support distance learning and information literacy needs are scrutinised in terms of the particular requirements of the growing numbers who are choosing to study online. A review of the literature to identify issues of sustainability in relation to library services to online students, particularly addressing the development of information literacy skills is followed by an exploration of the characteristics, needs and challenges of these students. Enabling and supporting these students to develop high order information literacy skills in an online environment raises questions about possible implications for academic library services should the trend to study online increase.

Digital natives are often perceived as experts in managing digital technology, but recent studies show that they do not have a very high level of developing information literacy skills. This research aimed to investigate the relationships between students' level of development of information literacy skills and the teacher's level of expression of pedagogical skills. A correlational research design was used. The research method was questionnaire survey. The results show that there are links between how students perceive pedagogical competences in action and the level of assimilation of information and information literacy skills.

Using collaborative teaching and inquiry project-based learning to help primary school students develop information literacy and information skills

This research paper delves into the Information Literacy (IL) skill development strategies implemented by Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Tolon District of Northern Ghana. The study employs a phenomenological approach and qualitative method to explore the perspectives of students, teaching staff, and management within these institutions. Through purposive sampling and focus group interviews, the research investigates both the institutional and individual efforts in enhancing IL skills of students. The findings illuminate the proactive measures taken by SHS management, including fresh students’ orientation programs and dedicated library time and creation of conducive learning environment. There is no IL course in the curriculum of the SHS. The findings further reveal that teaching staff, recognizing the significance of IL, employ varied strategies to enhance students' IL skills. Despite these efforts, a noteworthy challenge emerges: teaching staff lack the requisite IL skills. Finally, students of these institutions rely on Google, teachers, parents and colleagues for the needed information. The research recommends a holistic approach to IL education, incorporating policy reforms, teacher training programs, and targeted interventions to address the identified challenges.

Although numerous models exist to support the development of information literacy skills, most were designed to support 20th-century technologies and pedagogies. It is widely accepted that information literacy models needs to adapt and develop in response to changes in both technology and pedagogy, but the nature of this development is, as yet, uncertain. iTEC (Innovative Technologies for Engaging Classrooms) is a major EU-funded project attempting to bring about transformation in learning and teaching through the strategic application of learning technology. In this article, findings from the evaluation of iTEC are used to consider how effectively information literacy models which are currently available can support emerging technologically-engaged pedagogies. These findings suggest that an information literacy model for the 21st century needs to be flexible, suited to collaborative work and most importantly acknowledge and support students as creators of knowledge, not simply consumers.

In Hungary, the digital pillars of an information society have not been given serious consideration as a complex entity; the structured foundation and development of information literacy have not been achieved. A complex set of competencies necessary to navigate in the information society has to be developed at three levels: basic education (primary and secondary schools), higher education and adult education. The components of information literacy are to be compared with the requirements of the national curriculum, and assigned to the appropriate levels of education. The core elements at each level are selected. In this way a systematic approach for teaching information literacy can be applied from the elementary school to adult education. The aim of the paper is to outline a methodology of creating a curriculum framework for the consecutive development of information literacy skills and competencies at all levels of education.

Secondary teachers and information literacy (IL): Teacher understanding and perceptions of IL in the classroom

A lot of emphasis is being placed on the research experience at undergraduate level both by institutions of higher learning as well as industries focusing on research&development (R&D). This requires a twofold effort. First is to develop research competency in teaching faculty so that they can act like mentors and second is to develop a process so that the students develop basic research skills through practice. Parallels can be drawn between the Engineering Design (ED) process and research skill building process in terms of creativity and problem solving. Similar to the ED process, a converging and diverging process can be used to creative problem research. This process has been introduced as part of a course project at the third year level for the course Programming Industrial Automation Systems. This paper tries to demonstrate the process through which a structured literature survey is carried out by the students leading to a variety of research problems. This process is carried out as a team activity. Research assignments have been integrated in the course, which requires students to find information on automation related topic using both print and electronic resources available at the college library and on the Internet. Aiming to foster the development of technical information literacy and communication skills, the students are required to prepare a report based on a specific set of guidelines, followed by implementation of the solution and oral presentations of the topics researched. A lecture on the subject of identifying and using information resources is included in the syllabus. Preliminary results of the study are presented along with directions for designing and implementing an enriched curriculum for Automation course.

The growing digital inequality among marginalized students has been found to significantly hinder the development of essential information literacy (IL) skills, including digital access, socioeconomic positioning, prior exposure to technology, and digital proficiency. Digital inequality—defined as disparities in access to technological resources and online services—has been shown to exacerbate educational gaps among marginalized populations, thereby impeding the acquisition of foundational IL competencies such as locating, evaluating, and effectively using information. In this study, key barriers to digital inclusion were identified, and strategies were proposed to promote equitable IL education. Data were collected from 1,500 participants, comprising students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and varying levels of digital engagement, as well as teachers involved in IL instruction. A structured questionnaire was employed to obtain quantitative data, while qualitative insights were gathered through interviews with educators and program coordinators. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 29.0.2, where descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant responses, and chi-square tests were conducted to explore the relationship between digital access variables (e.g., device ownership, internet connectivity) and IL competency levels (e.g., the ability to search for, evaluate, and use information). The paired t-test was applied to assess the effectiveness of digital inclusiveness programs by comparing IL skill levels among underprivileged students before and after targeted training. The findings revealed that IL education has been adversely affected by technological disparities, which slow down instruction, necessitate basic computer literacy, and hinder the participation of digitally disadvantaged students in online learning. To mitigate these challenges, it is recommended that IL education incorporate preliminary computer literacy training and adopt inclusive pedagogical approaches, such as group-based projects, instructional videos, gamified content, and digital learning resources, to support both digitally disadvantaged and advantaged learners.

The aim of this study is to investigate perceptions of parents in Croatia towards advantages and disadvantages of computer use in general as well as their children's computer use and to reveal parents' concerns and opinions about digital technology (DT) education in kindergarten. The paper reports on research findings from one of the large public kindergartens in the capital city of Croatia. A total of 152 parents of the children aged 3 to 7 enrolled at this early childhood education institution filled in the survey. Results show that although being very well equipped with digital technology hardware at home (99% of surveyed parents owns a computer, tablet or smartphone), parents feel anxious and are not always willing to allow their children to use DT. Results of our survey reveal young children's ability to use DT, but they also show that mere possession of DT at home and enabling children to use computers does not guarantee development of computer literacy and/or information literacy skills.

To compare the effectiveness of an online information literacy tutorial with a face-to-face session for teaching information literacy skills to nurses. Randomised control trial. Seventy-seven first year undergraduate pre-registration diploma nursing students. Online in-house information literacy tutorial One hour face-to-face session, covering the same material as the intervention, delivered by the nursing subject librarian. Search histories were scored using a validated checklist covering keyword selection, boolean operators, truncation and synonyms. Skills retention was measured at 1 month using the same checklist. Inferential statistics were used to compare search skills within and between groups pre and post-session. The searching skills of first year pre-registration nursing students improve following information literacy sessions (p<0.001), and remain unchanged 1 month later, regardless of teaching method. The two methods produce a comparable improvement (p=0.263). There is no improvement or degradation of skills 1 month post-session for either method (p=0.216). Nurses Information literacy skills improve after both face-to-face and online instruction. There is no skills degradation at 1 month post-intervention for either method.

Purpose: Information literacy (IL) competency is an essential component of evidence-informed nursing practice. It is integral to introduce and develop core information literacy competencies for evidence-informed practice within undergraduate education programs. Research has shown undergraduate students may experience challenges with information literacy skills. More research to inform teaching methodologies that effectively enhance students’ skills and abilities, as well as their self-efficacy with these skills, is needed. This article describes an innovative teaching strategy, called journal club, which uses scaffolded learning activities in small groups over one semester. Methods: This mixed-methods research study used a non-experimental pre-post survey and was aimed at understanding the impact of the journal club strategy on students’ information literacy self-efficacy. The survey included the Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (Kurbanoglu et al., 2006) and two open-ended questions in the post-survey. Results: A total of 37 participants, out of 42 potential participants, consented and responded to the pre-survey and 28 to the post-survey. Cohort-based descriptive statistics demonstrated a significant increase in overall scoring on the Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale from the pre-survey to the post-survey. Additionally, all relevant item measures from the tool showed statistically significant improvement. The open-ended questions were analyzed thematically, which resulted in the themes of recognition of personal growth, IL skill development, the opportunity to practise, time, the impact in the future, and relational engagement and benefits of the group. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study provide ample evidence that the journal club teaching strategy has positively enhanced students’ IL self-efficacy and will continue to be utilized in future offerings of the course. This strategy could be replicated in other contexts and content areas.

It is important to teach students information literacy skills. For university students this is often demonstrated by their ability to craft a research question, determine the information needed to support their research, find and evaluate that information, and ethically use the information. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged librarians to think outside the box about ways to connect with students and disseminate the necessary information literacy skills. Librarians created LibGuides, videos, tutorials, and conducted virtual information literacy sessions. This chapter aims to provide insights on the COVID-19 pandemic on both student and librarian perceptions of information literacy skills. In addition, the chapter will also offer a few suggestions to mitigate the roadblocks to successful dissemination of information literacy skills by librarians.

An enriched syllabus has been experimentally introduced to undergraduate level students enrolled in a geotechnical engineering course. Two research assignments have been integrated in the course, which require students to find information on a geotechnical engineering topic using both print and electronic resources available at the university library and on the Internet. Aiming to foster the development of technical information literacy and communication skills, the students are required to prepare a report based on a specific set of guidelines, followed by oral presentations of the topics researched. Between the two assignments, a lecture on the subject of identifying and using information resources for geotechnical engineering is included in the syllabus. Preliminary results of the study are presented along with directions for designing and implementing an enriched curriculum for geotechnical engineering courses.