This was presented by Sheila Webber (Sheffield University Information School) at an internal seminar at the Open University, Milton Keynes, UK, on 29 March 2011. After unpacking the concept of information literacy, I look at contextual aspects of information literacy: the disciplinary perspective, the teaching perspective and the learner perspective. I finish by presenting the picture of the Information Literate University that was developed some years ago by Bill Johnston and me.

1. Perspectives on
the Information
Literate University
Sheila Webber,
Information School,
University of Sheffield
March 2011
Copyright Sheila Webber, presented on 29 March 2011
at the Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

2. “Information literacy is the
adoption of appropriate
information behaviour to
identify, through whatever
Definition by: channel or medium, information
Johnston & well fitted to information needs,
Webber leading to wise and ethical use
of information in society.”
International IL Logo:
http://www.infolitglobal.info/

3. browsing
wise and
searching encountering ethical use of
information information
behaviour
linking creating fun
information
needs education
people web citizen
whatever spiritual
work
sound channel or family
medium in society
journals pictures
text

4. Quotation from interview for research by Shahd Salha

5. Information literacy as a key
discipline of the information
society: IL for workplace &
citizenship, not just for study
“a basic human right in a digital
world and promotes social
“We play a unique role in society inclusion of all nations”
making life long learning open to (Alexandria proclamation)
all, inspiring and enabling people
to develop wherever, whenever
and however they need”
OU “Core Values” http://www.open.ac.uk/ou-
futures/values.shtm

6. Evolution of Information Literacy
concept
• Moving from individual information literacy and
focus on texts to
– Information literate in digital environments
– Information literate with people
– Able to cope with a rich mixture of information types –
all at the same time
– Information literate individually and collaboratively
– Information literacy in context

7. IL in context
• IL in different academic disciplines
– Examples: Civil Engineering - Manipulating and presenting data; English
- Accessing and retrieving textual information
• IL in different cultures & communities
– Examples: IL as illumination (Salha’s Syrian study); English language as
part of IL (Dokphrom’s Thai study)
• IL in different workplaces
– Example: Ambulance workers: “you don’t really know what’s happening
until you get your hands on the patient and can see breathing, feel a
pulse, what’s the blood pressure, are they pale?” (Lloyd, 2009: 409)
• IL of diverse individuals in their own circumstances in
society & life
Sheila Webber and
Bill Johnston, 2010

8. Context: Discipline;
British Academics’
conceptions of teaching IL
Findings taken from an AHRC-funded phenomenographic research project
investigating variation in UK academics’ conceptions of , and pedagogy for,
information literacy.

9. Chemistry academics' conceptions of
pedagogy for IL as …
1. Implicit in teaching students to understand
chemistry. “we teach them to find chemical data and structures
for their assignments” (Chem 2)
2. Designing a path for students through a chemistry
course “So we do make sure that we’ve assessed them and we
introduce them to all the different databases throughout the four
years, em, but we will always ask them to do stuff outside of that to
widen their understanding.” (Chem 4)
3. Challenging students to respond independently,
critically and creatively with information “… to be able
to question, to disagree, to… really to have fun with information as
well.” (Chem 11) Key factors: Pedagogic approach; Outcomes for learning IL

10. Example information & behaviours
• Textual (e.g. research results, health & safety
information); 2D/3D chemical structures; metadata
& representations; information observed in
experiments; oral and written
• Searching; Comparing (e.g. observation and text);
Documenting (e.g. in lab notes); Exploring (e.g.
structure databases); Communicating (e.g. in
posters); Challenging; Innovating

11. English academics' conceptions of pedagogy
for IL as …
1. Someone else's job
2. An add-on or side-effect of teaching the subject
3. Introducing the students to sources of information
4. Engaging with students to show them the value of
information and information literacy
Key factors: 1) Relationship between information
literacy and the discipline 2) Their approach to
pedagogy & student learning
Sheila Webber, May 2007

12. Example information & behaviours
• Textual; Artifactual; Performance
• Accessing (texts, documents, artefacts); Searching
(e.g. within a text, journal, database); Comparing
(e.g. versions in different media; different editions);
Sense making
“I mean to me information literacy is a part of civic
engagement and civic participation, um, without even at
least even a passing understanding of how information
is produced, how it is constructed, how it's presented,
um, how it is—if one can say this—intended to be
understood and interpreted, then one cannot make
sense of the world.” (Category 4; English Interviewee
06)

13. Observation of people,
Ambulance workers: “you don’t really medical instruments
know what’s happening until you get
Existing & “textbook” knowledge
your hands on the patient and can see
breathing, feel a pulse, what’s the blood
pressure, are they pale?” (Lloyd, 2009: Seeking new information, from
409) people, texts
Combining, comparing,
evaluating, applying,
communicating

14. .. so factors include ..
• What information means in the subject
• How you manipulate or process information in your
discipline
• Influence of professional or academic associations
• Teacher’s & University’s approach to the discipline
• Acceptable or habitual information practice in the
discipline & in broader national/ cultural context

15. Context: Course design &
pedagogic approach

16. • IL connected to the teacher’s approach to teaching &
assessment
– Transmissive, facilitating, challenging (etc. etc.)
– Focused on module/session goals or lifelong learning
– PBL, IBL etc.
– Design of the teaching-learning environment
• IL required by the channel/ mode of learning e.g.
– Face to face
– Texts: scanning/ searching/ reading
– 2D web channels
– Virtual worlds: “What’s the me?”
(Nahl, 2010)

17. In the live presentation, at this point, Sheila talked about a “Framework of the process of
problem-solving geo/spatially in the Online Distance Learning Geographic Information
Science/Systems programmes.” This framework was an outcome of Maryam Nazari’s doctoral
work (2009) on Information Literacy for Online Distance Learning GIS Programmes

18. Context: The learner’s world
• Existing knowledge & • Existing IL knowledge and
skills skills
• Personal characteristics & • Attitudes and values
values concerning information;
disabilities affecting info use
• Approaches to learning • Ways in which approach & use
information for learning
(information habits)
• Perceptions and • Expectations of how will use
expectations for teaching information in learning
& learning

19. How can we support people in becoming
information literate so they recognise their
information needs, in context, in the 21st
century, information-rich environment?

20. • Student enabled to identify own IL knowledge, skills,
attitudes, needs
• Course developer identifying:
– IL needed to engage with learning environment
– IL needed to progress learning in the subject
– IL needed for citizenship, collaboration, challenge and
innovation
• Programme structures which progress IL even when
student pathways are diverse
• Supported by Information Literate University …

21. Information literate Information literate
staff & managers Curriculum
• IL in disciplinary
curriculum
• IL as discipline
Staff
development Information Literate
for IL University Information
literate
students
Management for IL
•Strategy; Policy; Information
•Resourcing; infrastructure;
•Knowledge & Records
literate research
Copyright Sheila Webber and
Bill Johnston, 2010

22. Sheila Webber
Information School
University of Sheffield
s.webber@shef.ac.uk
SL & Twitter Sheila Yoshikawa
http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/
Acknowledgements to Bill Johnston
Honorary Research Fellow, Centre for Academic Practice and
Learning Enhancement, University of Strathclyde
b.johnston@strath.ac.uk
Graphics: Sheila Webber
unless otherwise stated

23. References & readings
• Entwistle, N. (2003) Concepts and Conceptual Frameworks Underpinning the ETL Project.
Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh. Retrieved July 10th, 2009, from http://www.ed.ac.uk/etl
• High Level Colloquium on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning. (2005) Beacons of the
Information Society: Alexandria proclamation on information literacy and lifelong learning.
http://archive.ifla.org/III/wsis/BeaconInfSoc.html
• Johnston, B. (2010) The first year at university: teaching students in transition. Open University
Press.
• Johnston, B. and Webber, S. (2003) “Information literacy in higher education: a review and case
study.” Studies in higher education, 28 (3), 335-352.
• Lloyd, A. (2009) “Informing practice: information experiences of ambulance officers in training and
on-road practice.” Journal of Documentation, 65 (3), 396-419
• Nahl, D. (2010) “Affective Load and Engagement in Second Life: Experiencing Urgent, Persistent,
and Long-Term Information Needs.” International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning
Environments, 1(3), 1-16.
• Webber, S. and Johnston, B. (2010) The Information Literate University. Video of talk presented at
Lund University, Sweden, August 2010.
http://uwap03.uw.lu.se/KongressCentrum5/Viewer/?peid=9d3f3d440b6d4b5f953c08d4594b5424
• Webber, S. and Johnston, B. (2006) “Working towards the information literate university.” In: Walton,
G. and Pope, A. (Eds) Information literacy: recognising the need. Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-
Trent: 17 May 2006. Oxford: Chandos. pp 47-58. http://dis.shef.ac.uk/sheila/staffs-webber-
johnston.pdf