1. Is There A Connection Between Building Academics'
Research Capacity And Pedagogic Skills And Fostering
Information Literate, Critical Thinking Independent
Learners?
Dr Mark Hepworth
Centre for Information Management, Loughborough University
Siobhan Duvigneau
British Library for Development Studies
Institute of Development Studies

2. Aim of research: to investigate in collaboration with staff at the University of
Botswana, the University of Zambia and Mzuzu University whether an
institutional strategy could be developed that enabled the development of
information literate, critical thinking independent learners.
Objectives included:
• identifying the current vision for developing students’ information and
research capabilities;
• determining the expected outcomes, indicators and impact;
• identifying challenges, barriers and solutions.
Key questions included:
- Does the university see the need to develop the capacity of students (at all
levels) to undertake independent study and if so, what is being done to achieve
this?
- Is it feasible to take a university wide approach?
- How do current resources (technology, information resources and staff) either
help or pose a challenge?
Aims, objectives and research questions

3. • Exploratory research with emphasis on the thoughts and
experiences of senior staff (academics, librarians, ICT and support
staff).
• Gathered via 28 interviews with staff in Zambia and Malawi and a
two and a half day workshop in Botswana, involving 18 staff. The
interviews and workshop were structured using the Outcome
Mapping framework
• Interviews were transcribed and along with material gathered in the
workshop (flip charts and video), analysed thematically and
clustered under:
• the need for information literate, critical thinking independent
learners;
• current indicators of a lack of capabilities;
• current institutional support and current initiatives;
• challenges
Methodology

4. Key findings included:
As in other countries, many students lack information literacy, critical
thinking and independent learning capabilities and were described as
passive, ‘surface’ learners. To date, strategies to strengthen these skills
have had limited success, despite examples of good practice.
Challenges include:
• High student to staff numbers; funding; limited ICT and out-dated and
Northern-biased information resources
• Pre university schooling of students
• A lack of integration of information literacy, critical thinking and
independent learning in the curriculum at an undergraduate and
postgraduate level
• Academic staff needing training in the use of alternative, more engaging,
approaches to learning to build capabilities and to monitor and evaluate
their impact
• Limited research activities and publications, of which one consequence
was a lack of local information resources
• Academic staff needing training to build their capacity to undertake
research and generate local content
Key findings

5. AND YET Students involved with ‘real world’ research, or learning
encompassing competition, demonstrate the motivation, enthusiasm and
capacity for developing their information capabilities, and rigorously
conducted independent research..
‘mini research projects where they look for information to
answer a question’
‘real world problems’ so that they can ‘discover an idea of
how to improve things … I don’t ask them to memorise’…
where students took part in public competitions, such as a
simulated court proceeding i.e. a ‘Moot Court’, or competed
for prizes offered by commercial companies
where staff involved students in research projects in the
community, for example a village biogas project, where the
students showed a high degree of motivation and were
able to develop research skills and critical thinking
and lecturers did find ways to foster independent learning

6. In Malawi it was stated that ‘when people [lecturers] are more given to
research … they also develop skills they can impart to the student’ and active
research provided the opportunity to ‘involve students in real world research
problems’ where they actively seek information and:
- help students realize the relevance of subject knowledge
- fosters student motivation because they could see how they can have ‘an
impact on society’.
A number of staff were thought to lack information literacy that would enhance
their research capacity.
A lack of research and publications led to academic insecurity making it
difficult to provide effective role models or involve students in research.
Limited published work led to few resources that were relevant to the local
context and that could be used in teaching.
However: large student numbers and an inadequate number of lecturers led to
a situation where ‘attending to these students, teaching and marking … you do
not have any time for research’.
The connection between research capability and teaching
capability was made in all three institutions.

7. • Motivated to develop research capabilities (including their information
literacy and critical thinking) => effective research.
• Information literate, critical thinking and conscious of these capabilities =>
effective research/teacher
• A fundamental understanding of research and the capabilities (knowledge,
skills and attitudes) associated with being a ‘good’ researcher, including
the ethics of research; aspects of intellectual property (IP); epistemology;
methodology; data gathering and analysis, that could then be conveyed to
the student => effective researcher/teacher.
• A fundamental understanding of pedagogy and innovative methods to cope
with barriers e.g. large student numbers => effective teacher/learner
• Can build the capacity of students to be able to conduct research and,
possibly, enable the academic to do their research => effective
researcher/teacher
The ideal academic
(teacher/researcher)

8. ACADEMICS NEED AN INCENTIVE TO CHANGE
THEIR PRACTICE AND TAKE ON NEW SKILLS

10. TO ACHIEVE THIS THE ACADEMIC NEEDS TO DEVELOP THEIR
CAPABILITIES AND NEEDS COHESIVE, COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT
IN A NUMBER OF AREAS
(currently fragmented in the university support space
or lacking)

12. Developing information literate, critical thinking, independent learners in
higher education: theory of change
Engage with stakeholders
[government, employers,
schools, community, students,
teaching & research staff, staff
support, ICT-support, i-support]
- Clarify vision
- Identify outcomes,
indicators, progress
markers (long/short)
- Evaluate capabilities (info/
research / ICT / pedagogy
capabilities)
- Develop M&E framework
- Develop strategyIdentify potential
partners
(government,
employers,
senior faculty
and support
staff)
Project team
outlines proposal
Source funding
Identify
stakeholders
• Curriculum Development
• Develop interventions (to
build research and
information, pedagogic and
ICT capabilities)
• Identify links between
learning and societal needs
• Further develop M&E
framework
• Develop appropriate i-
infrastructure
• Develop appropriate ICT
infrastructure
• Develop capability building
‘tools’
• Capture process
Implement
interventions
- Research capacity
building
- Teaching capacity
building
(Collaborative) Evaluation
- On-going evaluation
- Outcome harvesting
- Monitoring indictors / outcomes
(e.g. knowledge generation; innovative
graduates; critical thinking; civic responsibility;
future awareness; research culture; innovative
pedagogy; appropriate learning environment)
- Monitoring impact (e.g. production of
knowledge; demand for research
knowledge; reflective practitioner; evidence
informed practice)
Share /
reflect
Collaborate with
stakeholders
Project team agree high
level vision and
outline proposal
Collaborate with
stakeholders
Collaborate with
stakeholders
Implement new
teaching
Collaborate with
stakeholders

13. Leading to:
• Academic staff become more effective role
models
• Academic staff better able to foster a
research ‘culture’ and transfer appropriate
attitudes and skills
• Universities produce more researchers
(information literate, critical thinking
independent learners) needed in society
IMPACT

14. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
ANY QUESTIONS?