This document outlines an assignment given to postgraduate education students to help develop their information literacy skills. The assignment involved students researching topics related to diversity and inclusion, then writing a 500-word reflective summary about their information literacy skills and areas for improvement. Key aspects of the assignment included having students identify which skills they had developed competency in and which needed work, reflect on effective research strategies and how to critically evaluate sources, and consider how to apply their new skills to teaching their own students in the future. Feedback from students indicated that the practical information literacy session and reflective approach to the assignment were useful for developing their skills and thinking critically about information literacy.

1. Jonathan Smart,
University of Plymouth,
17.3.08
We’re in this together – getting
involved through information
literacy strategies that encourage
reflection through collaboration
between faculty, student and
information professional

2. Outline
Context
Connecting with the curriculum
The nature of the assignment
Reflective approach
Collaborative teaching
IL & study skills
Student feedback
Concluding thoughts

3. ‘...evidence suggests that IL is still treated
as an elective skill set on the periphery of
the core curriculum in most disciplines’
McGuinness (2007 p26)

4. Context
PGCE / Cert Ed students, HE levels – 3 / 1.
NQF levels 6 / 4
F/t / p/t
SWAST
Diverse backgounds
c. 50% SWAST cohort no education beyond
secondary school
Demanding & challenging curriculum
Strong need for effective IL skills

5. Connecting with the curriculum
Essential to connect IL with curriculum
(Bundy 2004, Johnston & Webber 2003,
Grafstein 2002 etc.)
PBS students – relevance to business
success
Reflective practice integral to curriculum +
PDP
Dual function as diagnostic – mutual gain
Study skills element

6. Schon’s reflective practitioner
Reflection-in-action: thinking on their feet – try apply
prior experience to new situations for new understanding
Reflection-on-action: later stage – write up account
of ‘journey’ , reflect in order to change / adapt. Action
following reflection - new theories & responses.
Constructivist.

7. Other Reflection models
Kolb: Concrete experience; Observation &
reflection; Forming abstract concepts; Testing in
new situations
Boud & Walker – 3 stages of reflection: R. in
action; R. mid-experience & R. after an event
John: Situation relates to other experiences?
Could have handled differently? Consequences
of alternative actions? Feelings now? Experience
changed way I know?

8. The assignment
Induction - orientation
Hands-on ‘Facilitated Discovery’. Learn by
doing with help of coaching (Refl
Practicum)
‘Safe’ environment
First written assignment
Importance of initial positive experience
Diagnostic for PCET staff, students & me

9. The assignment
As a consequence of the session you have received and
the follow-up work you have done, consider the following
diagnostic checklist of information literacy skills and
identify both the ones in which you feel that you have
now accomplished a working level of competency (i.e.
you can use them as part of the process of researching
for your coursework) and those that you consider you
are still in need of developing.

10. You will then research around issues of diversity,
inclusion and equality of opportunity, producing a 500
word reflexive summary reflecting on your own personal
progress in acquiring and applying information literacy
skills, reflecting on both your successes and areas that
you are aware you still need to develop. You should
include the following:

11. 1. Information strategies you have found most effective
2. How you assess and critically evaluate what you find
3. What you have learned from the process
4. What further actions you need to take to further
develop your information literacy skills
5. How you will use the knowledge you have gained to
instil information literacy skills in your students

12. Diagnostic checklist

13. Diagnostic checklist cont.

14. The reflective approach
Get them thinking
Cognitive, higher order skills
Reflection key part of course and practice
Raising levels of (self) awareness
Reflexive for us too
PDP key element of the course

15. Assignment: prior knowledge
‘I started with Diversity. I have quite a lot of
background knowledge in this area as I was the
lead person for the Ambulance service this year at
Plymouth’s Respect festival....As a ‘mature’ student
I will probably take longer than the ‘normal’ student
to grasp things although I bring life skills with me
and the experiences that I have had so far in life.’

16. Assignment: reflection
‘By using the basic reflective cycle of action;
reflection; revised action and reflection (Wallace,
2007) both myself and my students could analyse
information literacy. Therefore if I reflect by
exploring if I am acquiring the correct information, I
can revise my action by seeking another method to
get information, for example from another data base
or use a different key word and then reflect again.’

17. Assignment: cascading benefits
‘Once I have mastered the art of e-resources I feel
that it will benefit my research and ultimately my
skills as a teacher. In time I am certain that I will be
able to do this efficiently and with confidence in my
ability.’

18. Collaborative teaching
Natural move to team teaching
Learning from each other
‘Shared’ cognitive authority
Reflexive process for us
Mutual trust & confidence in each other
as professionals
Expand horizons
Part of tutorial programme
Listed as ‘tutor’ in handbook

19. Study skills & scholarship
Request from PCET while planning programme
Study skills & IL have natural fit
More ‘territories’ (LD & Academic Support)
Scholarship – overlap. Boyer (1990)
E-learning – shared & adapted slides
Predicated around faculty’s needs
Relevance of AS confirmed
Professionally stretched
Directly addressed faculty need
Information professional directly alongside
faculty – shared territory

20. Student collaboration
Groups in refectory
Wiki
Joint tutorials with me
‘By spending more time accessing the resources
by trial and error, discussing best practice with
colleagues and listening to there [sic] experiences,
it will make me more efficient enabling me to spend
time on relevant material’
‘Critical evaluation from these sources is
vital. Sharing findings and resources with
fellow students helps to expand resource
information’

21. Questionnaire

22. Students’ perceptions
100 % found FD either v.useful or useful
80% thought assignment useful for thinking
through IL issues
70% FD most useful
10% reflective assignment
20% both in conjunction
100% transferable to further coursework

23. ‘Other comments’
‘without the practical session...would have appeared
very daunting’
‘Having never attended university prior to this
course, I found this exercise very useful’

24. Concluding thoughts
Recipe for success(?):
Think outside own territory
Continuous communication
Relate to curriculum – don’t be semi-detached
Mutual understanding of drivers
Comfort in shared professional spaces
If in doubt - take it on
Step outside comfort zone –
it’s good for us...

25. Question
Where would/do you as an information professional
draw the line in terms of what you are prepared to
teach in order to promote the integration of IL in the
curriculum?

26. References
Bundy, A. (2004) Australian and New Zealand
information literacy framework: principles, standards
and practice. 2nd
ed. Adelaide: Australian and New
Zealand Institute for Information Literacy
Grafstein, A. (2002) A discipline-based approach to
information literacy. J of Academic Librarianship, 28
(4) pp197-204
Johnston, B., Webber, S. (2003) Information literacy
in higher education: a review and case study. Studies
in Higher Education, 28 (3) pp 335-352

27. References (cont.)
McGuinness, C. (2007) Exploring strategies for
integrated information literacy. Communications in
information literacy, 1 (1) pp 26-38 [Online] . Available
at:
http://www.comminfolit.org/index.php/cil/article/view/Spr
(Accessed 3.3.2008)
Pilerot (2006) How do students develop information
literacy – through formal education or social
participation? Paper presented at E-Lit conference.
Smart, J. (2005) Cabinet reshuffle: from the Business
to the education portfolio – a practitioner’s reflections,
Education libraries J. 48 (3) pp 5-8

28. Bibliography
Boyer (1990) Scholarship reconsidered: priorities
of the professoriate. Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching.
McGuinness, C. (2003) Attitudes of academics to
the library’s role. In: Martin, A. Rader, H. Information
and IT literacy: enabling learning in the 21st
century.
Facet Publishing, 244-254.