University of Leeds Academic Services Introducing an Information Literacy Strategy at Leeds University Angela Newton and Hannah Hough, 2004

University of Leeds Academic Services The Big Blue l IL training must be well-timed and directly relevant to students l IL training must be integrated into the curriculum l IL training must be supported by academic staff

University of Leeds Academic Services Pre-strategy situation l ‘Library Training’ delivered to students by Faculty Team Librarians for their schools (coverage = patchy) l Information Skills Programme, bookable training sessions (attendance = higher from schools who didn’t arrange school specific training) l Online resources - tutorials, hybrid libraries, workbooks etc

University of Leeds Academic Services Pre-strategy problems l University-wide lack of awareness about what we do, why we do it, and how we can help l Training delivered in the curriculum depended on having an enthusiastic academic l Inconsistency across levels of study and departments l Students are often ineffective, frustrated users of Library resources

University of Leeds Academic Services Key points from the strategy l Current widespread underestimation of student IL skills l We need a University-wide approach to improving IL skills l Adopt a set of IL standards for students (based on Sconul’s 7 pillars) l Develop new methods to deliver IL training l Incorporate IL training into existing skills modules l IL training for staff/researchers via Information Literacy Programme (bookable sessions)

University of Leeds Academic Services University approval Nov 02Dec 02May 03June 03Sept 03Oct 03Nov 03 ConceptionWriting and revisionLibrary Advisory BoardFurther revisionLearning and TeachingBoardFaculty Teaching andLearning CommitteesSchool Teaching andLearning Committees

University of Leeds Academic Services Anticipated results of introducing the strategy Faculty Team Librarians attend School Teaching and Learning Committee meetings Heightened awareness of Library skills, and why they are important Encourage dialogue with individual academic staff, and forge new relationships More training sessions arranged within the curriculum Students make better use of library resources and become independent learners

University of Leeds Academic Services Negative experiences l Public rejection of Information Literacy as useful in some schools l Refusal to allow faculty team librarians into SLTC meetings l Hostility towards librarians teaching l What is ‘Information Literacy’? l Can the Library cope with increasing demands for training?

University of Leeds Academic Services Positive experiences l Leverage to attend SLTC meetings l Bypassing the Library representative l Raised level of discussion about IL training l Raised level of awareness of IL in academic staff l Met academic staff we did not know! l Improved our understanding of the curriculum in each school l Opportunity to take a school-wide overview of IL training

University of Leeds Academic Services Credits Martin Gill, Helen Howard, Joanne Yeomans and the Information Literacy Group at Leeds University See the full text of the strategy at:

University of Leeds Academic Services The IL strategy and the future The Library aims to: l “increase the amount of training provided… tailored to students’ needs, level and subject area” l “develop new methods of delivery, through online modules, skills workshops and a dedicated module”

University of Leeds Academic Services The IL Officer’s role l To produce a series of online tutorials on IL topics l To work with, and support, academic and library staff to embed these packages into the curriculum l To provide a focus for IL activities within the Library and University as a whole, taking forward the IL strategy

University of Leeds Academic Services Developing the tutorials l Many different IL standards and guidelines were reviewed l Papers on integrating IL with the curriculum were referred to l Meetings were held with FTLs to see at what levels IL training was currently provided l Learning objectives were defined for student training

University of Leeds Academic Services Learning objectives l Framework of IL skills students should display at specific points of their course l Shaped largely around SCONUL’s 7 pillars and the IL strategy l Also referring to QCA key skills & ACRL competency standards. l Training currently provided at two main levels l Defined tutorial content to fit this

University of Leeds Academic Services The concept of learning objects New students Pre- research Information Literacy Topics of information literacy Learning objects: Discrete Building blocks Re-usable

University of Leeds Academic Services Generic learning objects Advantages l Content can be shared l Significantly less time creating resources l Easy maintenance l Can be used as an open source l Users can control their own learning experience Disadvantages l Low level tailoring of resources l Select tutorial that fits need best rather than creating perfect content l May be met with resistance from departments

University of Leeds Academic Services Tutorial toolkit Basic level Introduction to library information Searching for information Evaluating and selecting relevant information Advanced level Identifying the information need Searching for information Evaluating retrieved information Copyright and Plagiarism Citation and referencing – diff. systems Mix and match

University of Leeds Academic Services Examples of tutorial use Law – Yr 2 Students 1 hour session l Searching for information tutorial (30 minutes) Searching for information tutorial l Practise searching skills using a database workbook designed for those students (15 minutes) Colour Chemistry – MSc 2 hour session l Referencing with the Numeric system tutorial (50 minutes) Referencing with the Numeric system tutorial l Practise referencing skills using Colour Chemistry examples (40 minutes)

University of Leeds Academic Services Outcomes l 95% of the Law students preferred using the online tutorial to a paper-based workbook l Almost half said they would use the tutorial again in the future l No usability questions l Large classes successfully run with low staff numbers l Pitching content at the correct level

University of Leeds Academic Services The future of the tutorials l To help save FTLs time preparing and conducting training to departments as workloads increase l To act as revision aids after traditional training sessions by FTLs to reinforce IL theory l To act as ready made training materials for academic staff to use for training students l To act as open source support materials for students to access whenever they need to l Beginning to become widely accepted as useful way of supporting IL training and a sensible way of targeting large groups of students/distance learners