The Scottish Information Literacy Project: working with partners to create an information literate Scotland Skills for everyone

The Drumchapel Project 2003 §An exploratory project – initially ICT skills orientated §Community ICT facilities little used - Library and Cybercafés §School and School Library are main focus for IT use in deprived areas §Little integration of information literacy into the curriculum §Levels of ICT ‘deprivation’ did not seem to be high §Basic IT skills exist- WP, , Internet §Pupil evaluation of websites poor §School disproportionately important in deprived areas

LIRG/SCONUL Value and Impact Project 2 Questionnaires to students (electronically) and alumni – (administered by post Spring 2004) Respondents included middle/senior management Considerable change in attitude/usage between university and work Strong link between IL and employability Scholarly methods spreading in the workplace Work greatly sharpens perceptions about value of IL Good match between databases introduced at University and used at work Information literacy linked with the exercise of initiative in the workplace and ‘getting on’ Varied attitude to IL among employers Sparse replies from the unemployed

Where do we go from here? From all studies undertaken an information literacy agenda emerged Need for a strategy which links the secondary and the tertiary sectors The tertiary sector is not an independent unit but a stage along the way – avoid fixating on the undergraduate Need to focus on employability

Information Literacy – the link between secondary and tertiary education October 04 innovative (one year!) national pilot project which will develop curriculum based IL frameworks with secondary and tertiary partners which, at the end of the project, can be rolled out to other participants. to produce secondary school leavers with a skill set which further and higher education can recognise and develop or which can be applied to the world of work directly.

Issues identified There should be a seamless progression from school to work (via HE or directly into work) The employability agenda is a key issue which we must focus on We need to know more about how the skills we impart extend to the workplace We need to know more about the workplace and attitudes of employers Making the case - Advocacy

Activities undertaken Comprehensive desk research exercise Partners recruited, initially from secondary and HE Advisory Group formed Contact with relevant organisations – e.g. LTS, SCQF, SQA. Focus groups with school pupils, students, subject librarians and employees Regular reporting of activities Website Conference presentations Petition to the Scottish Parliament Scottish ‘Node' of International Alliance for Information Literacy National Information Literacy Framework Recruitment of workplace, adult literacies partners Project rebranded as the Scottish Information Literacy Project

Revised objectives 2007 to develop an information literacy framework, linking secondary and tertiary education Advocacy on behalf of information literacy for education and wider community Working with information literacy champions both UK and worldwide Researching and promoting information literacy in the workplace Identifying and working with partners, both in education and the wider community Researching the role of information literacy in continuing professional development

Research findings Schools - information literacy skills were generally taught in first and second year (aged 12 / 13) but not subsequently reinforced within the curriculum resulting in fragmented levels of knowledge and usage for their remaining years at school. HE - students arriving at university have generally either poor or limited information literacy skills, for some these skills will be enhanced but many will leave as they arrived. The workplace - indication that although employers do not explicitly ask for information literacy it is implicitly expected, seen as important at work but not included in workplace training.

Progress so far First draft of Framework achieved Work with learndirect Scotland Workplace pilot study - LTS funding (2006) Advocacy focus – Petition to the Scottish Parliament and digital inclusion consultation evidence Promoting international contacts Contacts developed with NGOs Extensive communications programme Website established Workplace/Adult literacies partners recruited

And to the future A bigger issue than I thought Lack of understanding of the concept of information literacy still an issue Funding – a cross sectoral issue Piloting the Framework Further workplace studies Target decision makers in L&T Expand national and international contacts Review role of information literacy in CPD

A quotable quote ‘Disciplines which provide the sort of cognitive weaponry by which individuals can self reflect on their situation, challenge validity claims and, potentially, change their lives are often treated as suspect and denied institutional validity, funding, status and so on… Information literacy falls into this category’. Whitworth (2006)

Some references McLelland, D. and Crawford, J. (2004) ‘The Drumchapel Project: a study of ICT usage by school pupils and teachers in a secondary school in a deprived area of Glasgow’, Journal of librarianship and information science, Vol. 36, no.2, pp Crawford, John (2006) ‘The use of electronic information services and information literacy: a Glasgow Caledonian University study’, Journal of librarianship and information science, Vol.38, no 1. pp Crawford, John and Christine Irving (2007) Information literacy, the link between secondary and tertiary education project and its wider implications, Journal of librarianship and information science, vol. 39, no. 1, pp Forthcoming article on Framework in Library + Information Update (July 2007)

For more information Dr. John Crawford, Library Research Officer and Director, Scottish Information Literacy Project, Glasgow Caledonian University, Room 302, (3rd floor) 6 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB Tel: ac.uk

Questions?