1. From secondary school to the world of work: the experience of evaluating Information Literacy skills development at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) John Crawford Library Research Officer Glasgow Caledonian University

2. Four Projects based on GCU Usage of electronic information services Usage of electronic information services Drumchapel Project Drumchapel Project LIRG/SCONUL Value and Impact Project LIRG/SCONUL Value and Impact Project Information literacy work - ongoing Information literacy work - ongoing

3. Usage of Electronic Information Services (EIS) Preliminary focus groups November 2001 – March 2002 Preliminary focus groups November 2001 – March 2002 Surveys - Spring 2002 and Oct 2002 – Feb 2003 Surveys - Spring 2002 and Oct 2002 – Feb 2003 Hierarchy of usage by subject Hierarchy of usage by subject Link between EIS usage and student progression and retention Link between EIS usage and student progression and retention Link between EIS usage and an innovative learning and teaching agenda Link between EIS usage and an innovative learning and teaching agenda Growth in off campus use – home and work Growth in off campus use – home and work

4. Drumchapel Project § 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, email, Internet § Pupil evaluation of websites poor § School disproportionately important in deprived areas

5. LIRG/SCONUL Value and Impact Project 1 Electronic questionnaire to current students Feb 2004 Electronic questionnaire to current students Feb 2004 Confirms EIS usage view of steady if uneven progress Confirms EIS usage view of steady if uneven progress Link between IL and the employability agenda Link between IL and the employability agenda IT so pervasive in the tertiary sector it can be difficult to disentangle the role of the library IT so pervasive in the tertiary sector it can be difficult to disentangle the role of the library Attendance at University has greatly improved information literacy skills Attendance at University has greatly improved information literacy skills Students using a very wide range of websites Students using a very wide range of websites First year students slightly more IL aware than other levels First year students slightly more IL aware than other levels

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

7. A few quotes ‘[information] literacy skills [are] of about 20- 30% importance in my job’ ‘[information] literacy skills [are] of about 20- 30% importance in my job’ ‘I have been dragged, if not kicking and screaming, at least wincing, into EIS’ ‘I have been dragged, if not kicking and screaming, at least wincing, into EIS’ ‘Young people should be leaving school with the basic skills to find employment or further their studies, whilst universities should not have to make up for this failure’ ‘Young people should be leaving school with the basic skills to find employment or further their studies, whilst universities should not have to make up for this failure’ ‘If you can’t do this you can’t do anything’ ‘If you can’t do this you can’t do anything’ ‘ because for a start you need to be information literate to find a job in the first place’. ‘ because for a start you need to be information literate to find a job in the first place’.

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

9. Information Literacy – the link between secondary and tertiary education 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. 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. 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.

10. Project objectives Identify student information literacy skills they bring to university Identify student information literacy skills they bring to university IL skills mapping exercise 5 -14, 14 -17, HE IL skills mapping exercise 5 -14, 14 -17, HE Convert identified IL skills into an IL framework extending from secondary into higher education Convert identified IL skills into an IL framework extending from secondary into higher education pilot and test developed framework pilot and test developed framework Identify barriers to and constraints on the development of a national IL framework Identify barriers to and constraints on the development of a national IL framework Test the link between IL, progression, and retention and the employability agenda Test the link between IL, progression, and retention and the employability agenda

11. Identification of information literacy skills Focus group findings - 2 nd year surveyors (24 students) Information sources – have access to lecture material and reading list, plus pointed in direction of websites and other sources but tend to use the Internet / search engine with little or no use of databases. Information sources – have access to lecture material and reading list, plus pointed in direction of websites and other sources but tend to use the Internet / search engine with little or no use of databases. (One group showed more of a knowledge of specialised websites and that independent use produced better results. Other group seemed to pick things up haphazardly and tended to stick to what they know.) Sources used at work (part time students) - different to those used at university. Sources used at work (part time students) - different to those used at university. Evaluation techniques – e.g. matching / skimming for key words, ‘sort of know what you are looking for’ Evaluation techniques – e.g. matching / skimming for key words, ‘sort of know what you are looking for’ New university skills – ethics i.e. the need to reference everything, copyright New university skills – ethics i.e. the need to reference everything, copyright

12. What information literacy skills if any do 1st years bring to university Summary findings to date from Subject/Academic Librarian interviews: Varies depending on the student, the course and the school they come from plus home life Varies depending on the student, the course and the school they come from plus home life Poor or limited skills are generally in the following areas: Poor or limited skills are generally in the following areas: –Knowing the different types of information; where information comes from; how it is generated; published etc. and how to use it –Search strategies, searching in depth or beyond what’s available –Evaluating information found plus critical thinking

13. A few points In Scotland there a number of initiatives in the secondary sector but they are uncoordinated In Scotland there a number of initiatives in the secondary sector but they are uncoordinated Contacts between schools and universities are limited Contacts between schools and universities are limited There is very little perception in HE about what skills new students bring with them There is very little perception in HE about what skills new students bring with them Partners recruited from both the secondary and tertiary sectors but….. Partners recruited from both the secondary and tertiary sectors but…..

14. And so There should be a seamless progression from school to work (via HE) There should be a seamless progression from school to work (via HE) The employability agenda is the only show in town – or is it instrumentalism? The employability agenda is the only show in town – or is it instrumentalism? We need to know more about how the skills we impart extend to the workplace 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 We need to know more about the workplace and attitudes of employers Does IL have a direct value which can be calculated? Does IL have a direct value which can be calculated? Where is the dosh coming from? Where is the dosh coming from? Making the case Making the case

15. Some references Crawford, John et al (2004) Use and awareness of electronic information services by students at Glasgow Caledonian University: a longitudinal study, Journal of librarianship and information science, vol. 36, no.3, pp. 101-117. Crawford, John et al (2004) Use and awareness of electronic information services by students at Glasgow Caledonian University: a longitudinal study, Journal of librarianship and information science, vol. 36, no.3, pp. 101-117. McLelland, Dorothy and Crawford, John (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, 36, (2), pp. 55-67. McLelland, Dorothy and Crawford, John (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, 36, (2), pp. 55-67. Crawford, John & Irving, Christine (2005) The research agenda. Library + Information Update, 4(1-2), pp. 48-49 Crawford, John & Irving, Christine (2005) The research agenda. Library + Information Update, 4(1-2), pp. 48-49

16. Contact details Dr. John Crawford, Dr. John Crawford, Library Research Officer, Library Research Officer, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Room 302, (3rd floor) Room 302, (3rd floor) 6 Rose Street, 6 Rose Street, Glasgow, Glasgow, G3 6RB G3 6RB Tel: 0141-273-1248 Tel: 0141-273-1248 Email jcr@gcal. ac.uk Email jcr@gcal. ac.uk