Empowering your school…

Digital literacy, libraries and learning

Lyn Hay

School of Information Studies Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga, NSW

Literacy for the 21st century

Literacy involves a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development… demand for these abilities vary in different societies. In a technological society, the concept is expanding to include the media and electronic text in addition to alphabets and numbers. Individuals must be given life long learning opportunities to move along a continuum that includes reading, writing, and the critical understanding and decision-making abilities they need in their communities.

The Centre for Literacy of Quebec (2001)

ICT Integration Mixed success?

 Lack of whole school approach   Range of staff ICT expertise Technical agenda overrides or undermines educational goals   Exemplary practice not turned into policy Lack of opportunities for PD, collaboration, mentoring within the workplace  Lack of leadership in ICT integration

Information leads the agenda… schools must follow

  Information society exists  Schools are to prepare students to function effectively within an IS  Mechanisms of schools need to better reflect an IS Information vision viewing information as philosophy, skills, process & product

Digital literacy is the ability to understand and use information from a variety of sources when presented via computers.

Gilster, Paul. Digital Literacy. (1997)

Emerging technologies & challenges

rewriting the rules of engagement

    PhoneChannel Interactive Tablet PCs textbooks Smart Personal Objects Technology ( SPOT )   Recording toys Computerised tutor

Emerging technologies & challenges

rewriting the rules of engagement

       Smart mobs & blogging Nano technology Super computing & petaflops Virtual keyboards Ultrawideband ( UWB ) wireless Electronic paper Internet2 network

Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning I. Information Literacy The student who is information literate…  accesses information efficiently and effectively  evaluates information critically and competently  uses information accurately and creatively

Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning II. Independent Learning The student who is an independent learner is information literate and …  pursues information related to personal interests  appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information  strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation

Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning III. Social Responsibility The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society…  recognises the importance of information to a democratic society  practices ethical behaviour in regard to information and information technology  participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information

Refer to IL Standards handout

How can and do school libraries contribute to the development of information literate students?

School libraries can maximise student achievement

Through…        a clearly developed learning program collaboration between teachers & TL facilitating individual visits to the school library TL providing inservice training for teachers TL identifying materials for teachers TL teaching information literacy skills to students facilitating the integration of information technology into learning programs

Hamilton-Pennell C., Lance K. C., Rodney M. J., & Hainer, E. (2000). Dick and Jane go to the head of the class. [online]

Importance of TL in teaching & learning

Improved reading test scores when the…        school has a full-time TL TL spends time teaching information literacy to students & planning instructional units with teachers TL provides inservice training to teachers school library is open longer hours as opposed to shorter hours school library has a cooperative relationship with the public library school library provides Internet access school library has a collection development policy targeted to curriculum goals

Information empowered (Alaska study, 1999)

This research…

Highlights some key considerations…     funding of school libraries must sufficiently allow for adequate staff, resources & ICT to maximise engagement in effective information-based learning importance of school policies & practices that encourage TLs to assume leadership positions vital importance of networked ICT to maximise access to information resources flexible scheduling to maximise student access to library & information resources

Todd, R. (2002). Evidence based practice.

Principal Research

 Ps & TLs viewed TL critical contributions to quality teaching and learning as:  professional development of teaching staff, collegiality, collection management, process orientation, ICT expertise  Ps & TLs strongly agreed barriers hindering information literacy across curriculum were:  funding, teacher knowledge & beliefs, teachers desire, planning time, credentials

Henri, J., Hay, L. & Oberg, D. (2002)

Principal Support

      had an understanding of information literacy & encouraged teachers to embrace it supported TL as a quasi-senior member of staff as long as the TL was credible identified TLs as ‘natural’ ICT leaders relied on TL’s professional judgement provide TLs with major freedom to ‘do their own thing’ allowed release to plan & teach collaboratively, & and undertake professional development

Hay, L. & Henri, J. (1995)

Information Leadership: A New Era?

     a whole school information philosophy understands the core issues of student learning & professional development whose understanding of technology, is not necessarily technical, but rather a technological vision one who interprets educational & administration needs into technological solutions ensures a balanced approach to ICT-related issues

Information Policy

   Schools haven’t been too good at this  Info policy issues are contentious Policy captures an organisations’ ‘thinking’ about an issue  Provides guidance and strives for a consistent approach Has to be developed & owned by all stakeholders  ICT has brought the need for info policy process to the fore

Information Policy Issues

      Copyright Digital copyright, licensing, caching Student access to the Internet, AUP Plagiarism Information literacy Intellectual property        Disputed materials Filtering Privacy Email Web publishing Intranet, personal space ICT integration

Knowledge Management

      Information as asset, currency, contributes to organisation’s success Collective knowledge of an organisation as intellectual capital Developing a ‘collaborative’ culture Effective management/use of knowledge can lead to efficiencies Recognising knowledge & skills within the school Evidence-based practice approach

Digital literacy, learning & libraries

Depends upon a whole school approach to ICT integration where: Information Literacy Information Policy + Knowledge Management = Information Leadership

Plagiarism

IL – IL – IL – combat copy & paste mentality require students to complete information tasks demanding deep thinking IL – provide students with strategies to record information in own words provide students with guidelines to cite sources and compile reference lists IL – apply active learning & authentic assessment principles to tasks

Plagiarism

IP – articulate expectations of staff & student use of other people’s words/products information in assessment, copyright & web publishing policies IP – present guidelines re policies near photocopiers, PCs, multimedia/video equipment IP – identify educational & legal reasons/ implications IP – provide regular updates of new legislation re digital information

Plagiarism

KM – develop policy to protect your school’s intellectual property KM – include copyright statement on your website KM – develop watermark for resources shared beyond your school KM – develop a database of school-based documents, curriculum resources, units KM – disseminate updates re strategies to avoid plagiarism incl. parents

Student Internet Access

IL – strategies to access, evaluate, record information IL – IL – IL – IL – skills to create & publish information products IL – opportunities to develop skills in communicating with others netiquette & Internet ethics assess own performance in IS assess quality of own products

Student Internet Access

IP – IP – IP – availability of tools acceptable use policy guidelines IP – student storage, disks vs filespace free vs directed Web searching, filtering & caching IP – IP – IP – student safety & privacy legal ramifications of copyright breach web publishing guidelines

Student Internet Access

KM – managing intranet & Intranet publishing KM – KM – KM – archiving student work remote access from home managing individual student email accounts KM – disseminating information to parents, access to student records/progress KM – KM – registry of student ICT expertise registry of disputed materials, AUP access breaches

   Manage information & ICT issues across all 3 domains of IL, IP & KM to address the breadth of digital literacy in your school TLs can lead policy development process re information & ICT use Develop an ILSC blueprint – work from ‘emerging’ thru to ‘advanced’

Empowering your school

Digital literacy, libraries and learning

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