Information Literacy ProgramDULS Experience

Dr. S. MajumdarFormer University Librarian,

University of DelhiPresently

Chief LibrarianIndia International Centre

UNESCO’s document “ Global Media and Information Literacy Assessment Framework ” published in 2013

recognises that

The research and teaching of information literacy and media literacy have their roots within LIS and media/civic studies disciplines respectively.

Historically, information literacy is a well-established field that evolved from education courses and materials for library users.

Since 1974, the term information literacy has been used to emphasize the importance of access to information, the evaluation, creation and sharing of information and knowledge, using various tools, formats and channels.

“ Understanding Information Literacy: Primer of UNESCO” written by Frost Woody Horton

Has been considered a basic document providing the insight on the Information Literacy issues

It says :People from all walks of life have come to the conclusion that computers, the Internet, and hand-held wireless devices are driving today profound changes in the way pictures, voice, and information are being created, transmitted, accessed and stored.

But learning computer and media technologies are not enough if nations, institutions and individuals are to reap the full benefits of the global knowledge societies.

Hence, information literacy that mean to “empower people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively for achieving their personal, social, occupational and educational goals has become a new paradigm in the information and communication landscape”.

The Alexandria Proclamation recognises I L as the “Beacons of the Information Society, illuminating the courses to development,

prosperity and freedom”

The Eleven Stages of the Information Literacy Life Cycle

Stage One: Realize that a need or problem exists that requires information Stage Two to Four: Know how to accurately identify and define the

information needed; determine and find the availability of needed information;

Stage Five: Know how to create, or cause to be created, unavailable information that you need;

Stage Six: Know how to fully understand found information, or know where to go for help if needed to understand it.

The Eleven Stages of the Information Literacy Life Cycle

Stage Seven & Eight: Know how to organize, analyze, interpret and

evaluate information, including source reliability; and present the same in usable format

Stage Nine: Know how to utilize the information to solve a problem, make a decision or meet a need.

Stage Ten & Eleven: Know how to preserve, store, reuse, record and archive information for future use and dispose that is no longer needed.

Types of Skills

• Conceptual Skills : each individual brings to the task of defining an information requirement, and then going about searching for the information, his or her own distinctive information style and conceptual framework;

• Practical, Hands-On Skills : for utilizing a particular kind of information resource or tool, such as how to use a search engine, or use a spreadsheet software package, or prepare Power Point presentation.

Information Literacy Framework

UNIT 1: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION LITERACYUNIT 2: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND INFORMATION LITERACY The Big 6 – guide to information problem-solving in six stages :

1. Task definition; 2. Information-seeking strategies; 3. Locate and access ; 4. Use of information; 5. Synthesis; 6. Evaluation: UNIT 3: DIGITAL INFORMATION LITERACY The nature of online information Exploring computer hardware and software Copyright laws in the digital information age. Protecting computer software

and electronic data Digital services, including machine translation, speech to text and audio

transcription; Learning via the Internet (i.e. e-learning) Digital preservation and digital formats

• While IL Programs at Community level through Public Libraries should not be undermined;

• The focus would be to provide an insight into the IL programs useful for students and teachers of Schools, Colleges and Universities

IL Program at University of Delhi

• With this background, I would like to share my experience in handling the IL Programs at University of Delhi from 2006 to 2010 (the formation period).

• The Programs devised by the Library System has been recognised and accepted by the Academic Community and is continuing.

Size of the Outreach Program

Teachers : 950 Departmental Level TeachersCollege Teachers : 6000 College TeachersPG Students : 10500 PG Students in various

Departments Research Scholars : 3800Size of the DU Library Resources:

Books – 16 lakhs; E-resources --- about 56 databases

Number of Libraries -- 33 Staff Strength – about 500

Approach to IL

Class Room for PG students at the beginning of the semester session;

Orientation Programs for Teachers at CPDHE; Advanced Orientation Programs for Teachers at CPDHE; IL program for College Librarians Visit to Cluster of Colleges: The colleges selected are : Sri

Venkateswara College; Hindu College; Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Lady Irwin College; Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women;

Workshop under the aegis of NASSDOC on Information Competency Programme for doctoral students in the Social Sciences, Humanities and Science discipline

Departments Covered

Economics Sociology Management Studies and S.P.

Jain Institute of Management Geography Psychology Linguistics East Asian Studies Music

Operation Research Computer Science Statistics Botany Zoology Adult Education ACBR

2006• 500 Post-graduate students;• 150 Research Scholars; • About 100 Teachers of

different colleges;

2007• 657 Post-graduate students

and Research Scholars; • 318 Teachers from different

colleges; and• 66 Library Professionals

from the DULS and Colleges.

Department of Information Technology Recognised the Program

2007

A grant of Rs. 7.20 lakhs to built an ICT Infrastructure for hands-on practice to achieve following objectives:

• To acquaint the users with the power of Internet; • To acquaint as to what is there on Internet related to

their course of study; • To show how web resources could be of immense use in

their academic pursuit and research; • To show the usefulness of various multimedia resources

on web related to their syllabi;

Objectives ……

• To promote the use of subscribed databases and its specific features;

• To acquaint with the various search techniques; • To promote that Information Competency is for

participants’ academic and vocational success and for lifelong learning;

• To provide course-integrated instruction in collaboration with the faculty and in alignment with course objectives;

2008

• 40 IL Programs in various departments and colleges; • 30 E-Resource

Orientation Programs; • 08 Hands on Training; • 02 one day

workshops for research scholars.

• A total of 820 P.G. Students, 295 Research Scholars, 504 Faculty members, and 66 library professionals.

2009• 51 IL Programs in various

departments and colleges ;

• 39 E-Resource Orientation Programs;

• 10 Hands on Training Sessions;

• 02 One Day Workshops for Research Scholars in Social Sciences.

• A total of 956 P.G. Students, 295 Research Scholars, 857 Faculty members, and 66 library professionals have attended the ILP.

2010• 60 IL Programs in various

departments and colleges; • 47 E-Resource Orientation

Programs; • 10 Hands on Training

Sessions; • 03 One Day Workshops for

Research Scholars in Social Sciences and

• 01 one day workshop for research scholars in Sciences.

• A total of 1282 P.G. Students, 526

Research Scholars, 869 Faculty members, and 66 library professionals have attended the ILP.

2011

• 74 IL Programs in various departments and colleges ;

• 56 E-Resource Orientation programs;

• 10 Hands on Training Sessions; • 07 One Day Workshops for Research

Scholars in Social Sciences.

• A total of 2210 P. G. Students, 1079 Research Scholars, 985 Faculty members, and 167 library professional have attended the ILP.

Content Introduction to IL Program Information Sources : Print vs E-resources Exposure to E-Resource Databases and Concept Mapping Subject based Open Access/Public Domain Resources Searching Techniques Bibliographic Citations One day Workshops with Hands on Training based on Syllabi E-mail Alerts and End Notes Copyright and Plagiarism Issues Virtual Referencing Citation Analysis Databases like Web of Science and Scopus; Exposure to various online services and tools available through

the DULS Web Sites

Kinds of Searches

Online Tutorial

The DULS has been able to develop Online Tutorial on IL initially with 5 Modules: MODULE 1 : BASIC COMPUTINGMODULE 2 : WEB BROWSERMODULE 3 : ONLINE E-RESOURCES AND

SEARCHING TECHNIQUESMODULE 4 : WEB RESOURCESMODULE 5 : CITATIONS

Online Objective Test

• INSTRUCTION TO HANDLE OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS• ONE HAS TO CREAT AN ACCOUNT USING THEIR EMAIL ID

AND PASSWORD.• TEXT IS AVAILABLE FOR READING AND THE QUESTIONS

ARE BUILT UP BASED ON THE READINGS.• 10 QUESTIONS IN EACH MODULE• RESULTS ARE INSTANT• 50% OF THE ANSWERS SHOULD BE RIGHT TO SWITCH TO

ANOTHER MODULE ELSE DO IT AGAIN.• EACH TIME DIFFERENT SET OF QUESTIONS IN EACH

MODULE.

Credit Point Course Another Milestone

The Library has also received feedback after the completion of each programme and a close analysis of the total feedback provided encouraging figures and facts.

Based on these feedbacks that the introduction of Optional Credit Point Course was accepted in principle

The nomenclature of the course was rectified as ‘Information Literacy for Research Competency (ILRC)’

Reading materials for various modules was developed. As a pilot program, a 60 hours paid course was

introduced on 7th August 2010

ILRC Pre- Course TestThe Pre-course Questionnaire was designed to evaluate the individual participants’ knowledge on in various aspects of ICT and make necessary arrangements to groom them to uniform level, so that the course is easily and equally understood by all including carrying out hands-on-practice.

It covered the issues like knowledge on: Computing environment; File & Desktop Management; Word Processing; Cut , Copy & Paste; Printing; E-mailing; Basic Housekeeping Skills; Internet/ Intranet; Citations etc.

Credit Point Course ContentContent Brief Description of the content.

Information Literacy Definition, philosophy and overview, objective and purpose, standards, coverage and indicators, components, models, recent trends.

General Computer concepts

Introduction to computers, hardware, software, system software, application software, various operating systems, general purpose software suit like MS-Office.

Hands on practice MS-Office

Basics of Networking & Internet

Networking concepts. Introduction, history, architecture, & components of Internet. WWW, e-mail management, etc.

Research Strategies How to do a research?, research setting and design, critical thinking skills, formulation of research questions; identify research topics by applying critical thinking to research questions, identify keywords/ key ideas in the research questions.

SPSS

Basics of SPSS

Credit Point Course ContentHands on practice Using SPSS for data analysis

Sources & Types of Information

Use of library, format of sources of information -print vs e-resources, and finding aids, popular vs scholarly journals. Library reference collection and services in print. Ordering materials from various sources (inter-library loan, for example) Library homepage familiarization activities (e.g., checking borrower information at the library via the homepage, asking librarians questions via virtual reference), Critical issues in scholarly communications.

Database concepts Overview of databases, scope, coverage. Creation and updation of databases. SQL concepts. Review of database functions.

General Databases Overview of databases, scope, coverage and search features, search result analysis and limiting, expanding the search results. Registering with data base(s).

Hands on Practice With various general databases

Web Resources Introduction to web resources. Subject directories, search engines, meta search engines. OAI, RSS, wikies, blogs, newsgroups & forums. Application of critical thinking skills to using web resources, evaluate web resources.

Credit Point Course ContentHands on Practice Using subject directories, search engines, meta search engines.

Online Resources & Searching Techniques

Features of online e-resources, Information Retrieval System, formulating a search strategy, recall vs relevance, search techniques, employing specific search techniques. Title, subject, author, keyword searches.

Hands on Practice Formulating a search strategy, employing specific search techniques for online searching with examples.

Discipline specific databases(Two groups: Science and Social Science) optional

Overview of databases, scope coverage and search features, search result analysis and limiting expending the search result, registering with the data bases.

Hands on Practice With various subject specific databases

Information use Ethics

Define plagiarism, what constitute plagiarism, how to aviode plagiarism, Demonstrate ethical use of information, copy right issues.

Group Discussion & Brain Storming

Plagiarism & Copy Right Issues

Citation Standards Importance of citations, ranking system and standardization of bibliographical references using standard tools, various citation patterns and their use.

Reporting research Writing research out come, drafting, editing and final communication.

Does the UNESCO Framework in Promoting IL is Suitable to Indian

Condition ?According to Internet World Stats : the Internet penetration

as on 2013 is still not more than 15.8 per cent; Nations Priorities are different; Inappropriate and imbalanced ICT infrastructure;Large segment of students compared to Western Countries

are mostly unaware of many things which could give them an edge in advancement of their career. e.g.

Awareness about how to systematically pursue the knowledge paradigm;

IL course in Library Science Departments

• Out of 40 Library Science Departments whose course curriculum for MLISC level was analysed, only 11 have so far introduced IL in their program by mentioning its name except few departments which had given various segments of the IL course including the reading material.

• But IL requires total practical approach. Hence, hands on practice is utmost important.

Who should undertake IL Course

Does Involving teachers who have little knowledge about the inter-connected relevance of various topics taught in Library Science Schools which is the backbone of effective IL programs will yield desired result ?

Why not explore the possibility of having a Library Science trained teacher posted in every school to take on the IL courses beginning from Plus two level

HENCE !

Bring out the IL Program from Plus Two Level

so that by the time student reaches to PG level he/ she is in a position to

comprehend on the ways and means to explore the knowledge paradigm

LET US THINKABOUT THE FUTURE OF

YOUNG MIND?

EMPOWER THEM