Sheila Webber, Information School, University of Sheffield, UK, s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk Abstract The poster portrays three activities that the presenter has used to stimulate students in the Information School to develop their ideas about information literacy. Each of the activities encourages learners to construct their own personal understanding of information literacy by considering various conceptions and perspectives (rather than trying to impose a “one size fits all people” view of information literacy). The first two activities were used with a class of 80 taught postgraduate students; a class with students with a variety of first degree subjects and from many countries around the world (e.g. about a third of the class is Chinese). The first activity series made use both of a Virtual Learning Environment, WebCT, and face to face discussion. The presenter used 10 conceptions of information literacy discovered through research (Webber et al., 2005): each conception was set up as a thread on a WebCT discussion board and students were asked to choose (outside class time) the conception they identified with most, by posting to the relevant thread. The most “popular” conception turned out to be information literacy as “Becoming confident, autonomous learners and critical thinkers”. Students provided thoughtful comments, including some which referenced their own cultural/ national backgrounds. In a subsequent class, the “results” were discussed with the class, and students also discussed whether educators and information professionals needed to do anything differently to help people develop the student’s chosen conception of information literacy. The second activity consisted of a seminar and a poster display. Students were set the task of producing posters that showed “What information literacy means to my future career”, with each group consisting of 3-6 students. In the first week the groups discussed the focus for their posters and drafted ideas. By the next week each group produced an A0 sized poster: these were put up in a display in Sheffield University’s Information Commons. The exhibition was attended by all students, and by Departmental staff and librarians. This was a very lively session, and the posters demonstrated the variety of career aspirations of the students (including library work in various sectors, but also management roles, consultancy, government posts etc.). Students were able to identify aspects of information literacy most important to them. The third activity involved a smaller number of students from the same cohort, using the Virtual World, Second Life. The presenter set up a three dimensional exhibition “What information/literacy means to me” based around quotations from the research study referred to above, and from another study by Shahd Salha (a PhD student researching Syrian school librarians’ conceptions of information literacy). People interact with the exhibition (as avatars), and are then encouraged provide their own quotations

1. Developing diverse learners’ conceptions of information
literacy through different tools and spaces
Sheila Webber
Inf6350: Information resources and Inf6350: Intervention 1 Aims for this exercise:
“ Develop your knowledge of research into IL
information literacy (IL) Conceptions of IL “Identify your own views/experience of IL
“Improve your ability to use MOLE (WebCT)”
By the end of the module students will: Basis: conceptions of IL derived from
Week 1
• understand key aspects of information literacy and information Each phenomenographic research (Webber
behaviour including: the nature of information needs, information seeking conception et al, 2005)
strategies, and the complexities entailed in satisfying information needs; posted to a
“Read through the article, in
• be able to demonstrate and evaluate their information literacy, for discussion
example expertise in accessing, using, comparing and evaluating particular the description of each
thread on Category of IL conception”
information resources such as Web of Science, the Internet and
MOLE
DIALOG. “Choose a conception that you feel is
Assessment: an individual annotated bibliography, a literature review nearest to how you view
and a reflective report on the student’s Information Literacy “This viewpoint is
Top IL concepts: information literacy”
near to mine. I think
Solving real-world problems; Emphasised there is no “right, answer”
Tools & spaces used in examples being thinker and
Core module questioner helps us to Becoming confident,
only the right answer for you”
Post-it
Semester 1 Reading understand autonomous learners and Find the “thread” for your category
Week 2-3
exercises
Discussion information better critical thinkers on MOLE and make a posting to
• In 2009/10 83 students Lecture also its helpful for our show your choice
Flexible spaces
• Mainly taking MSc personal 63 responses
Information Management or development” (75%)
MA Librarianship programmes Class reflection on their choice: Do
MOLE
Week 4
“Helping users understand
• From a total of 12 countries, the broader information educators & library/information
including 30 from China Virtual Learning Environment
context – not just task professionals need to do anything Post-it
focussed – also personal differently help people develop this form
and professional needs and of information literacy?
If had not yet chosen a conception: “What will you chose
Inf6350: Intervention 2 contribution to society” and why?” “Why do you find it difficult to chose?”
Assessment
IL in my future career Increasing insight into IL for both Relevant to “7 Pillars of Information Literacy”
students and educators assignment: evidence of IL perspective
Aims:
•“To develop your understanding of the SCONUL 7 Pillars of Information Literacy Reference
•“To identify the aspects of Information Literacy relevant to your future careers Webber, S. Boon, S. and Johnston, B. (2005) “A comparison of UK academics' conceptions of information literacy in two disciplines: English and
Marketing.” Library and Information Research, 30 (93), 4-15. http://www.lirg.org.uk/lir/ojs/index.php/lir/article/view/197/242
Output
•“You will create depictions, in words and graphics, of the way in which information
literacy will be relevant to your career. You will work in small groups to produce
these depictions on flip chart paper. In week 7 you will make these into a poster
display that people outside this class may view.” Using the 3D
world, Second Life Inf6011: Educational
Week 6: (SL) to explore
meaning of IL
Informatics Overall approach: SL
Preparation Orientation, tours,
conferencing; students
By the end of the module students will be able to demonstrate understanding of:
report/reflect on their
• policy frameworks driving developments in the use of ICT in learning, teaching and training;
experiences
• problems and issues that arise from use of ICT in learning
Week 7: Presentation • key relevant learning theories, design principles, and development, delivery and
evaluation/research methods;
1 hour exhibition in the Information Commons, with • the impact of ICT on the experience of learning;
Poster: Adrian Lewis
• the roles of information specialists in designing, supporting etc. learning with ICT;
and Shujie Wang
all students + staff & librarians; part of IL Week
Optional Semester 2 module -- 50% of assessment is a group report including “an
Career focus varied e.g. academic or public library,
evaluation of the educational potential and limitations of Second Life”
IT consultant, Government work
Visit to virtual exhibition “What “KS: This really emphasises how
Information/Literacy means to me” context influences perceptions of
With thanks and acknowledgements
Poster: Affra Al Shamsi, Stephen Burton, Jiexiong Cai
to Nigel Ford the Inf6350 class
Exhibition created by information literacy”
Some
Webber using research tH: “IL helps people critically technical
quotes about personal appraise resources” issues to
BUT
[2010/03/05 6:06] EZ-Note Message Board: Please wait your turn EZ-Note Message
Poster: Chandrani Maitra, Dan Guo, Philip
Greaves, Weilong Guo, You Lu, Li Xiang
Board is being used by xxxx xxxx
meaning of IL LA :“ information literacy just open address
[2010/03/05 6:06] EZ-Note Message Board: Please wait your turn EZ-Note Message
Board is being used by xxxx xxxx
Students chat my mind to think better about
their own finding, locating and evaluate
reactions and information”
concepts of IL
Stimulated
Increasing insight into IL for Can be captured in text chat and reflection on 3D
as “post-its” on virtual notice board
both students and educators medium and IL
© Sheila Webber / The University of Sheffield, Department of
Information Studies: the iSchool; June 2010.
Second Life is a trademark of Linden Labs
The international information literacy logo:
http://infolitglobal.info/