Information Horizons Mapping for Information Literacy Development

Publication devoted to information literacy development updates. Information literacy competencies as the basis for the success of a human life takes on a special significance in higher education teaching. Success of this process is driven by university cooperation partners: teachers, librarians and administrations work. Teachers implement information literacy development methods courses, librarians responsible for information resources in institution make up their own training system, but the administration - facilitates the implementation of information literacy and financial support. Competencies based on governmental, professional or institutional defined standards, which can provide an overall level of information literacy development.

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Reinforcing information literacy development through a subject-focused resource-based project

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science ◽

10.1177/0961000616667799 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 386-398

Author(s):

Halida Yu ◽

A. Abrizah ◽

Rafedzi E.R.K ◽

Siti Nurul Maryam Abdullah

Keyword(s):

Secondary Schools ◽

Information Literacy ◽

Literacy Development ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Information Gathering ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

School History ◽

Student Focus ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Group Interviews

This paper discusses the findings of research investigating the implementation of a resource-based school history project in Malaysian secondary schools. It seeks to understand how the project contributes towards students’ information literacy development. The study took place in selected secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 23 students and 5 teachers from four schools participated in the study, employing (a) student focus group interviews, (b) teacher individual interviews, (c) observation, and (d) document analysis as the data collection techniques. In general, although the history project is considered a “research” project by teachers and students, it is found to be a cursory information-gathering and information-compilation type of assignment, which is fully guided by the project guidelines or instructions. While teachers employ a mixture of teaching approaches in the project instruction, the efforts are concentrated on subject matter-related issues such as subject content and project instructions fulfillment. The larger learning experience such as information literacy and learning skills development, as well as research and report writing enhancement, appear to be overlooked in the instructions. The findings also show that (a) information literacy is loosely defined, (b) the “information gathering and information compilation” of the project task is of a superficial nature, and (c) inadequate guidance from teachers has resulted in low information literacy development among students. This study highlights the critical need to address information literacy in the education system, design resource-based assignments with a clear information literacy focus, and the importance of support from teachers for successful development. It provides a foundation for further research on the development of information literacy-focused resource-based school project assignments.

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