scholarly journals Deconstructing information literacy discourse: Peeling back the layers in higher education

2020 ◽  
pp. 096100062096602
Author(s):  
Alison Hicks ◽  
Annemaree Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Behaviour Modification ◽  
Knowledge And Skills

The discourses of information literacy practice create epistemological assumptions about how the practice should happen, who should be responsible and under what conditions instruction should be given. This paper employs a discourse analysis method (Potter, 2008) to identify discourses of information literacy and the learner from within higher education focused professional texts. Texts analysed include 4 recent English-language models of information literacy and 16 textbooks. Analysis suggests that within higher education, information literacy is shaped by 2 conflicting narratives. The outward facing narrative positions information literacy as an empowering practice that equips learners with the knowledge and skills that they need within complex and fast-paced information environments. The inward facing narrative positions learners as incompetent or as lacking the ability to operate within higher education. This deficit perception consequently threatens the sustainability of information literacy practice by reframing empowerment as a process of top-down behaviour modification. This paper represents the first in a research programme that interrogates the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education.

scholarly journals Relegating expertise: The outward and inward positioning of librarians in information literacy education

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062110201
Author(s):  
Alison Hicks ◽  
Annemaree Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Practice Of Teaching

Previous research has demonstrated that professional narratives reference discourses that shape the practice of information literacy within higher education. This article uses discourse analysis method to identify how information literacy discourses construct and position teaching librarians within higher education. Texts analysed include four recent English-language models of information literacy and 16 textbooks. Analysis suggests the existence of two distinct narratives related to the role, expertise and professional practice of teaching librarians. In the outward-facing narrative librarian work is typically absent from guidelines for practice. In contrast, book introductions, which constitute the inward-facing narrative, centre professional librarians yet simultaneously position them as incompetent, or as lacking the skills and understandings that they need to be effective in this setting. These narratives constitute a form of othering that threatens professional practice at a time when the professionalisation of librarianship is being drawn into question. This article represents the second in a research programme that interrogates the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education.

scholarly journals Reaching into the basket of doom: Learning outcomes, discourse and information literacy

2022 ◽  
pp. 096100062110672
Author(s):  
Alison Hicks ◽  
Annemaree Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Theory Of Practice ◽  
Practice Architectures

Learning outcomes form a type of arrangement that holds the practice of information literacy within higher education in place. This paper employs the theory of practice architectures and a discourse analytical approach to examine the learning goals of five recent English-language models of information literacy. Analysis suggests that the practice of information literacy within higher education is composed of 12 common dimensions, which can be grouped into two categories, Mapping and Applying. The Mapping category encompasses learning outcomes that introduce the learner to accepted ways of knowing or what is valued by and how things work within higher education. The Applying category encompasses learning outcomes that encourage the learner to implement or integrate ideas into their own practice, including to their own questions, to themselves or to their experience. Revealing what is prioritised as well as what is less valued within the field at the present time, these findings also raise questions about supposed epistemological differences between models, the influence of research, and the language employed within these documents. This paper represents the third and final piece of work in a research programme that is interrogating the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education.

Refining information literacy practice:: Examining the foundations of information literacy theory

IFLA Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Michael Flierl ◽  
Clarence Maybee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Academic Librarian ◽  
Literacy Theory ◽  
Do So

There are many ways for an academic librarian to contribute to the teaching and learning mission of an institution ranging from direct instruction to assignment design. Given this plethora of information literacy educational practices, what should academic librarians and educators focus time, labor, and resources on, and why should they do so? With an eye towards improving information literacy educational practice and addressing these fundamental questions, we examine the foundational philosophical commitments of two information literacy theories, Critical Information Literacy and Informed Learning. We find that these information literacy theories may be biased towards a 20th-century European worldview. This finding supports the idea that “good” IL educational practice in higher education requires active engagement with information literacy theory to justify what one does as an educator and to demonstrate why information literacy can be integral to learning in higher education.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Evidence-Based Practice and the ACRL Information Literacy Standards: Implications for Information Literacy Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy E. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Literacy Standards

Evidence-based practice (EBP), like information literacy, is concerned with an individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes relating to using information. EBP is now a professional competency in fields as diverse as social work, nursing and allied health fields, and public policy. A comparison of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education with the commonly accepted EBP model shows congruence, but the two models diverge in their use of authority of the producer as a marker of information quality and in their relative emphasis on formulation of the research question and application of information.

EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT EVALUATION IN ENGLISH AS A CRITERION FOR ADMISSION TO MASTER`S DEGREE PROGRAMS IN UKRAINE: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Л. Е. Бєловецька
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Independent Evaluation

The problem of external independent evaluation in English for admission Master`s degree programs in Ukraine is considered in the article. The perspective for further improvement of English teaching and learning standards at Ukrainian universities has been found. The correspondence to the CEFR basic levels and English proficiency has been identified. Conceptual Principles of State Policy on the Development of English in the Field of Higher Education are considered. The study included 1546 participants. The age of students, who studied to gain the first higher education, was between 17 and 20. The students were not familiar with the structure of External Independent Evaluation and they have never passed it. The research was carried out during the period 2018–2019. The relevance of English language competence in the professional context is noted emphasized as a key point of the presented research. The necessity to provide a sufficient competitive level for Ukrainian graduates through improving correspondent English language training has been considered. The study is based on a study of reports by British experts and contemporary scientific publications presented international researchers have focused on the problems of internationalization and perspectives for Ukrainian universities in the English language dimension. The relevance of studying and adaptation of the UK higher education successful practice has been highlighted. The problems and potential ways of improving students` English language proficiency in the given context are identified. In particular, the study contains important recommendations regarding the number of contact hours and the required levels of English proficiency for the main groups of participants in the educational process in higher education according to international standards.

Can-Do descriptors – Realigning English Language Curriculum at Higher Education Institution to CEFR

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Erda Wati Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
The Common ◽  
The University

The Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) has become the standard used to describe and evaluate students’ command of a second or foreign language. It is an internationally acknowledged standard language proficiency framework which many countries have adopted such as China, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Malaysia Ministry of Education is aware and realise the need for the current English language curriculum to be validated as to reach the international standard as prescribed by the CEFR. The implementation of CEFR has begun at primary and secondary level since 2017 and now higher education institutions are urged to align their English Language Curriculum to CEFR as part of preparation in receiving students who have been taught using CEFR-aligned curriculum at schools by year 2022. This critical reflection article elucidates the meticulous processes that we have embarked on in re-aligning our English Language Curriculum to the standard and requirements of CEFR. The paper concludes with a remark that the alignment of the English curriculum at the university needs full support from the management in ensuring that all the stakeholders are fully prepared, informed and familiar with the framework.

Improving English L2 Writing in Web Communication: Can Peer Feedback Help?

Fachsprache ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 94-121
Author(s):  
Marian Flanagan ◽  
Carmen Heine
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Peer Feedback ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Teacher Feedback ◽  
Written Feedback ◽  
Feedback Process ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Web Communication

As teachers of English as a second language (L2) in web communication, our aim is to help L2 students improve their spoken and written English language skills. Teacher feedback has been shown to do this in some cases. However, only using teacher feedback can put huge pressure on the teacher, both in terms of time and resources. This paper describes and discusses our attempt at introducing peer feedback as an additional way of providing students with feedback on their English writing. Before conducting this study, we did not know if peer feedback would be feasible in our teaching environment or whether it would benefit the students and teachers. Our aim was to establish a status quo of our students’ abilities in providing and implementing peer feedback. We introduced peer-feedback tasks and focused on the types of feedback provided by the students, the phrasing of the feedback, both when implemented and not implemented by the students, and the types of revisions made by the students. Our findings allowed us to develop peer-feedback process guidelines for web communication as a way towards improving written feedback processes in higher education, and hopefully for others to adapt and implement in their own communication classrooms.

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