Information Literacy as a Graduate Attribute

1. Information Literacy as a Graduate Attribute Lesley May Head of Library Services, University of Wales, Newport Cathie Jackson Senior Consultant Information Literacy, Cardiff University

2. Information Literacy as a Graduate Attribute

3. In a study of SMEs in the UK, it was estimated that employees spend 6.4 hours a week looking for information.  37% of searches are unsuccessful, equating to £3.7 billion in wasted time each year. DeSaulles, M. 2007. Information literacy amongst UK SME: an information policy gap. Aslib Proceedings 59(1) pp. 68-79.

4. “Knowledge workers have been given many significant new ways to access and process information, but these new capabilities have brought new problems. Even within an organisation, knowledge workers rarely share the information that is available as fully as they might. They can be overwhelmed with information that is of varying degrees of relevance.” Warren, P. et al. 2009. Improving knowledge worker productivity – The ACTIVE integrated approach. BT Technology Journal 26(2). Available at: http://www.btplc.com/ Innovation/Journal/BTTJ/current/HTMLArticles/Volume26/26Improving/Default.aspx

5. Research at the UK HQ of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) – the world's largest environmental consulting firm - found that the KM system contributed to the "information overload". The company identified that employees need to be confident and competent in interacting with information to deliver maximum business value. Cheuk, B. 2008. Delivering business value through information literacy in the workplace. Libri 58(3), pp 137-143

6. Information literacy in the workplace context is defined as a set of abilities for employees to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, organize and use information effectively, as well as the abilities to create, package and present information effectively to the intended audience. Cheuk, B. 2008. Delivering business value through information literacy in the workplace. Libri 58(3), pp 137-143

7. Examples of information literacy as a graduate attribute • University of Sydneyhttp://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/graduateAttributes/policy.htm • The Sheffield Graduatehttp://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sheffieldgraduate/ • Newcastle University Graduate Skills Frameworkhttp://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/nclplus/assets/documents/skillsframework.pdf

8. Employability Skills • self-management • teamworking • business and customer awareness • problem solving • communication and literacy • application of numeracy • application of IT • positive attitude CBI. 2009. Future Fit: Preparing graduates for the work of work.

10. Visionof HE in Wales: • equipping individuals whatever their background with the knowledge skills and attributes to achieve maximum intellectual and personal fulfilment • fostering a culture of exploration, discovery and intellectual challenge that generates international recognition, respect and engagement • exploiting their knowledge base effectively through working with businesses and employers … DCELLS For our future: the 21st century higher education strategy and plan for Wales (November 2009) p 3

11. Visionof HE in Wales: [2] DCELLS For our future: the 21st century higher education strategy and plan for Wales (November 2009) p 3 offering flexible, accessible and learner centred provision contributing to the reviving and sustaining of communities and the shaping of a democratic, civilised and inclusive society … raising the skill level of the Welsh workforce and supporting businesses to become increasingly innovative and competitive

13. “Information literacies, including searching, retrieving, critically evaluating information from a range of appropriate sources and also attributing it – represent a significant and growing deficit area.”

14. What should go next?

15. Embedded or stand-alone? • Situated learning • Modelling the whole process • At the point of need • Assessed? © Media Resources, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust

16. Welsh Information Literacy Project • To promote the understanding and development of information literacy in education, the workplace and wider community in Wales Outputs: • An overarching statement on information literacy in Wales. • A report on information literacy provision in each library sector in Wales, identifying case studies of good practice and gaps requiring further enhancement. • A draft framework for information literacy in Wales that will provide notional levels of information literacy skills and competences for all levels of learners • Development Officer funded by CyMAL July 2010 - March 2011 • http://library.wales.org/informationliteracy

17. ‘… in the 21st century knowledge itself becomes the strategic transforming resource. We are now in the midst of an ‘information revolution’. Every man and woman … every child and adult… must learn to work and study smarter if they are to compete effectively in an increasingly competitive world, at every stage of their lives. Information Literacy offers the promise that people are now able to become independent learners, and critical thinkers.And when they are able to do that over the course of their lives they become Lifelong Learners.’ Horton, Forest Woody Jr. 2007. Understanding Information Literacy: A Primer. Paris: Unesco Information for All Programme. p. 27.

18. Information Literacy as a Graduate Attribute