Information Competence Development in Europe : trends and future prospects

1. Information Competence Development in Europe: trends and future prospects Sirje Virkus Tallinn University/Manchester Metropolitan University 1.07.2005

2. Outline • Context and Concepts • My research • Methodology • Survey: preliminary findings • Multiple-case studies: preliminary findings • Conclusions

3. Personal background • TPU – student, Library and Information Science • ISTIER – researcher, ICT, information systems • TPU, 1985 -teacher, administrator • ODL 1994 (WebCT, LearnLoop, IVA) – learner, designer, teacher,tutor • MMU, 2001 – student, researcher, teacher, designer, tutor (distance mode)

4. Competencies

5. Competencies • Debate of competencies • Transferable skills, key or core competencies, [transversal skills, generic skills, soft skills, personal skills, general competencies, soft competencies] • Creativity, analysis, problem solving, self development, learning skills, communication…. • Meta-competencies

6. Key Competence • Contribute to a successful life • Contribute to the development of the quality of societies • Apply to multiple areas of life (Gilomen, 2002).

7. OECD surveys of competencies • Adult competencies - International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) - Adult Literacy and Lifeskills (ALL) survey • Students at school (15-year-olds) - Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

8. Complexity of the topic (Gilomen, 2002) Theoretical models and concepts WHICH KEY COMPETENCIES? Cultural context, biographical variability Visions of society and individuals Political negotiation, consensus formation

9. HE and competencies • The general move is clearly towards a greater attention to employment prospects and the acquisition of core or transversal skills.

10. Transmission of competences • Not exclusive responsibility of the education system • Other social institutions such as family, workplace, mass media or cultural organisations are important ……but further research needed (Gilomen, 2002).

11. Assessment issues • Assessment strategies should include assessment of social contexts • More importance should be given to the competencies of acting autonomously and joining groups • Focus on critical aspects of key competencies • Cyclical structure of assessment program among adult population • Alternative methodologies have to be explored ....but further research needed

12. Importance of Information use

13. Importance of information handling and use Several reports have emphasized the importance of finding, evaluating, and using information in our modern society

14. Importance of Information use “The knowledge-based economy is characterised by the need for continuous learning of both codified information and the competencies to use this information. …the skills and competencies relating to the selection and efficient use of information become more crucial... Capabilities for selecting relevant and discarding irrelevant information, recognising patterns in information, interpreting and decoding information as well as learning new and forgetting old skills are in increasing demand” OECD (1996). The knowledge based economy. Paris: OECD.

15. Importance of Information use “The ability to produce and use information effectively is thus a vital source of skills for many individuals. So, the knowledge economy is based on the production and use of information and knowledge… “ OECD (2001a). Educational policy analysis 2001. Paris: OECD, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation.

16. Importance of Information use Having the competence to use information effectively has been suggested also by management gurus as essential to organizational success • Drucker, P. (1993). Post-capitalist society. New York, NY: Harper Business. • Drucker, P.F. (1994). Managing in turbulent times. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. • Senge, P.M. (1994). The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Currency Doubleday. • Grainger, P. (1994). Managing information: your self-development action plan. London: Kogan Page.

17. The reportEU Policies and Strategic Change for eLearning in Universities Refers to the importance of using digital information: ‘… they [students] should be enabled to learn using digital information sources. Coimbra Group of Universities (2002). EU policies and strategic change for elearning in universities. Report of the project 'Higher education consultation In technologies of information and communication' (HECTIC). Brussels, Coimbra Group of Universities.

18. Information literacy Library and information professionals call these information-related competencies as ‘information literacy’.

19. Lots of definitionsand models

20. Information Literacy Umbrella Patrica Senn Breivik.

21. Definitions IL cover the following experiences: • the use of information technology; • the use of information sources; • executing a process; • controlling information for retrieval; • gaining knowledge; • extending knowledge; • gaining wisdom. Bruce, C. S. (1997). The seven faces of information literacy. Adelaide: Auslib Press.

22. Definitions • Information literacy is the adoption of appropriate information behaviour to identify, through whatever channel or medium, information well fitted to information needs, leading to wise and ethical use of information in society Webber S. & Johnston, B. (2002). Assessment for information literacy. Paper presented at the International conference on IT and information literacy, 20th-22nd March 2002, Glasgow, Scotland.

23. Information literate person Recognizes the need for information Identifies sources of information Uses and presents information Develops successful search strategies Processes information Accesses sources of information Organizes information IL PERSON Evaluates information and sources

24. Definitions Information Literacy encompasses knowledge of one’s information concerns and needs, and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and effectively create, use and communicate information to address issues or problems at hand; it is a prerequisite for participating effectively in the Information Society, and is part of the basic human right of life long learning. The Prague Declaration (2003).

25. Definitions Information literacy - the ability to recognise when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (1989). Final Report. Chicago: American Library Association.

26. Learning Literacy Concepts ? Competence Information Competency Expertise Skill

27. The Concept of Information • Information seems to be everywhere. We talk of its being encoded in the genes… disseminated by media of communication… exchanged in conversation… contained in all sorts of things… Libraries are overflowing with it, institutions are bogged down by it, and people are overloaded with it … [yet] no one seems to know exactly what information is. Christopher Fox (1983, p.3) Donald O Case. Looking for Information, 2002. Case, D. (2002).Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs, and Behaviour. Academic Press

28. The Concept of Information • Anthropologist Gregory Bateson (1972) defines information as any difference that makes a difference to a conscious, human mind • Summarizing 30 years of commentary, Levitan (1980) declared that 29 different concepts had been associated with the term of information

29. Literacy

30. Literacy • “The ability to read and write” (Concise Oxford) • Literacy has been seen as a concept, a process, a competency, a skill and a tool that has meaning in relation to the demand of the economy and society or individuals and communities • also a mode of behaviour, which enables individuals and groups to gather, analyse and apply written information to function in society • Gilster sees it as a fundamental act of cognition (Gilster, 1997).

31. Literacy • The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) defines literacy in terms of proficiency levels of usage information to function in society and economy. • Literacy is defined as a particular capacity and mode of behaviour, the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities, at home, at work and in the community - to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential (OECD/Statistics Canada, 2000a, p. 12).

32. Literacy In IALS literacy is measured operationally in terms of the three domains: • Prose literacy • Document literacy • Quantitative literacy

33. Levels of literacy • Level 1 • Level 2 • Level 3 is considered a suitable minimum for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. It denotes roughly the skill level required for successful secondary school completion and college entry. Like higher levels, it requires the ability to integrate several sources of information and solve more complex problems. • Level 4 and 5 describe respondents who demonstrate command of higher-order information processing skills (OECD/Statistics Canada, 2000a).

34. Concern • Several observers have expressed concern that putting two fuzzy terms together doesn’t make the overall concept clearer. • Others assert that it doesn’t matter what you call or define it, as long as it gets done.

35. Competencies and skills • Competence has two dimensions – knowledge and skills. • “Knowledge may be seen as our understanding how our everyday world in constituted and how it works. • Skills involve the ability to pragmatically apply, consciously or even unconsciously, our knowledge in practical settings. • In this setting, “skills” can be conceived as the technical aspects of competence, emphasizing the aspect of “how to do” Anttiroiko, A.-V., Lintilä, L. & Savolainen, R. (2001). Information society competencies of managers: conceptual considerations, In: E. Pantzar, R. Savolainen & P. Tynjälä, eds.In search for a human-centred information society. (pp. 27-57). Tampere: Tampere University Press.

36. Competence • Complex cognitive skills (problem solving, qualitative reasoning, self-regulation, learning to learn); • Highly integrated knowledge structures (e.g. mental models); • Interpersonal skills and social abilities; • Attitudes and values. Kirschner, P., Vilsteren, P., van Hummel, H., & Wigman, M. (1997). A study environment for acquiring academic and professional competence. Studies of Higher Education, 22 (2), 151-171.

37. information competence information competency information mediacy information problemsolving information problem-solving skills information fluency information mastery information literacy competence information literacy competencies information literacy and skills information literacy skills information handling skills information handling competencies skills of information literacy Infoliteracy information empowerment Alternative terms

38. Semantics • Information literacy = information skills= information competence • IF information literacy = competence THEN information literacy competence = information competence competence • IF IL = competence AND competence = knowledge and skills and attitudes THEN WHAT is information literacy skills ???

39. Other terms and their relations with IL • Study skills • Learning skills • Learning to learn skills • Academic skills • Media literacy • Digital literacy….

40. Information literacy and learning • “Information literacy is about learning” (Bruce, 1997) • “Information literacy is a way of learning” (Kuhlthau, 1993) In the literature the terms “learning styles” and “cognitive styles” are often used interchangeably • Learning style refers to how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment, it is a measure of individual differences • Cognitive style refers to a learner’s preferred way of processing information; that is, the person’s typical mode of thinking, remembering, or problem solving

41. Terms for IL • InFinland informaatiokompetenssi, informaatiolukutaito • In Norway informasjonskompetanse • In Denmark informationskompetence • in Sweden informationskompetens • In Estonia infopädevus, infokirjaoskus,

42. Statement • In modern society everyone needs to develop increasingly sophisticated skills for information handling and use

43. Information handling and use • identifying, locating, gathering, storing, retrieving and processing information from a variety of sources; • using a range of information-retrieval and information-processing skills confidently and competently; • organizing, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating and using information; • presenting information clearly, logically, concisely and accurately.

44. WHY IL?

45. Why there is an increasing interest in information literacy? • New learning approachesand new focus on student learning in a lifelong learning context • Expanding quantity - information overload - In different forms/places - E-everything - Uncertain quality - Plagiarism

46. Old Paradigm Take what you can get Academic calendar University as a city Terminal degree University as ivory tower Student = 18- to 25-year-old Books are primary medium Single product Student as a ‘pain’ Delivery in classroom Multi-cultural Bricks & mortar Single discipline Institution-centric Government funded Technology as an expense New Paradigm Courses on demand Year-round operations University as idea Lifelong learning University as a partner in society Cradle to grave Information on demand Information reuse Student as a customer Delivery anywhere Global Bits & bytes Multi-discipline Market-centric Market funded Technology as differentiator Old and new paradigms of HE (Kathy Tiano)

47. Responses of HE Institutions to Changes • New technologies; • Student-centred learning approaches and constructivist models of learning; • Improve and innovate traditional HE education and to provide new and alternative learning opportunities (DE); • On-line education and electronic learning environments; • Open their doors to non-traditional learners and design new programmes and courses; • Experiment with collaborative learning and teaching supported by ITC.

48. Collis & van der Wende • The traditional lecture has still remained the ‘core medium’ for many HE institutions with ICT serving as a complement to already existing instructional tools Collis, B. & Van der Wende, M. (2002). Models of Technology and Change in Higher Education: An International Comparative Survey on the Current and Future Use of ICT in Higher Education. Report, December 2002, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), Twente.

49. Information overload Personal information overload- personal stress and loss of productivity at work Organizational information overload- overall productivity of the organization 'information fatigue syndrome' (IFS)

50. Influence of overload • time is wasted - 38% of managers • decision-making is delayed - 43% of respondents • distraction from the main tasks - 47% of respondents • stress – 42 % leading to tension with colleagues, loss of job satisfaction, illnness 61 %reduced social activity 60% tiredness Information overload recognised as a critical problem Reuters Business Information (1996). Dying for Information? An Investigation into Information Overload in the UK and Worldwide. London: Reuters. Reuters Ltd. (1998). Out of the Abyss: Surviving the information age. London.