IS conference September 10 th , 2012

1. Community Engagement paper in progressMediated enquiry of Mandeni Primary School library using Visual AppraisalNeil Evans (Department Information Studies at the University of Zululand, nevans@pan.uzulu.ac.za)Jerry le Roux (Department Information Studies at the University of Zululand, jleroux@pan.uzulu.ac.za)Brenda van Wyk (Library at the University of Zululand, bvanwyk@pan.uzulu.ac.za)Loes Witteveen (Larenstein University of Professional Education in the Netherlands, loes.witteveen@wur.nl)Rico Lie (Wageningen University, the Netherlands, Rico.Lie@wur.nl) IS conference September 10th, 2012

2. Outline Introduction Contextual settings of the stakeholders Conceptual setting Problem statement Aim Objectives Research Questions Methodology and data collection Populations and sampling Ethical considerations Preliminary data analysis and findings Discussion and recommendations Conclusion

3. Introduction The Diploma in Specialised Education: School Librarianship (AIDIP2) was introduced to the University of Zululand in 2010 and is funded by the Department of Education (DOE) in KwaZulu Natal. Since 2010 the DOE KZN has committed bursaries for around three hundred and seventy seven (377) school teachers to pursue librarianship careers in school libraries, media or resource centers. As the first graduates of the AIDIP2 programme got their Diplomas this year in May, 2012. It is fitting to ask whether they have the necessary skills and can access the appropriate resources to be able to set up practical information centers for their schools and communities.

4. Contextual setting of the Primary stakeholders Picture: Archie King

5. Contextual setting of the Primary stakeholders Picture: Jerry Le Roux

6. Contextual setting of the Primary stakeholders Picture: Jerry Le Roux

7. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders Picture: Archie King

8. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders YEAR 1 of AIDIP2 Programme YEAR 2 of AIDIP2 Programme

9. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders Picture: Archie King

10. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders Picture: Archie King

11. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders Picture: Archie King

12. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders Picture: Archie King

13. Contextual setting of the Secondary stakeholders • According to Le Roux (2012:43) the Department of Education in KZN formed the Education, Library Information and Technology Service (ELITS) programme in 2003 to provide access to good school libraries for all learners in KZN. • Mandate of ELITS: • Permeate all curricular and co-curricular activities within schools. • Provide them with quality library, information and technology resources. • Curriculum resources within school libraries should range from a collection of print, visual, audio-visual and electronic information sources.

14. Conceptual Setting Image reference: http://lh6.ggpht.com/philippe.boukobza/R9esWOb-1nI/AAAAAAAAA30/FTgIHlOi5oc/image%5B5%5D

15. Conceptual Setting Research Blended learning network Change/Transformation Intent of learning Experiential Learning Mentoring

16. Conceptual Setting Witteveen and Enserink (2007:278) describe Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA) as a film-based methodology that aims to sharpen analytical competencies by actively observing the explicit communication of the various problem and or solution perceptions encapsulated in filmed interviews of stakeholders. Witteveen et al (2009:32) purport that mediated participation aims to bring ‘distanced’ or ‘overlooked’ stakeholders to the attention of decision makers using film.

17. Conceptual Setting The influencing pedagogies of VPA can be found in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and experiential learning, which focus on wicked problems and complex multi-stakeholder settings (Witteveen et al, 2010:41). The idea to simulate the reality of stakeholder consultation was also inspired by concepts of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) (Witteveen et al, 2010:42). Brinkman and Witteveen concluded that heterogeneity in the classroom encourages learning on the edge and this conclusion delivered the first VPA design principle: diversity in the international and inter-cultural classroom should be considered a condition in instructional design. The second design principal focuses on analysing wicked problems which arise within multi-stakeholder settings. The third design principal involves the use of film to explore the uncertain and ambiguous reality of stakeholders over and over without having to go into the field and take up their valuable time and this offers an efficient substitute to fieldwork in higher education (Witteveen et al, 2010:40)

18. Problem Statement Although many KZN school libraries claim to fulfil various information needs of learners and educators within curriculum development (ELITS: 2012), it has been observed that many educators and learners have wide learning gaps in basic literacy skills.

19. Problem Statement Ref: Plato Learning

20. Aim and purpose The main aim of the study is to assess the process of establishing, managing and sustaining primary school libraries in KZN, and, Another aim would be to produce filmed narratives of primary and secondary stakeholders. These filmed narratives will serve two purposes: Collecting data for analysis in relation to the first objective stated above, and, Using these filmed narratives in AIDIP2 diploma education following the VPA strategy in order to strengthen the quality of the educational program.

21. Objectives The following objectives were identified: Assessing the process of establishing, managing and sustaining primary school libraries in KZN, and, Strengthening the quality of the educational program AIDIP2 at the University of Zululand.

22. Research Questions What is associated with the establishment, development and running of school libraries in KwaZulu Natal? What can strengthen the quality of the educational program AIPDIP2 at the University of Zululand?

23. Methodology and Data collection Both qualitative and quantitative survey methods will be followed. Multiple data collection methods will be used throughout this study. Initially a scoping exercise in the form of observations and a literature review, will establish research themes. Filmed informal interviews will provide qualitative data for VPA by the authors and later by the diploma students as part of their field work. Structured questionnaires will provide both quantitative and qualitative data from current AIDIP2 student population. Collected qualitative data will be analysed using content analysis methods while descriptive statistics will be used to represent the quantitative data.

24. Methodology and Data collection

25. Populations and sampling The primary stakeholder population include all AIDIP2 graduates and present students as well as other role players in the school community. The secondary stakeholder populations include nine (9) faculty and library members in the Department of Information Studies at the University of Zululand and still unknown number of staff employed under ELITS. Purposeful and convenience sampling of both primary and secondary stakeholders (non-probability sampling techniques).

26. Ethical considerations Permission will be sought to do the research from all stakeholders filmed. Informed consent in the filming activities of the study will be obtained from all stakeholders. Researchers aim to explain and ensure that all stakeholders are fully aware of the particular intended use of the interviews, and to provide basic information and contact details to enable the interviewees the right to withdraw permission to use materials.

27. Preliminary data analysis and findings The ELITS case study (2012: i) identifies five focus areas of identifying school libraries worthy for inclusion in the publication. Relevance of the school collection Organization and management of the collection Utilization of the library resources Development of the teacher-librarian Future plans for the library service

28. Preliminary data analysis and findings Research themes in the case study have been highlighted and these will be evaluated, analyzed and broadly reported under the following: The size and content of the information collection The presence of a catalogue and cataloguing tools The condition of the physical facilities and staffing of the libraries Funding sources and support Challenges, future developments and general sustainability of the library services.

29. Preliminary data analysis and findings Collections Size and Content The first quantifiable theme that was analysed was the reported size of the library’s book collection. Vast discrepancies in book collection and book stock totals of the schools considered excellent in school library services. Content relevance rather than size of the library’s book collection seems to be considered more worthy when reporting this theme.

30. Preliminary data analysis and findings

31. Preliminary data analysis and findings Catalogue and Cataloguing tools Most of the school libraries make use of the Deweyclassification system. It is a major concern that most of the benchmarked libraries discussed in the ELITS publications, do not have a title or subjectcatalogue. This situation raises serious concerns regarding information access and the development of information seeking behaviour among learners. Most school libraries are using the open source software LibWin but it would seem that most use it more as an asset list that an information retrieval tool. Learners should search for information and develop information literacy skills.

32. Preliminary data analysis and findings Physical facilities and staffing There is a marked difference in the quality of library services between the rural and urban school libraries. Urban school libraries have bigger library areas, more staff and ICTs with Internet access. Except for two previous model C school libraries, the majority of school librarieslack dedicated full time teacher-librarians, and the teacher librarian performs library duties additional and secondary to other duties. The majority of school libraries make use of library monitors or assistants, but the case study does not report on how these learners are trained to equip them for their task. Staffing of school libraries remains an enormous challenge. Most of the school libraries have library policies, guiding the management of the library.

33. Preliminary data analysis and findings Funding and Support Funding for books and equipment is a general problem Only two libraries stated that they get the minimum percentage of their school budget for book purchases. Most libraries rely on book donations to grow and update their collections. The twenty three school libraries discussed in the case study vary greatly in terms of size, services and resources, which is an indication of serious inequities and disparities in school library services in the province of KwaZulu Natal. The greatest disparity is between rural and urban services. There are two township libraries that stand out in terms of excellence, namely Hlabana Primary and Ubuhlebesundumbili Primary. They have sizable collections, library committees and a number of activities such as poetry sessions and story writing sessions. In general primary schools fared better than high – or secondary schools.

34. Preliminary data analysis and findings Challenges, Future developments and Sustainability ELITS policies and strategies seem to be in place but now more implementation needs to take place. The ratio of books to learners is very low and in most cases it seems unlikely that a learner will have access to more than one book at a time, which makes resourcebased learning impossible. The desperate situation is mostly prevalent in rural schools. The situation is exasperated by the fact that most rurallibraries do not have Internet access, where the utilization of free encyclopaedias could assist resource based education. Only a small number of libraries report on rendering additional reading programs or activities to encourage learners to make use of the library services.

35. Discussion and recommendations The primary stakeholders have a number of wickedproblems to deal with when wanting to establish a relevant information service in KZN schools. Recommendations for action include fund raising, applying to NGOs and applying to ELITS for books and the provision of electricity, telecommunication, ICTs and facility infrastructure. This would enable a more relevant and sizable book collection, while also allowing ICTs and e-learning to fill some of the resource needs and learning gaps of both learners and educators by acting as conduits of information.

36. Discussion and recommendations Secondary stakeholders – University of Zululand Being a part-time programme the staff in the Department of Information Studies are faced with long working hours as contact times are mainly during weekends and university holidays. Administration and support of these adult learners however often extents after hours while trying to ensure satisfactory meals, accommodation and a healthy learning environment. Managers of the programme need to look at ways to evenly spread the administrative and teaching loads while applying the budget more efficiently to allow for a more resource rich AIDIP2 curriculum .

37. Discussion and recommendations Secondary stakeholders – University of Zululand One of the interventions that the DIS has implemented is the laptop initiative, whereby R1500.00 of the students book shop account could be used to subsidise the purchase of a laptop costing the students R2216.40 for an entry level Hewlett Packard 630.

38. Discussion and recommendations Secondary stakeholders – University of Zululand DIS needs to re-evaluate the AIDIP2 programme and implement curriculum changes to address the learning gaps in basic literacy that many of the teachers face. An increase of visual verbal learning resources need to be used if purely text based curriculum does not suite individuals learning styles. PLATO Learning English and Maths course ware, Readers are Leaders and E4E will be recommended within the two year programme for teachers to identify their learning gaps in literacy and numeracy while being prescribed their own curriculum of tutorials to fill these gaps (Bredenkamp, 2012). PLATO Science Simulation software covering Chemistry, Biology and Physics could also be offered to those involved in teaching these subjects at school.

39. Discussion and recommendations Secondary stakeholders – ELITS ELITS need to link the provision of their teacher librarian bursaries with the provision of basic resources such as books and ICTs once ADIP2 students have graduated. There needs to be a life literacy skills development programme extended to all teachers with the DOE KZN to make sure their own missing learning gaps are not inherited by their students and tertiary educations future students. Staffing of school libraries needs to implemented with full time teacher librarians.

40. Conclusions In this paper some of the wicked problems of establishing and managing school libraries within a multi-stakeholder setting in KZN have been discussed while providing some preliminary recommendations. A methodology to visually appraise these complex role plays has been adopted not only for this study but also to enable future students to go through the three-tiered program of VPA to sharpen their analytical competencies and come up with their own unique recommendations for action to the problems they encounter in everyday life. It is argued that this type of e-learning could form a substitute for field work where logistic barriers like student numbers exist.

41. Conclusions Ref: Plato Learning

42. Conclusions A bottom up approach to fill learning gaps in basic literacy for educators will allow for a shift from: Unconscious incompetence Conscious incompetence Conscious competence Unconscious competence