Crystallising my purpose

I am in the process of doctoring one of my old power points for a presentation I will be giving in a few weeks.   The old ppt is the presentation I used at LILAC 2008, and so is not very old--and yet seems so out of date.  It is perhaps, a mark of the development of my thinking that it has changed.   So what has changed?  Well, it is in the crystallising my purpose.   My original proposal spoke a lot about information literacy, a term, which  I believe, certainly in the English speaking West, is inextricably linked to academic libraries and or some kind of mechanistic training programs, rather than an overarching notion of tying together the strands of information seeking, information use and information behaviours.   As a term, information literacy conjures up preconceived notions by its very statement.   So back to my purpose,

• How do parents in modern Britain seek meaning and answers to their questions to make informed decisions?
• What sources do they turn to and how do they then construct meaning and assess relevance and trustworthiness?

From the Mind’s Eye of the User

Dervin and her Sense-Making methodology is an area which I am looking into. I first came across Dervin’s work through reading an article by Ross Todd (see posting 28^th June). The sense-making approach is a methodology that tries to understand research from the user’s perspective. I will make further postings in the near future when I have manager to get my head into this one!

Occurrence of the term Information literacy 1969-2006

Out of idle curiosity, I decided sometime ago that I wanted to perform

Year	Information Literacy
1969-1980	0
1980-1985	6
1985-1987	4
1988	1
1989	4
1990	10
1991	31
1992	18
1993	12
1994	25
1995	60
1996	58
1997	82
1998	108
1999	110
2000	150
2001	167
2002	181
2003	241
2004	239
2005	300
2006	252

a simple search of the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) similar to the ‘quick and dirty’ search performed by Bawden for his article (see - Thursday, 14 June 2007).

The aim of the search was to look at growth of literature pertaining to ‘information literacy’ over the past 35 years. Bawden states in his article, that his search (which were more comprehensive than mine) were ‘rough and ready’ and that the searches include ‘book reviews as well as original articles’, however, it does give a ‘general idea of the changing significance of concepts.’

I repeated a similar search, initialling using CSA’s LISA database (Bawden uses both LISA and Social SciSearch). My search has initially focused on the term ‘information literacy’, the results are shown below. I hope to increase this table to include synonymous terms such as media literacy etc – this will suffice for now. It is interesting to note that there are no early references indexed in LISA, and this is perhaps a reminder not to rely on a single source for our research. A great overview of the information literacy literature can be obtained from Rader, Information literacy 1973-2002: a selected literature review, Library Trends; 51 (2) Fall 2002, p.242-59

Information Literacy: Fact or Fable?

I called my conference presentation - Information Literacy: Fact or Fable? This was my first opportunity to present my initial reading to date, and in reality my first academic conference. It was just my luck that members of the Universities senior team decided to ‘drop in’ and guess who was about to speak. Honestly, I feel the presentation went well for a first go; it is easy to beat yourself up about what you would change or even do completely differently. Many people (genuinely) said that they enjoyed it and that I had made a potentially boring subject come alive. I spent the day attending all of the presentations; it also proved to be a very useful net working opportunity -- overall a very good day.

Boyce (2000) Second thoughts about information literacy

Here is another very thought provoking article, one which I recommend. I must admit it took a second read for me to get to grips with the writing; nevertheless, Boyce poses some good probing questions as she tries to grapple with the concept of information literacy for herself.

In her second paragraph she opens by stating that she questions the:

‘construction of information literacy; as it has an ‘indeterminate quality’, which seems to encompass everything from computer competence, search savvy…right through to a philosophy of learning how to learn…the strongly print, bibliocentric logic of information literacy seems to me to be inappropriate for the anarchic environment of digital information.’

Her article examines the meaning of the terms along with the context. She calls for another look at the theory, worried by the bibliocentric bias to the concept and how this fits in with the anarchic digital world. One does need to remember that that article was written seven years ago and in that time the theory has move on, yet I believe there is still an element of truth in what she says.

Again I feel myself agreeing with Boyce when she forcefully states:

‘I am troubled by the universality and totalising effects of this movement, by the impetus of the phenomenon so vastly understood, yet subject to such uncritical, fervent allegiance. ‘Against the seemingly universal endorsement of information literacy.’

Drawing to a conclusion, the discussion moves on to ask the question is IL simply a pre-occupation of the teacher/librarian? (Is it a product of a profession too close to its subject?). For Boyce its only play a part in the story it simply reflects a sectoral (i.e. library) viewpoint and that this preoccupation with their particular paradigm has distracted profession to coming to terms within a wider and broader overview of literacy in the new communications environment; ‘it has blinded us to the way in which we have been positioned materially, culturally and socially..’

Bawden - Information and digital literacies: a review of concepts

This paper provides a very comprehensive overview of both information and digital literacies. The author critically reviews “literacy” as a concept as well as exploring related literacies e.g. multimedia, informacy computer etc. The bibliography to the paper was last updated in 2000.

Page
281	Bawden starts by listing other major IL reviews: Cooper, Mutch, Carbo, Behrens, Doyle, Dess, Ochs et al., Olsen and Coons, Kulthau, McClure and Bruce. This provides a useful starting point for reading. This list is now seven years old and there may be more since then. Bawden states that he has not being comprehensive, and has not listed every title in the field.
219	Here he looks at the occurrence of the terms under investigation as they appear in the literature. He searched LISA and social science abstracts 1980-1999. He charts the progress of his search terms in a table showing the progression of the field of study. He also provides a list of his synonymous terms used in searching.
220	Provides a discussion of the term literacy using dictionary definitions. He also mentions the United Nations General Assembly of 1990 as ‘international literacy year’.
221	What is literacy – ‘the ability to use graphic symbols to represent spoken language…..’ The discussion develops, that literacy can be seen as relative, to illustrate, the levels if ‘literacy’ needs in Honduras differs to that required in London. [McGarry] Clifford is quoted suggesting that literacy has a dichotomous nature, revealing a spectrum of skills. Bawden goes on to list several indications or competencies of literacy. [THIS IS A GOOD LIST]
222	The discussion explores functional literacy citing the 1997 UK Office for National that almost a quarter of Britons cannot follow timetables, and the 1999 Sir Claus Moser report which found that 6% had very little literacy skills. Grey’s 1956 definition of literacy is also listed. The discussion of the problems defining, measuring and assessing literacy is detailed.
223	Covers the history of literacy, also lists other sub concepts such as agricultural, cinematic, geographic literacies etc.
224	Looks at the skills based literacies, with the emphasis on informed decision making or leaning the skills to find information. Starts with looking at library literacy.
225	Media literacy and a term and development, is it a subset of information literacy. Barden supports that it has an obvious ‘overlap with the general concepts of information literacy’. There are substantial discussions over the term and skills associated with Computer Literacy. One excellent discussion relating to the ECDL skills based is around the element of self reliance i.e. you can learn a computer package but, what if the computer goes wrong, how dependent are you on other for help, when things go wrong with the computer, outside of the set of learned skills? Here we see another spectrum of literacies at play. Also can you learn a new software package, without help, based on your knowledge?
230	Information Literacy Bawden charts the term from Zurkowski – but notes that is usage of the term has more to do with educational reform in the US. Bawden charts that the term was introduced to the library literature by Taylor, with Doyle twenty-five years later defining the term more succinctly. Over the next few pages Bawden discusses the intertwining of IL with education, through the ALA 1989 lining that IL and lifelong learning, ‘knowing how to learn’.
234	A discussion of the basis for definitions of IL. Listing what the ALA repost lists, Doyle and Bruce and Radar
238	Ducker and in ‘infoliteracy’, in relation to business and managers. It must not be seen as an IT solution.
239	Dupuis lists a summary of her thirty-five skills necessary for ‘creating and nurturing information literacy’.
241	A discussion on the ‘critical thinking’ element of IL. It can be seen as largely equivalent to ‘critical analysis’. With proper analysis, one does not drown in information. Cheek and Doskatsch and their tem ‘an information overabundant environment’.
243	Information literacy and the information society Librarian turned congressman Major Owens – ‘information literacy is needed to guarantee the survival of democratic institutions. All men are created equal, but voters with information resources are in a position to make more intelligent decisions than citizens who are information illiterate.’ Other authors make similar points with some excellent quotes here!
243	Information Literacy per se Behrens and Olsen and Coons – Information Literacy is the key factors rather than n add-on set of skills. Quotes from Lantam, Lynch ask, ‘what does it mean to be information literate in an information society?’
244	Information literacy: criticisms of the concept McCrank is rolled out. Also here is Feinberg asks questions of IL. Foster, Mutch, Miller, Abell all asks questions about IL. There is a good summary to the main concerns.
246	IL: Conclusions Bawden sates that Information literacy . . . is a broader concept than the skills-based literacies described. . . and according [Bawden] subsumes them or lies alongside them.
246	Digital literacies The reaming pages deal with the concept and definition of ‘digital literacy’. This is a newer concept from the mid 1990s, which refers to the ability to understand hyper-textual and multimedia literacy. Langham, is quoted as treating the term synonymously with ‘multimedia literacy.
248	Lists a set to skills forum in digital literacy. Again we see skills such as critical thinking, etc.
249	Digital literacy and Internet Literacy, Network Literacy etc. Presents a very interesting discussion about knowledge and skills. Based on McClure’s definition of networked literacy – at the ability to ’identify, access, and use electronic information on a network’. Of the list of knowledge and skills McClure suggests that they are not ‘add ons’ to traditional literacy rather part of a wider notion of literacy in an electric age. The discussion continues linking into the web and hyper-txt literacies etc. He quotes Vannevar Bush and his ‘enormous mass of common record’. Bawden makes the comment based on the discussions, that ‘ In their emphasis on reading and understanding texts, these terms seem to have more in common with literacy per se’.
251	Conclusions A summary of the conclusions are: It is very possible to spend all of your time discussing the definitions; it might be better then, to adopt a POPPERIAN position or explaining, rather than defining terms. The labels attached to these terms do matter as do and their significance for practice. Secondly, Bawden suggests that for some limited purely limited purpose skills and competence may be useful, however, overall he sees them as too restrictive. This does not answer how to assess, monitor and define, then. To deal with the complexities of the current information environment, a complex and board form of literacy is required. . . Understanding, meaning, and context must be central to it. It matters not whether, you call it digital, information or literacies required for an information age.