Orwell - Politics and the English Language

Although not immediately relevant to my research I read a very interesting essay by George Orwell entitled “Politics and the English Language”. I came across the essay on a Blog, discussing the demise of modern written English. Writing in 1946, Orwell decries what he sees is the demise and “bad habits of Modern English”. This is a thought provoking essay and well worth a read. A copy can be obtained from: http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit

Teaching

I had a meeting to discuss my teaching for the next academic year (starting in October 07). It looks like I will be teaching the MSc students. In the fist instance, I will be limited six hours a week, and will be delivering the Dialog and database searching element of the module.

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.

Baby Evie

Ok, so at this time, my research is on hold! Evie, was born on 27 May 2007. She is 4lbs 1oz and so is being kept in hospital with mother. More photos on my website www.cgwalker.org.uk

First Meeting with Supervisors

Today I had my first official meeting with my two supervisors. Key work areas to continue with are:

• Continue with reading for the literature review
• Expand the reading beyond the specific IL focus
• Look for relevant training opportunities
• Investigate potential ethical considerations of proposed research

Enough is enough!

Today I spent my reading Owusu-Ansah (2005). His article, “Debating definitions of information literacy: enough is enough!” is essentially a plea for a stop to the constant debates about definitions of information literacy. In his article he briefly charts the background to literacy as well as information literacy. The paper provides a good and relatively up-to-date coverage of the debate over definitions. Owusu-Ansah argues that there is enough consensus with the various definitions that a general understanding can be agreed upon. He argues that Doyle, Eisenberg, ALA definition etc have a common thread. He also states that Bruce has a commonality in to the attributes listed in her research.

This is a very good article and one which should be read by any person wishing to delve into the field.

Owusu-Ansah, E. K. (2005). "Debating definitions of information literacy: enough is enough!" Library Review 54(6): 366-374.

Information literacy: a practitioner's guide

Yesterday I said that I would complete the review of the Andretta, S. (2005). Information literacy: a practitioner's guide. To use a well know aphorism, “it does as it says on the tin.” The book provides an idiot proof introduction to the topic. That said, it is very much aimed at the librarian practitioner, who delivers training in a HE setting. The book proved to be illuminating, especially Andretta’s discussions and comparisons of the three information literacy frameworks, ACRL IL Standard, ANZIL IL standards and SCONUL Information skills. My homework is to now look at these frameworks in detail, myself.

Chapter 1 is a general introduction, chapter 2 provides the ubiquitous “setting the scene”, but still very useful as it is written in a very accessible way. Topics covered here include, models of IL, definitions and a very useful national perspective, form a US, Australian and UK view. I must admit, that the rest of the book proved to be less useful for me, as it deals with the delivering of IL training in a HE setting. Here, I have to be disciplined, and concentrate and focus on required reading. Notwithstanding, what I read would undoubtedly be extremely useful for training librarians.