PG6009 Graduate Information Literacy Skills

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PG6009Graduate Information Literacy Skills

• SIF Graduate Generic Skills Project
• IL Module
• Margot Conrick, Head of Information Services,
  Library, UCC.

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UCC Strategic Framework 2006-2011

• Developments in Graduate Education will
• involve enhancing the current
  supervisor/student PhD structure including the
  provision of additional generic and specialist
  skills training through graduate
  programmes/graduate schools. The courses
  underpinning the training will be at
  Departmental, College, University and
  inter-University levels.

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Changes in PhD Training

• Generic Training
• New Key element of PhD Skills Development
• Structured 4-Year PhD
• Generic Skills
• National Co-ordination / Collaboration
• Increased Mobility

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The changing model of PhD training in
Ireland National and European developments
Key points

• Doubling of PhD numbers
• Establishment of Graduate School system
• Change from apprenticeship to structured 4-year
  PhD
• National co-ordination of training provision
• New emphasis on career paths

4th Level Ireland
OECD
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• 2. Overview what we want to achieve
• The development of graduate education will
  contribute to the creation of a world-class
  education system and the transition to a more
  knowledge driven society. The development of a
  quality graduate education system will be
  reflected by the following features
• - The best possible graduate education
  experience for students - The development of a
  rounded individual in order to meet the
  challenges of the workplace - A graduate
  education environment that is internationally
  attractive - A four year program with
  apprenticeship and taught courses and structured
  entry and exit points - The professionalisation
  of supervision - PhDs of a caliber that makes
  them sought after internationally - Increased
  number of PhDs - Infrastructure and capability
  to achieve ground breaking research -
  Collaboration. where appropriate, to deliver
  complementarity - Uniquely differentiated
  collaboration between academia and enterprise in
  its widest sense.

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• Case Study 2 The New Fourth Level Graduate
• The Old Model Typical Traditional PhD
  Experience
• PhD student enrols with a researcher supervisor
  to work on a highly focused research project and,
  depending on his/her research productivity,
  graduates anywhere between 3-8 years later
  without any formal training in broader research
  methodologies or management skills.
• This is beginning to change within the
  universities on an ad hoc basis with the
  introduction of some structured courses
  (disciplinary and generic) along with greater
  focus on the career path of the PhD student.
• The New Model Structured PhD Programme
• 3rd level students excited about research through
  a reformed curriculum that emphasises creativity,
  discovery and knowledge advancement and that
  mainstreams research elective (sampler)
  opportunities
• Top international students attracted to Irish PhD
  programmes by innovative marketing, the provision
  of scholarships, high quality pastoral support,
  and the reputation of Irelands research
  community
• First year of PhD programme dominated by
  structured taught courses in generic and
  domain-specific areas organised on a
  trans-institutional basis
• Decision point at end of first year when student
  has the option of either entering the workforce
  with a masters degree or progressing to a full
  PhD degree
• Years 2-4 of PhD training characterised by a high
  quality research experience supplemented by
  formal training in key technologies, management
  and communications
• Formalised career development and, where
  relevant, targeted skills enhancement visits to
  partner international centres and external work
  placements
• Course content and oversight of the quality of
  the student/supervisor relationship by
  trans-institutional Boards of Studies involving
  both academic staff and external stakeholders
• Research and taught components underpinned by a
  dedicated core of administrative, technical and
  support staff and by leading edge technology
  platforms and capital infrastructure
• Following graduation and entry into the
  workforce, continued access to key taught courses
  in emerging areas through either e-learning or
  new refresher courses tailored for lifelong
  learners.

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• 7 Duration
• Doctoral programmes should be normally of four
  years in duration, but may vary because of
  discipline considerations and mode of delivery
  e.g. part-time. The timescale must allow for the
  provision of structured course work. The duration
  of our doctoral programmes must be bench marked
  internationally and according to discipline.
• 8. The promotion of innovative structures
• Graduate education programmes must encompass a
  breadth within and, where appropriate, across
  disciplines. Graduate Education should enable the
  provision of generic skills training to all
  researchers to meet the challenge of
  interdisciplinary training. The development of
  transferable skills is key to the formation of
  successful graduate education programmes and
  supported by practive oriented placements as
  appropriate.
• 9 Increasing mobility
• Graduate education programmes should seek to
  offer geographical as well as interdisciplinary
  and intersectoral mobility and international
  collaboration within an integrated framework of
  cooperation between higher education institutions
  and other partners.
• 13. Maximise accessibility
• All PhD students should have access to the
  provision of generic skills training irrespective
  of discipline, institution or regional location.
  Flexibility should exist with respect to mode of
  diversity to meet the needs of employees and
  entry and exit points. Accessibility should be
  supported by a system wide accreditation process.

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The new model for PhD education

• Broaden student skills and knowledge
• Provide specialist courses in the research area
  (high-level interdisciplinary skills)
• Develop high-level transferable skills with an
  eye on student career paths
• Create inter-institutional graduate education
  programmes
• Broaden and deepen the intellectual training
  which the student will
• receive
• Develop innovative structures for the provision
  of generic skills

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Credits

• Research leading to the PhD dissertation must
  comprise at least 240 credits within the overall
  programme.
• Overall Min of 270 Credits with a Max of 360
• The PhD programme of study may include up to 90
  credits of generic and specialist training and/or
  academic modules

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Example of Credits

• Student A
• 2 x 5-credit generic (PG) modules (e.g., PATHS,
  STEPS, SIF IL)
• 2 x 5-credit modules offered by
  Department/College/ Graduate Programme
• 10 credits for self-directed skills analysis
  leading to portfolio
• Total 30 credits

• Student B
• 2 x 5-credit generic (PG) modules e.g. SIF IL
• 2 x 5-credit modules offered by
  Department/College/ Graduate Programme
• 2 x 5-credit modules in another Irish institution
• 1 x 5-credit module in an international
  institution
• 10 credits for self-directed skills analysis
  leading to portfolio
• Total 45 credits

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Strategic Innovation Fund for Higher Education
(SIF)
Government fund to promote collaboration,
support change and enhance quality in Irish
higher education so that it is equipped to meet
the challenge of driving Irelands development
as a leading knowledge economy
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SIF Generic Skills Project (6 Modules UCC,
NUIG, TCD)
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Overall Objective

• The SIF Generic Skills project has the overall
  objective of providing key transferable generic
  skills, with an inter-institutional structure

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Information Literacy for Researchers - SIF IL
Module

• SIF Generic Skills project Enabling 4th Level
  Ireland
• Aimed at PHD or Research Masters students, of
  use to Post-Docs too.
• Informing the process research surveys
• Face-to-Face and Online Modes
• Integrate with Blackboard

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SIF IL Module

• Measurable learning outcomes
• Lead institution NUIG / Partners TCD/UCC
• Commonality between NUI Galway/TCD and UCC
• Localisation issues
• Range of media options podcasts/video etc

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SIF Funding

• 300 million (2006 2011)
• Cycle 1 October 06 42 million
• 14 projects
• SIF IL within
• Promoting the development of 4th level
  education (almost 10 million)

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What is Information Literacy

• The ALA (American Library Association) defines
  Information Literacy as a set of abilities
  requiring individuals to recognize when
  information is needed and have the ability to
  locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed
  information.
• ALA also states that information literacy is a
  survival skill in the Information Age.
  Information Literacy forms the basis for
  lifelong learning. It is common to all
  disciplines, to all learning environments and to
  all levels of education. It enables learners to
  master content and extend their investigations,
  become more self-directed, and assume greater
  control over their learning.
• This ALA definition is one of the many
  definitions in use internationally.

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Benefits for Graduates

• Audit Update current IL Skills
• Expand Acquire a Portfolio of new IL Skills
• Expert Guidance on the Usage of Information
  Resources
• Knowledge of Key Concepts of Information
  Identification, Retrieval, Current Awareness and
  Management
• Skill to undertake a high-quality Literature
  Review
• Ability to use appropriate resources to address
  Information/Research Needs

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Further Benefits

• Search Strategies for using Information Resources
• Understand how to Evaluate Results in terms of
  Value to own Research
• Strategies for Managing Information including
  Citation and Referencing
• Awareness of the Ethical Issues in Using
  Information

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Benefits continued

• Insights into Effective Publishing and
  Dissemination of Research
• Importance of Impact Factors
• Avenues for Developing Research
• Maximise Research Time and Avoid Duplication
• Learn to Apply and Adapt acquired Skills

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SIF IL Steering Group

• Led by NUI Galway Library
• Original Chair, IUA Librarian NUIG (Marie
  Reddan) Now Niall McSweeney
• Members TCD / UCC / NUIG
• 100,000 module funding
• IL Module one of 6 SIF Generic Skills Training
  Modules
• 3 year timescale - Began April 07
• Initial pilot May 08 some units in each
  institution
• Full Pilot Oct 09 to date all units in each
  institution simultaneously

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Developing Module

• Consultation critical
• - PHD Supervisors
• - Deans
• - Library Staff
• - Researchers and students
• National IL standards
• International best practice

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SIF IL - Module Units
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Current Status of Module

• Module Content Complete
• Online Developed by e-Media
• Ongoing development / revision
• Delivery of Full Module Pilot (all 7 Units)
• in all 3 universities
• Oct 08 to Feb 09
• STM focus examples but generic content
• Evaluation
• Assessment - Librarians supervisors
• Papers accepted at 3 major conferences so far
• Irish Universities Information Services
  Colloquium (IUISC) March 09
• The Librarians Information Literacy Annual
  Conference (LILAC) March 09

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UCC - PG6009 (SIF IL Module)

• Some Units piloted in each univ - May 08
• Full Module (Pilot)
• 29th Oct 08 11th Feb 09
• 5 ECTS
• Assessment Assignment (s)
• Face-to-face Online
• Unit 1 Information Literacy Your Research -
  29th Oct
• Unit 2 Research Resource Discovery - 12th
  19th Nov
• Full class PhDs in STM Reserve List

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Evaluation

• Unit Evaluation
• Individually assessed
• Each institution doing their own
• Each group of presenters
• Module Evaluation
• Roundtable Discussion
• Overall Evaluation
• Steering Group

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Challenges

• No dedicated Project Support
• Existing resources
• Collaboration
• Institutional differences
• Geographical spread
• Support
• each Library
• each institution
• Integration of module with PhD Programme
• Registration for module
• Timing Duration
• Assessment pedagogy / consistency
• Online (via VLE) Face-to-Face
• Sustainability resources
• Delivery options face-to-face online
• Additional Workshop / Sessions

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Post Full Pilot Year 3 of Project

• Full evaluation post-pilot
• Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences content
• Revision and addition of existing content
• Unit on Writing Skills and Creative Thinking
• Module available to all PhDs in Sept 09 ?

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Access Details

• SIF IL Module is hosted by HEANET
• sifinfolit.ucc.ie
• sifinfolit_at_ucc.ie