If information literacy is the solution, what is the problem

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If information literacy is the solution, what is
the problem? If information literacy is the
problem, what is the solution? Dr Ross J
Todd Director of Research Center for
International Scholarship in School
Libraries Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey cissl.scils.rutgers.edu
rtodd_at_scils.rutgers.edu
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http//www.cissl.scils.rutgers.edu/research/presen
tations.html
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Information Literacy
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A Bight Future
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• "Information literacy is knowing when and why you
  need information, where to find it, and how to
  evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical
  manner.
• (http//www.informationliteracy.org.uk/Information
  _literacy.aspx)
• As the American Library Association Presidential
  Committee on Information Literacy (January 10,
  1989, Washington, D.C.) says Ultimately,
  information literate people are those who have
  learned how to learn. They know how to learn
  because they know how knowledge is organized, how
  to find information, and how to use information
  in such a way that others can learn from them.
  They are people prepared for lifelong learning,
  because they can always find the information
  needed for any task or decision at hand.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit
  /infolitoverview/introtoinfolit/introinfolit.htm

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• Central to the advocacy of libraries and
  information agencies
• Little intellectual critique
• No comprehensive critical examination of the way
  information literacy is portrayed in
  organizations
• Little exploration of what constitutes meaningful
  pedagogy for information literacy instruction /
  interventions
• Limited substantive articulation of the impacts /
  benefits of information literacy agendas, beyond
  mastery of a range of information literacy skills

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A TIME OF BOLD ACTION Lauren Becall

• "Standing still is the fastest way of moving
  backwards in a rapidly changing world.
  Imagination is the highest kite one can fly"

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What is the rationale for information
literacy? If information literacy is the
solution, what is the problem?
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• Why is Information Literacy important?
• You are all illiterate and the library is here
  to help you find good stuff Deficiency
  framework
• It gives us the skills to cope with the Data
  Smog
• It gives us access to the global information
  gateway
• It gives us confidence to navigate the
  information landscape
• It is our survival in the information revolution
• (http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfol
  it/infolitoverview/introtoinfolit/introinfolit.htm
  )

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The Information Literacy Dilemma
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So What?Whats the Problem?

• "Information literacy is knowing when and why you
  need information, where to find it, and how to
  evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical
  manner.
• (http//www.informationliteracy.org.uk/Information
  _literacy.aspx)
• As the American Library Association Presidential
  Committee on Information Literacy (January 10,
  1989, Washington, D.C.) says Ultimately,
  information literate people are those who have
  learned how to learn. They know how to learn
  because they know how knowledge is organized, how
  to find information, and how to use information
  in such a way that others can learn from them.
  They are people prepared for lifelong learning,
  because they can always find the information
  needed for any task or decision at hand.
• http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit
  /infolitoverview/introtoinfolit/introinfolit.htm

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Information Literacy as the Problem

• Libraries emphasis on the found locating,
  accessing, finding and evaluating stuff
  Actions are somewhat incompatible with our IL
  rhetoric
• Little attention to enabling people to something
  with the found stuff the complex cognitive
  processes required to USE information and to
  transform information into deep knowledge,
  actions, decisions WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF
  THIS?
• Typically treat information literacy as a
  separate discipline (the librarian teaches
  information skills the content is left to the
  disciplinary instructor)
• Sterile, generic and de-contextualised
  information literacy curriculums Scope and
  sequence models of Information Literacy
• Simplistic models of information research /
  information processes
• Tend to support / promote one approach to
  knowledge construction eg define, locate,
  select, organise, present, assess

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Transportation of Text
CONSTRUCTING NEW UNDERSTANDINGS
Information Literacy Interventions
Presentation
Final version
Rewriting
Printout
Interaction
FINDING, ACCESSING AND EVLAUATING INFORMATION
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Study of How Delaware School Libraries Help
(Todd 2004-2006)Part 1 Survey of SL
Infrastructure and Processes

• Information literacy instruction initiatives
• knowing about school library
• knowing about different sources and formats
• learning how to use resources
• understanding different finding strategies
• evaluating information for quality
• citing accurately
• ethical use of information / plagiarism
• To a much smaller extent
• Identifying main ideas in information sources
• Note taking skills
• Non-existent were IL dimensions related to
  using information
• Constructing sustained arguments based on sound
  evidence
• Drawing conclusions
• Sorting and organizing ideas
• Synthesising ideas to convey depth of
  understanding
• Assessing different perspectives dealing with
  conflicting knowledge
• Using technology to construct representations of
  new understandings

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Why do students transport text rather than
transform text? Research tells us

• Erroneous notion that more facts deep knowledge
  and deep understanding
• Poor knowledge construction skills particularly
  those involving analysis, manipulation and
  synthesis, constructing positions, sustaining
  arguments, making predictions, presenting
  solutions
• Lack of confidence to manipulate information
• Stress and competition
• Poor time management and planning skills
• Unwillingness to ask for help and when they do
  ask, told this is an independent project you
  have to work it out for yourself
• Low level of assignments no critical thinking
  required
• Assessment of product only
• Absence of clear assessment criteria that
  emphasize deep knowledge and deep understanding
• It is rewarded copying and pasting by being
  undetected
• YES, THE CURRENT SCOPE OF IL CONTRIBUTES
  TO THIS

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The Information Literacy Dilemma

• Is IL a doing
• the mastery of a range of information-handling
  skills?
• Or is IL a becoming
• - developing deep knowledge and understanding of
  the word and the world to enable and empower
  knowing, actions, decisions, getting on with life
• THE INFORMATION-TO-KNOWLEDGE CONTINUUM

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Ultimate Research Assistant

• Ultimate Research Assistant a sophisticated
  knowledge management tool that uses a combination
  of traditional search engine technology and text
  mining techniques to facilitate online research
  of complex topics. With the Ultimate Research
  Assistant, all you need to do is type in the name
  of the topic you want to research, and the tool
  will do the rest. Specifically, the Ultimate
  Research Assistant will search the web using the
  Yahoo Web Search API and organize the search
  results into an easy-to-understand research
  report. Optionally, you can publish your results
  to your del.icio.us account
• http//www.hoskinson.net/ultimate.research.assista
  nt/

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Empowerment Framework

• The ends of information, after all, are human
  ends.
• (Brown Duguid, 2000, p. 18)
• The end point of information literacy is not an
  information literate person (that is, a quality
  information product that mirrors our libraries
  --- or us!)
• Rather, it is a knowing and knowledgeable person
• In putting emphasis on the doing (accessing,
  finding, evaluating) we have failed to seriously
  address the knowledge outcomes dimension of
  information literacy

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THE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

• KNOWLEDGE OUTCOMES FOCUS (Declarative
  Procedural)
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of content
• High level of competence in the processes and
  skills of a discipline, and apply these to new
  situations
• An enriched view of the world and themselves
  through interaction with content positive and
  informed values
• KNOWLEDGE-BAASED PEDAGOGYCONSTRUCTIVIST / INQUIRY
  APPROACH
• Intellectual inquiry directed to the discovery of
  deep knowledge and deep understanding
• investigating, knowing, designing, making
• Hall marks of Inquiry suggests, creates,
  generates, contributes, proposes, draws and
  explains, plans, tests, devises, predicts,
  develops suggestions for improvements, concludes,
  applies

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Misfit or Perfect Match?

• THE INSTITUTION/ THE COMMUNITY
• Knowledge
• - Declarative knowledge
• - Procedural knowledge
• Knowledge-based Outcomes
• - deep knowledge
• - deep understanding
• Competencies mastery - content and skills
  - student achievement
• Inquiry

• THE LIBRARY
• Information
• Information Process
• Value-added outcomes - lifelong learners
  - information literacy -
  independent learners
• Good Researchers

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A VISION BEYOND OURSELVESKNOWLEDGE OUTCOMES

• What do we want students to do in this
  information environment? Just be information
  literate? Find good stuff?
• Active search for meaning and understanding
• Construct deep knowledge and deep understanding
  rather than passively receiving it
• Directly involved and engaged in the discovery of
  new knowledge
• Encounter alternative perspectives and
  conflicting ideas so that they are able to
  transform prior knowledge and experience into
  deep understandings
• Transfer new knowledge and skills to new
  circumstances
• Take ownership and responsibility for their
  ongoing learning and mastery of curriculum
  content and skills
• Contributing to social well being, the growth of
  democracy, and the development of a knowledgeable
  society.
• INFORMATION LITERACY ? NOVICE KNOWLEDGE TO
  EXPERT KNOWLEGE

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Did They Learn Anything?

• The finding-accessing based competencies, without
  the constructing-thinking based competencies
  raises two significant questions
• Did they learn anything?
• Do we really know the impact of our information
  literacy interventions outside of the library
  box?

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Study of How Delaware School Libraries Help
(Todd 2004-2006)Part 1 Survey of SL
Infrastructure and Processes

• Learning Outcomes
• 39 indicated school library had helped students
  develop skills in locating, selecting, organizing
  and evaluating information
• 37 indicated school library helps improve
  reading skills interest motivation in reading
• 22 indicated improvement in technology skills
• 16 indicated development of positive attitude to
  libraries
• 4.5 indicated outcomes linked to curriculum
  standards and goals, or to kids living, growing
  up

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New Jersey IMLS Funded Research 2003 - 2005

• What knowledge outcomes does the school library
  enable as students make use of diverse digital
  and print information sources?
• How might these knowledge outcomes be identified,
  measured, and embedded into professional
  practice?
• Develop a learning impacts measure for use by
  school-based teams. (SLIM Toolkit School
  Library Impact Measure)
• KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION THROUGH
• THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

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Schools Context Sample

• 10 New Jersey public schools
• Experienced and expert school librarians
• Diverse public schools
• 10 school librarians working on curriculum
  projects with 17 classroom teachers
• 574 students in Grades 6 12 range of
  disciplines
• Inquiry Training Institute Feb 24, 2004
  overview and critique of units, use of data
  collection instruments, procedures and ethical
  guidelines

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Central Research Questions

• As they proceed through the stages of a
  collaborative inquiry project, underpinned by a
  range of information literacy instructional
  interventions
• What changes, if any, are evident in students
  knowledge of a curriculum topic
• What changes, if any, are shown in the students
  feelings?
• How does the students study / learning approach
  influence knowledge construction of a curriculum
  topic?
• What interactions exist between knowledge
  construction, feelings, and study approach?
• How did school librarians and teachers help
  students with their learning

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Data Collection Instruments

• Five data collection instruments were used to
  collect the data from the students
• 1. Writing Task 1 (at initiation of inquiry
  unit)
• 2. Writing Task 2 (at midpoint of inquiry unit)
• 3. Writing Task 3 (at conclusion of inquiry
  unit)
• 4. Search Journal Log
• 5. My Research Style
• The instruments consisted of a combination of
  qualitative and quantitative questions.

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Changes in Knowledge 5 Approaches to
Measurement

• Substance of knowledge
• Amount of knowledge
• Structure of knowledge
• Personal estimate of knowledge
• Labeling of knowledge PLUS

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http//www.cissl.scils.rutgers.edu/guided_inquiry/
slim.html
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Substance of Knowledge
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NJ StudyChanges in Knowledge

• Two distinctive approaches to knowledge
  construction
• -- Additive Transportive
• -- Integrative Transformative

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Additive Approach to Knowledge Construction

• Knowledge development characterized by
  progressive addition of property facts
• As the students built knowledge, they continued
  to add property and manner statements, and to a
  lesser extent, set membership statements
• Stockpile of facts, even though facts were
  sorted, organized and grouped to some extent into
  thematic units by conclusion.
• Remained on a descriptive level throughout

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Integrative Approach to Knowledge Construction

• Initial superficial sets of properties
• Moved beyond gathering facts
• - building explanations
• - address discrepancies
• - organizing facts in more coherent ways
• Interpret found information to establish personal
  conclusions and reflect on these.
• Some students subsumed sets of facts into fewer
  but more abstract statements at the end

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NJ Study Study Styles

• Deep Learners
• Demonstrated knowledge change by synthesized
  replies.
• Confident and optimistic throughout the process.
• Conveyed a specific interest for their topics,
  and this interest was a key basis for learning
  more about topic.
• Strong awareness of information quality.
• Surface Learners
• Knowledge remained on a factual level throughout
  and showed little increase.
• Estimates of knowledge showed little change.
• The easiest aspect of the search process was
  availability of information.
• Information seeking seen foremost as a process of
  collecting facts.
• Seemed particularly relieved when the projects
  ended.
• Low levels of interest and engagement.

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Factors contributing to differences across
Schools

• Changes in knowledge (knowledge growth) did not
  occur evenly in the schools
• No significant variations across the age, grade,
  and gender groups
• Nature of task imposed task or negotiated task
  collection of facts/ transport of facts, or
  transformation of facts
• Engagement and ownership
• Nature of Interventions Development of skills
  to construct knowledge rather than finding
  information

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• THE KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATION OF INFORMATION LITERACY

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Realms of MeaningPhilip Phenix (McGraw Hill,
1964)

• Various fields of knowledge exhibit distinctive
  structures or patterns of meaning
• They have different (and complex) ways of
  coming to know how knowledge is gained in a
  subject, and how it is validated
• Different methods of inquiry, for creating new
  knowledge, and for validating claims to new
  knowledge
• How does the inquirer / investigator go about
  making discoveries on mathematics, biology,
  history, science? Developing new knowledge

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HistoryKnowledge Construction

• Plan investigation
• Make judgments about sources
• Ascertain the facts - fidelity of facts
• Drawing inferences from available evidence
• Gathering evidence from a variety of sources
• Documenting evidence from sources
• Critically evaluate completeness of evidence
• Test inferences and constructing historical
  claims / hypotheses
• Integrate values, cultures, literal and symbolic
  meanings
• Deal with multiple, conflicting, partial
  interpretations
• Communicate understanding of history using
  conventional forms to report findings and
  conclusions

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ScienceKnowledge Construction

• Discovery of truth what is asserted is either
  true or false
• Goal is to establish truth claims
  generalisations, laws
• Use scientific methods to establish
  generalizations
• Formulate hypotheses / questions based on
  available facts
• Design and pursue investigation related to
  hypothesis / question
• Develop systematic approach to data collection
• Record observations from sources, environment,
  testing
• Generate, validate, analyse, critique and
  interpret evidence
• Draw valid conclusions aim for generality
• Explain how scientific knowledge is used
• Construct working models to demonstrate
  scientific ideas
• Present results using data appropriate formats

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EconomicsKnowledge Construction

• All economic thought and action revolves around
  scarcity unlimited wants vs limited resources
• Emphasis placed on understanding structure of
  systems of production and exchange
• Knowledge construction focuses on COMPARATIVE
  methods in which similarities and differences
  between economic systems are analysed
• Knowledge building involves EVIDENCE-BASED
  SPECULATIONS, PREDICTIONS, ACTIONS, IMPLICATIONS
• Heavy emphasis on descriptive statistics
  population trends, prices, levels of income and
  investment etc

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MathematicsKnowledge Construction

• CONJECTURE, FORMULATION, SOLUTION, COMMUNICATION
• Find ideas, examples, counter examples
• Explore patterns
• Develop conjectures
• Test simple conjectures
• Explain propositions
• Analyse reasonableness of points of view
• Develop generalisations by abstracting features
• Test truth statements and generalisations
• Develop models

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What does this mean?

• Simplistic models of information research /
  information processes advocated by libraries are
  inconsistent with how disciplines build deep
  knowledge and deep understanding
• Many different conceptions of the
  information-to-knowledge process
• Each discipline has its own unique conception /
  model of information literacy
• There is no one generic notion of what inquiry /
  research is it is disciplinary specific
• There is no one-size-fits-all model of
  information literacy
• Need to rethink our approach to mediation and
  intervention in relation to information literacy

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The Knowledge Journey

• Existing Knowledge (limited) ?
• Building background knowledge ?
• Engaging in the central questions formulating a
  focus to the inquiry
• Encountering / investigating multiple viewpoints
  and perspectives, dealing with conflicting
  knowledge ?
• Focused knowledge building and knowledge
  authentication (quality arguments, use of
  evidence) ?
• Structuring new knowledge ?
• Representation of new, deep knowledge in
  meaningful structures and formats ?
• Communicating new knowledge ?
• Knowledge reflection, application and action

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Information Literacy Instructional Interventions

• Need to focus more on the transformative rather
  than the transportive IL interventions
• Need to base these on the complex and diverse
  approaches to the development of disciplinary
  knowledge
• Need to take a much more constructivist approach
  to our information literacy initiatives models
  / exemplars of knowledge construction processes
  access to ICT tools for knowledge construction
• Document outcomes from I. L. doings to I.L.
  becomings

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I.L. Instructional Interventions

• Understanding how disciplinary knowledge is
  constructed, and the methods of inquiry in a
  discipline
• Build engagement, interest in and motivation for
  inquiry
• Transformation rather than the transportation of
  text
• Engaging with alternative perspectives and
  conflicting ideas to develop deep understandings
• Generate, predict and test knowledge claims
• Collecting data from disciplinary specific modes
  of inquiry interviews, surveys, experiments,
  observation, journaling
• Identification of central ideas and mapping
  relationships complex relational note taking not
  fact gathering

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I.L. Instructional Interventions
Establish/ interrogate points of view Argument
analysis develop reasoned arguments with
supportive evidence Construct warranted,
judicious, non-fallacious conclusions Structuring
ideas into a coherent, integrated body of
knowledge Tools for constructing / representing
visual, graphical, numerical knowledge Generate
imaginative solutions Document changes in ideas
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Personal Learning as Information Literacy

• Preferred / particular learning styles
• Strategies that enhance personal learning
• Learning strengths and weaknesses Learning
  habits
• Set and monitor learning improvement goals
• Understand how different perspectives and
  attitudes shape learning
• Ethical frameworks of the disciplines
• Criteria of deep knowledge/ deep understanding of
  a discipline

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2 Studies Student Learning Through School
LibrariesTodd Kuhlthau

• Ohio 13,123 valid student responses and 879
  teacher responses (39 schools) (2003-4)
• Delaware 5,733 valid student responses and 408
  teacher responses (13 schools) (2005-6)

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How School Libraries Help

• The effective school library helps strongly in
  terms of providing access to information
  technology (sources and tools) necessary for
  students to complete their research assignments
  and projects successfully
• It provides up-to-date diverse resources to meet
  curriculum informational needs
• Instructional intervention focuses on the
  development of an understanding of what good
  research is about and how you undertake good
  research
• It engages students in an active process of
  building their own understanding and knowledge
• It demonstrates the link between school library
  services and learning outcomes

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Information Literacy as Knowledge Construction

• 100 I needed help doing a project for government
  that had to do with presidents and they had so
  many books and then the librarian helped me find
  web sites. But then they gave me ways of sorting
  through all the ideas to extract the key points
  so I could get my head around it all
• 66 I needed to write a paper and I went to the
  Library where I was ultimately able to write a
  paper successfully. My ideas were a mess and
  talking to the librarian gave me a way to
  organize my ideas and present the argument.
• 3532 I was working on History project and we had
  to have several sources (primary documents) and
  the librarians instructed the students on how to
  go about compiling it into something worthwhile.
  I was able to combine everything together and
  earn a good grade.

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Great Minds at work?

• Learning habits

Inclusiveness Innovation Creativity Clarity
of focus
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Whats your preference?

• A student who shows deep understanding of a
  topic, and cites sources accurately?
• A student who shows deep understanding of a
  topic, and cites sources carelessly?
• A student who shows limited understanding of a
  topic, but cites sources accurately?
• Great minds at work great libraries at work

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A TIME OF BOLD ACTION Edna St Vincent Millay
1892-1950

• Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour
• Rains from the sky a meteoric shower
• Of facts, they lie unquestioned, uncombined.
• Wisdom enough to leech us of our ill
• Is daily spun, but there exists no loom
• To weave it into fabric.