Information literacy in the workplace

Thanks to RSC Wales for the following information.

The Welsh Information Literacy Project has just issued some new resources which will be very useful for those who wish to understand or promote the importance of information literacy skills in the workplace.

Information literacy, defined as “knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner” underpins many of the skills needed in the workplace and is an important aspect of student employability.

The new resources from the Welsh Information Literacy Project are available here and the Project’s overarching Information Literacy in the Workplace pages will be useful reading and advocacy tools for staff in a variety of sectors and roles, for example those focussed on the Welsh Higher Education enhancement themes of working in and for employment.

Thank you to the Welsh Information Literacy Project for making these resources available in both English and Welsh. Hard copies are also available.

The Welsh Information Literacy project is now located at Coleg Llandrillo and contact details are available at http://library.wales.org/en/information-literacy/contacts/.

Welsh Information Literacy Project moves to Coleg Llandrillo

After two very successful years at Cardiff University the project is moving to Coleg Llandrillo, who have had the third year of funding approved.

Their email address is wilp@llandrillo.ac.uk

Since the start of the project two years ago, we have achieved the following:

• Written an Information Literacy Framework.
• Created and piloted accredited units of learning in information literacy.
• Created and distributed postcards and leaflets to assist in the dissemination of our message.
• Created advocacy materials for the benefits of information literacy in schools.
• Conducted a benefits analysis of information literacy in the workplace.
• Formulated a response to the Welsh Government’s Digital Inclusion Framework and supported the delivery of the Digital Wales agenda objectives
• We have raised the profile of the project through our website, blog, Twitter account and through presenting at various conferences, for example LILAC 2011, CILIP Wales in May 2011, the annual SCONUL conference, Gregynog and the WBQ event in Jan 2012.

‘Find it, make it, use it, share it’

Education Minister Leighton Andrews has today (29 March) received the final report from the Digital Classroom Teaching Task and Finish Group which sets out how Welsh schools can deliver digital classrooms in a digital age.

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/publications/wagreviews/digital/?lang=en

Led by Janet Hayward, currently headteacher at Cadoxton Primary School, the group considered what digital materials work in the classroom and how the Welsh Government can work towards all schools in Wales being able to deliver digitally.

The report makes a number of recommendations including the creation of a hub to enable learners and teachers to share best practice resources. The report also recommends the creation of a national digital collection of teaching and learning resources.

The Minister will now consider all of the recommendations set down in the report to see how technology in the classroom can be strengthened for the benefit of Wales’ learners.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews said:

“New technologies can offer new approaches to engage learners. Digital content, wireless access in classrooms, cloud computing and mobile handheld touch screen devices can revolutionise the way in which we communicate and share information with each other in the 21st Century.

“It’s not unreasonable for learners, parents and teachers to expect that the technology they use in their daily life can also be used in education. Across schools in Wales you will see an array of technology being used innovatively for learning and teaching.

“It is important that all learners and teachers have access to appropriate technology and can use it with confidence. We know there’s good practice out there, but as with many things in education, it’s important that schools learn and share the best ideas.

“I want Wales to a take a lead on digital inclusion and digital learning and this report shows us how we can achieve that goal.”

Chair of the Task and Finish Group Janet Hayward said:

“In Wales it is clear that there are some real pockets of outstanding practice in the use of technology to enhance learning outcomes.  We have a strong platform to build on.

“The recommendations do not provide a specific template of how a “digital classroom” should look. The recommendations provide more of a vision of how learners and teachers need to engage with and be supported in their use of technology and how we can develop and share world class content.  Hence the name of the report – Find it, make it, use it, share it – learning in digital Wales.

“We’re delighted to be able to present the Minister with our final report, it’s been a labour of love for the group. We are hugely optimistic that it will mark the beginning of a journey that will secure the best learning opportunities for Wales.”

Digital Wales Advisory Board Annual Report 2011

The report is the Board’s first Annual Report. It includes details of the major issues and recommendations considered by the Board during 2011.

The report fulfils the Board’s responsibility to provide advice on ways to exploit opportunities from the growth of the digital economy. The report also includes details of the major issues considered by the Board during 2011, as well as key recommendations for the Welsh Government to take forward as part of their remit in 2012. These included developing measures to:

• promote the use of creative digital skills by Small Medium Enterprise’s (SMEs) in all industry sectors;
• improve digital literacy at all stages of education and across the general population;
• help stimulate demand and take-up of next generation broadband;
• develop simple online public services such as a free school meals registration system that will help to exemplify how better and more cost effective public services can be delivered through Information and Communication Technology.

Download the report

Welsh Information Literacy Project – Phase 2

Summary of activities January 2012 
The Welsh Information Literacy Project aims to promote the understanding and development of information literacy in education, the workplace, and the wider community in Wales. The project is based at Cardiff University and funded by CyMAL. Phase one of the project ran from September 2010 to March 2011. The second phase of the project is running from April 2011 till the end of March 2012. Joy Head worked as Information Literacy Development Officer on the project until November. Since then the role has been divided between Sarah Puzey and Louise Harrington at Cardiff University, and Pat Hebron at Coleg Llandrillo, all working part-time.

Progress in Phase 2
One of the first tasks of phase 2 was to reflect on the consultation on the draft framework.  By the summer, the final Information Literacy Framework for Wales had been approved and made available on the web and in print.  The framework provides national levels of information literacy for all levels of learners, mapping information literacy learning objectives across the CQFW levels and integrating relevant learning objectives from the Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds. The Framework is available on the Welsh Information Literacy Project website http://www.welshinformationliteracy.org/ and in Welsh at http://www.llythrenneddgwybodaethcymru.org/.

Agored Cymru, in partnership with the project and with NIACE Dysgu Cymru and Colegau Cymru, have since built on the Framework by creating units of learning to accredit information literacy learning.  These units are available, again on the website, from entry level 1 up to level 4 (which equates to first year undergraduates, or Certificates of Higher Education).  The units are now being piloted and then will be available for anyone to use to accredit information literacy learning. Pat Hebron is supporting and promoting these pilots and writing case studies which will be added to the project website.

We have conducted a benefits analysis advocating information literacy in the workplace and for employability. The benefits analysis has been added to the project website, including case studies of information literacy within various workplaces and sectors. Louise Harrington will be enhancing the analysis with presentation slides and an infographic to help disseminate the message. 

The project is also producing materials for librarians to advocate information literacy in schools and initial teacher training. A short PowerPoint presentation explaining the benefits of information literacy to teachers and schools is available to adapt, and the project has now created a new leaflet. The leaflet is being distributed to school librarians, school library services and librarians in FE and HE supporting initial-teacher training. Sarah Puzey is also creating resources (a presentation and infographic) promoting information literacy to students on initial teacher training. Sarah will be in touch with education librarians soon but would love to hear from those involved in ITT in the meantime. All the resources (including a digital version of the leaflet) are available on the project website. 

Information literacy is key to digital inclusion. The project is recognised as part of the solution and is mentioned in Welsh Government reports such as the Digital Wales Directory of Projects. We are currently updating the project website to create a new section on digital inclusion to highlight the link. 

Phase 3
Cardiff University will be passing the baton (Olympic torch?) of the project to Coleg Llandrillo for phase 3.  Subject to funding, the next phase will be focusing on embedding information literacy in schools, equipping public library staff to facilitate information literacy development and further promoting and supporting the information literacy units of learning. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far.  Do get in touch if you would like further information, copies of our printed materials, or have any comments on the website or future direction.  Thank you too to the steering group, from all library sectors in Wales, who have been so active over the past two years in steering a path for the project. Keep in touch with us through our blog or on twitter at @Welsh_Info_Lit  

Cathie Jackson
Project Manager
Welsh Information Literacy Project
welshinformationliteracy@cardiff.ac.uk

Welsh Information Literacy Project – new project officers

http://library.wales.org/informationliteracy/blog/

Introducing new Welsh Information Literacy Development Officers, Louise Harrington and Sarah Puzey.

Sarah and Louise have replaced Joy Head who is now the Project Manager of the JISC funded Digidol project.

They are both based in Cardiff University. Louise also works in Senghennydd Library which serves the Cardiff University Centre for Lifelong Learning, and previously worked on the JISC-funded I-WIRE project. These roles have given Louise experience of project work and delivery, advocacy and working with learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Sarah’s other part-time role is Social Sciences Subject Librarian at Cardiff University. She was previously a Trainee Liaison Librarian for the Institute of Education, University of Reading. Sarah has also worked at the Bodleian Library, Oxford University as a Graduate Trainee and spent time working in Cardiff Public Libraries. Through these roles, Sarah has had the opportunity to work with the education and school library sectors as well as Higher Education. 

Louise will be working Monday and Tuesday (9-5) and Wednesday (9-12.30) and Sarah Monday and Friday (9-5). Please contact them at the Arts and Social Studies Library, Cardiff University on 029 2087 0252. Their new project email address will shortly be announced on the website ‘contacts’ page.

LILAC 2011 – papers available

The papers presented at LILAC 2011 are now available on the LILAC website in the archive section for LILAC 2011.   

Keep an eye on the Journal of Information Literacy (JIL) over the next year, as some of the presentations are being expanded by the authors into peer reviewed articles.  A number of LILAC presentations from previous years are already available as papers in JIL.

Research supervisors and information literacy

RIN has published the results of a study, undertaken between January and July 2011, investigating the place and role of PhD supervisors in the drive to ensure that research students possess the necessary level of information literacy to pursue their careers successfully in academia and beyond.

The work was undertaken on behalf of RIN and the Working Group on Information Handling by a partnership between Curtis+Cartwright Consulting and Cardiff University.

The ability of researchers to handle information is of vital importance. Many individuals have become adept at developing approaches and using innovative technologies to make most of the information environment, but others rather less so. Questions about how researchers develop appropriate skills, the support they receive, the training opportunities provided for them, and the take-up of such opportunities are thus highly pertinent.

Read more at: http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/researcher-development-and-skills/information-handling-training-researchers/research-superv

Establishment of a Review of Digital Classroom Teaching Task and Finish Group

 22 September 2011

Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, has announced a task and finish group to review the use of digital classroom teaching. The scope of the review will be to consider:

a) How high quality, accessible digital classroom content could be developed;

b) How the NGfL is used, and whether there is a more effective way to deliver the aims of NGfL;

c) Whether and how a cloud-based content delivery system (e.g. iTunes university model) would work alongside a VLE for Wales;

d) How high-quality English and Welsh language content could be generated;

e) How to develop Welsh Intellectual Property which can be used to deliver digital teaching content;

f) How teachers might develop the digital teaching skills to use ICT to transform schools.

The full written statement can be found here

Andrew Green, Chair of WHELF and Librarian of the National Library of Wales, is a member of the task and finish group.

Digital Inclusion Wales – Stakeholders’ Forum Launched

In the Digital Inclusion Framework, published in 2010, the Welsh Government undertook to establish a digital inclusion stakeholder group, comprising those committed to helping adults in Wales use the internet. At the Digital Inclusion conference, in December 2010, following discussions, participants agreed that this should be taken forward as a virtual group.

A Stakeholder’s Forum is therefore being established on the Digital Inclusion Wales website. It is intended to be a place to share experiences, seek advice from others, and learn what is happening elsewhere, whether in Wales or beyond. Over the last couple of years, this has been a fast-moving area. This space will be used to make available the latest policy and evidence, such as data on digital exclusion in Wales. Issues related to key groups, such as older people or those living in social housing, or themes such as e-accessibility and e-crime, can also be considered.

It is intended to make this forum as open and participatory as possible, and, once it is operating, suggestions as to how it can be improved, in whatever form, will be gratefully received.

Please find below a link to the Forum: http://www.digitalinclusionwales.org.uk/