Digital Libraries and Information Literacy Issues within Virtual Learning Environments: An eLearning

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Digital Libraries and Information Literacy Issues
within Virtual Learning Environments An
e-Learning Impasse?

• George Macgregor,
• Centre for Digital Library Research,
• Department of Computer Information Science,
• University of Strathclyde
• http//cdlr.strath.ac.uk/
• Lou McGill,
• Learning Technologist (DIDET Project),
• Department of Learning Services,
• University of Strathclyde
• http//www.learningservices.strath.ac.uk/

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Introduction

• The debate what is a VLE?
• The components in which learners and tutors
  participate in online
• interactions of various kinds, including online
  learning (JISC, 2002)
• Information literacy often underpins the
  pedagogical merits of many VLEs
• VLE models constantly in transition

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DIDET Project

• DIDET Digital Libraries for Global Distributed
  Innovative Design, Education Teamwork
  Project(http//dmem1.ds.strath.ac.uk/didet/)
• Digital Libraries in the Classroom NSF/JISC
  funding stream with multi-disciplinary teams
• DIDET approach unique
• Digital library management by students
• What are the issues?
• Does such a VLE approach question the
  effectiveness of current IL models?

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Digital Libraries VLEs DIDET rationale

• DIDET aim
• enhance student learning opportunities by
  enabling them to partake in global, team based
  design engineering projects, in which they
  directly experience different cultural contexts
  and access a variety of digital information
  sources via a range of appropriate technology
  (DIDET, 2003, p.4).
• Reflects demands of the global product design
  development marketplace and creative design
  processes
• Desirable to expose HE students to such a reality
  and resonates with a shift towards project based
  learning (PBL)

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LauLima Group of People Working Together

• LauLima VLE digital library platform
• Extensively customised TikiWiki software
• Comprises 2 elements
• LauLima Learning Environment (LLE) - informal
• LauLima Digital Library (LDL) - formal

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Hierarchical File Gallery in the LLE
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Digital Library Metadata Workflows

• Metadata the preserve of librarians?
• Metadata Workflow needed to make LDL scalable and
  user-interactive
• LDL based on Dublin Core
• DC resonated with the nature of the content
• Lack of cataloguing support for more developed
  schemas
• Complex schemas would eliminate interaction by
  students and academics
• Project sustainability

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Illustration of LauLima Metadata Workflow
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Information Literacy e-Learning Impasse

• CILIP definition (CILIP, 2004)
• knowing when and why you need information,
  where to find it, and how to evaluate it, use and
  communicate is in an ethical manner.
• This definition implies several skills. We
  believe that the skills (or competencies) that
  are required to be information literate require
  an understanding of
• A need for information
• The resources available
• How to find information
• The need to evaluate results
• How to work with or exploit results
• Ethics and responsibility for use
• How to communicate or share your findings
• How to manage your findings

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Information Literacy e-Learning Impasse

• SCONUL Seven Pillars Model for
• Information Literacy (SCONUL ACIL, 2004)
• Recognise information need
• Distinguish ways of addressing their information
  gap
• Construct strategies for locating information
• Locate and access information
• Compare and evaluate information
• Organise, apply communicate
• Synthesise and create

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Information Literacy e-Learning Impasse

• Alan Bundy in JeLit (2004) IL necessary for
  participative citizenship, personal empowerment
  social inclusion
• UNESCO Prague Declaration (NCLIS, 2003) IL a
  basic human right of lifelong learning

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Information Literacy e-Learning Impasse

• VLE models evolving demands student fluency in
  skills out with current IL definitions and models
• LauLima approach not only assumes that students
  exemplify competencies noted by CILIP et al, but
  that students have competencies associated with
  librarianship itself.

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Information Literacy e-Learning Impasse

• LauLima based on student created metadata
• Students apply elements such as title, author,
  citation, description, subject, etc.
• Students require some knowledge of the storage,
  organisation, general management of information
  itself, as well as understanding as to the
  purpose and function of metadata
• This isnt AACR2 stuff! However

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Information Literacy e-Learning Impasse

• The DIDET experience
• IL aptitudes inadequate to support meaningful
  quality metadata creation within a less complex
  LauLima prototype
• Prototype embryonic workflow, no controlled
  subject vocabulary (folksonomy), fewer elements
  to complete
• Lack of student understanding meaningless
  descriptions, subject descriptors too broad to
  support meaningful document retrieval, student
  inability to discern the subject from which their
  resource derived, and on and on.
• Why should students understand???????

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Information Literacy Implications

• Current IL conceptualisations fall short within
  specific e-learning contexts
• LauLima quite a unique example, but evolution of
  VLE models increasingly emphasise incorporation
  of digital libraries within VLEs
• Digital Libraries in the Classroom
• Pedagogical paradigm shift emphasis on PBL
  constructivist learning, etc.
• Similar model to LauLima InfoBase Project
  (Delft University of Technology), Spoken Word
  Project (Glasgow Caledonian University
  Michigan State University)

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Information Literacy Implications

• DIDET experimenting with integrated and embedded
  IL model which addresses IL anomalies
• Based loosely on the Big6 Model (Eisenberg,
  2001) parallels several design process models
• Model conducive to design engineering pedagogy,
  esp. where VLEs and digital libraries support
  PBL.
• an exhaustive exposition to feature in the
  literature soon!

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Concluding thoughts

• Accommodating ever sophisticated ICT based
  learning models within IL will always be a
  challenge
• A bigger challenge ensuring models are adaptive
  and reflect transient nature of ICT based
  learning
• Should LIS community debate the need to augment
  or revise IL models advocated by CILIP et al? (Of
  course, these models are still particularly
  usefulbut are they still applicable within
  specific e-learning contexts?)
• Students need the skills to unlock the potential
  of radical approaches to ICT based learning

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Contact, Comments, Questions

• Email me george.macgregor_at_strath.ac.uk
• Email Lou louise.k.mcgill_at_strath.ac.uk
• Comments? Questions?
• Thank you for listening!

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References

• Bundy, A. (2004), One Essential Direction
  Information Literacy, Information Technology
• Fluency, Journal of eLiteracy, Vol.1 No.1,
  pp.7-22. Available
• http//www.jelit.org/archive/00000006/01/JeLit_Pap
  er_1.pdf (Accessed 22 March 2005)
• CILIP. (2004), Information Literacy Definition,
  CILIP, London. Available
• http//www.cilip.org.uk/professionalguidance/infor
  mationliteracy/definition/ (Accessed 22
• March 2005).
• DIDET. (2003), DIDET Project Plan, University
  of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Available
• http//dmem1.ds.strath.ac.uk/didet/about/project_p
  lan.pdf (Accessed 22 March 2005)
• Eisenberg, M, B. (2001), A Big6 Skills Overview,
  Big6 Associates, New York.
• Available http//www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id
  16 (Accessed 22 March 2005)
• NCLIS. (2003), The Prague Declaration "Towards
  an Information Literate Society",
• NCLIS, Washington D.C. Available at
  http//www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconfmeet/pos
  t-
• infolitconfmeet/PragueDeclaration.pdf (Accessed
  22 March 2005)
• SCONUL ACIL. (2004), Learning Outcomes and
  Information Literacy, Society of