Curriculum Alignment Project

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• Curriculum Alignment Project
• INFORMATION LITERACY SURVEY

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Success can no longer be seen as simply the
school leaving qualification important though
that is..but success also needs to be seen in
each student successfully progressing into
tertiary educationHoward Fancy, Secretary of
Education, Ministry of Education, New Zealand
Principals today, term 2, 2006, page 14
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New ZealandSurvey area

• Auckland
• Manukau Institute of Technology
• Otago/ Southland/ South Canterbury
• Otago Polytechnic/
• Dunedin

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Information literacy surveyTeam members..

• Dr Helen Anderson, National Curriculum Alignment
  Projects Manager, Manukau Institute of
  Technology
• Dale Bennett CAP Manager Otago/ Otago
  Polytechnic
• Maurie Jackways, Principal, Mount Aspiring
  College
• Philip van Zijl, Library Manager, Bill Robertson
  Library
• Emma Bennett Organisation Research Officer, O.
  Poly
• Vicki Darling Senior Librarian, Bill Robertson
  Library
• Glynis Shields Centre Manager National Library
  Dunedin.

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Information Literacy definition for this
project

• Information Literacy is the ability to identify,
  use, acknowledge and evaluate information for
  problem solving and decision making.

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CAP Information Literacy ProjectTimeframe

• July 2005, January 2006
• Photo students in Otago University Info Centre..

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CAP Information Literacy ProjectAims

• To raise awareness in Otago Secondary Schools and
  Otago Polytechnic of the standards of Information
  literacy skills needed by students to complete
  their studies across all levels and in all areas
  of study.
• To assist in aligning the Information Literacy
  skills of students leaving secondary schools in
  the catchment area with what are required for
  successful tertiary study.

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CAP Information Literacy ProjectExpected
outcomes

• To report to stakeholders
• To produce a resource to help future students
  make a more successful transition

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And the Survey itself.Information Literacy
Survey

• Purpose of survey
• To examine the perceived Information Literacy
  confidence and actual competence of first
  year - first year out of school - Otago
  Polytechnic students
• 3 interconnected surveys
• Years 12/13 teachers expected competence
• 1st year Polytechnic lecturers expected
  competence
• Students themselves confidence actual
  competence

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Information literacy Survey Unique aspects..

• 293 valid teacher returns
• 48 secondary schools
• 142 1st year students
• Survey questions origins
• Confidence questions
• Competence questions
• Dianne Quirion/ Dianne Mittermeyer 2003
  competence survey

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What weve all been waiting for..Survey Results

• e.g.
• Expectation of Independent Information Literacy
  competence and confidence
• Teachers
• Polytechnic lecturers
• Year one students
• See your template

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Expectations of Independentstudent Info lit
confidence/ competence.Deciding Understanding
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Information Literacy skills assessed.
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Expectations of Independentstudent Info lit
confidence/ competence.Deciding Understanding
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Expectations of Independent student Info lit
confidence/ competence.Finding/ Searching
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Finding/ Searching Q19

• You have been asked to write a paper on the
  Treatment of depression. Which search strategy
  will find the least number of documents?

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Expectations of Independentstudent Info lit
confidence/ competenceUsing/ Selecting/
Evaluating
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Expectations of Independent student Info lit
confidence/ competenceAcknowledging/ Appropriate
use.
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Your responses..?
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Some possible conclusions..?

• Teachers are more confident of students
  independent Information literacy competence
  skills in their first year of Polytechnic study
  than their Lecturers.
• Students are far more confident than
  competent in their own information literacy
  skills in their first year of study at Otago
  Polytechnic
• Students confidence in their information literacy
  skills are higher than their teachers
  expectations of their competence which are
  still inflated
• Difficulties in teaching Information literacy
  skills may be related to the students inflated
  confidence in their existing skills.
• Difficulties in encouraging teachers to consider
  Information Literacy could relate to their
  confidence that students will be OK in this area
  .
• And theres more

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And School Librarians..Student support if
needed- Who would do it?
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Your Responses.??
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So what? Where next?

• Publication of survey in education and library
  contexts e.g. SET, NZCER
• Publicity e.g. Principals groups
• A resource?
• Local good practice initiatives.
• Repeat survey in Australia?
• And Quebec

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Any questions

• If you would like a copy of the complete survey
• Email me at
• Glynis.shields_at_natlib.govt.nz
• Daleb_at_tecotago.ac.nz