Taking the pulse ...

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Taking the pulse ...

• The information literacy practices of Victorian
  TAFE librarians

Jenny Fafeita William Angliss Institute of TAFE
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Presentation Outline

• Reasons for undertaking research
• Research design
• Key findings
• Further research

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Reasons for Undertaking Research

• Desire to know situation of colleagues in
  Victoria
• TAFE Reference Interest Group workshop on IL
• Original idea survey semi-structured
  interviews focusing on Victorian TAFE librarians

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Research Support

• VATL official approval funding for survey
  software
• Requested national survey
• Input on questions
• CSU process, subject expertise, encouragement
  no research culture in TAFE

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Research Questions

• What are the practices used by Australian TAFE
  librarians to teach and foster IL?
• Are there any differences in practice between
  single and dual sector institutions, and between
  states and territories?
• What changes have occurred since the previous
  survey in 2001?

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Research Design

• Method
• Descriptive survey
• Data collection technique
• Web-based questionnaire
• Surveymonkey.com survey tool
• http//www.surveymonkey.com

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Surveymonkey.com Results Display
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Pilot Testing

• Questionnaire follow up interviews
• VATL input
• Refinement of instrument

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Research Design

• Sampling
• Convenience sampling (volunteers)
• Survey link distributed via the TRIG email list
  VATL listserv
• Findings apply to the participants

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Results

• Participation
• 52 librarians
• 29 (55.8) standalone TAFEs
• 23 (44.2) dual sector TAFEs
• Sixteen out of nineteen (84.2) TAFEs were
  represented in the survey
• An additional TAFE was involved in the pilot
  testing

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Definition of IL Used
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Information Literacy Training
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Changes Since Previous Survey
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Computer Skills Training
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Assessment Measures Used to Evaluate Student
Outcomes
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Integration of IL in the Curriculum
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Teacher Involvement in IL Program Development
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How IL is Promoted at TAFE

• Well-established methods mostly directed at
  students and teachers
• Newsletters, brochures, posters etc.
• Print and electronic (website, intranet, email)
• Meetings, staff PD, o-week, library week
• Library structures
• Liaison, portfolio library coordinators
  (promoting to dean level), dedicated IL position

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Librarians Perception of Whether IL is Valued by
their Institution
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Barriers Faced When Advocating or Providing IL

• Resources
• TAFE management
• Teachers
• Time constraints
• Students

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Insufficient Resources

• Staffing
• Classes for part-time students
• For ongoing program review development
• Classroom facilities equipment
• Not enough training rooms with computer
  facilities
• IT problems / glitches

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TAFE Management

• TAFE management perceived to not value libraries
  or IL
• Generic skills not valued by TAFE system
• Departments with internal problems
• Lack of coordination impacting on provision of IL
  training to students

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Teachers

• Lack of interest / understanding about IL
• Ignorance of IL program content
• Librarians viewed as a threat to SCHs
• Contacting sessional teachers

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Time Constraints

• Not enough time in curriculum
• Suitable time in curriculum IL often lumped in
  with orientation activities when students are
  suffering from information overload

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Students

• Not interested in all aspects of IL training
• Mainly interested when IL is relevant to
  assessment tasks
• Language barriers
• Differing PC skill levels

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Further Research

• National survey
• IL Framework for TAFE

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Questions?