Enhancing student’s professional information literacy

I chose the article Enhancing student’s professional information literacy for discussion in our learning and growing session for a number of reasons. I felt it highlights an often overlooked aspect of the way we approach information literacy (IL) instruction; offers a unique perspective on evaluating information sources; and also provides a concrete example of how this oversight can be addressed using a collaborative approach.

Some of the key takeaways that stood out to me were:

• IL skills are recognised as a key competency for most jobs in business and finance but workplaces rarely have formalised IL training programmes.
• Information literacy skills development in the tertiary sector is often focused on helping students find and use academic sources and resources which they will lose access to once they graduate.
• By embedding an IL module into a larger discipline course, the authors were able to offer a discipline specific programme, which engaged students by offering the opportunity for hands-on practice and reflection.