Archive of ‘Information literacy’ category
When I began my learning in ETL523, my initial post showed a very basic understanding of digital citizenship, stating that “digital citizenship is participating online in a responsible and positive manner” (Gemell, 2023, February 20, para. 3). I was on the right track, however there is more to digital citizenship than I first understood.
I now know that digital citizenship goes beyond online safety. It’s all the competencies required to interact in the digital environment in a positive way, including digital literacy (Ribble, 2015). It was also interesting to frame digital citizenship in a positive frame as a list of ‘do’s’ rather than a list of ‘don’ts’ (ISTE, 2018).
Prior to studying ETL523 I never gave much through to the digital learning environment (DLE) and the role that it plays in education. I still stand by my statement on the discussion board, “Students must have skills beyond digital literacy to engage in these platforms in a positive manner…Students need a thorough understanding of digital citizenship to prepare themselves for life in and out of (and beyond) school” (Gemell, 2023, March 5a).
As a TL, I was excited to learn about the collaboration required between TL’s and teachers to implement a successful digital citizenship program in schools. Embedding digital citizenship skills is the best way forward, rather than individual stand-alone lessons or seminars (Maughan, 2017). This is something I touched upon in the Forum Topic 1.2 where I stated that “It’s about embedding digital citizenship in the learning, not adjacent to the learning” (Gemell, 2023, March 5b).
This is best achieved through collaboration and common language around digital citizenship as a whole-school approach (Preddy, 2016). The TL is well-placed (in the Library with a central view of the curriculum) to collaborate with teachers and the integration of technology into teaching programs (ASLA, 2021).
Two challenges that are faced in many schools are the assumptions, by teachers, that students already have competencies in the DLE, and that students also believe they have these competencies. It is important to remember that students do not innately have skills in the digital environment and the concept of the ‘digital native’ is misinformed. Digital skills need to be taught and fostered (Kirschner & De Bruyckere, 2017). I touched on the idea of students thinking they know it all (about the DLE) stating that “explicitly teaching these skills is quite difficult without students coming back with the response of ‘I know!’” (Gemell, 2023, March 5c). It is also up to teachers to model appropriate online behaviours, including referencing standards. “Teachers are ridiculous with their breaches of copyright and then expect students to comply with referencing standards” (Gemell, 2023, March 22a). This possibly links with the range of teachers’ abilities in the DLE, which makes “it difficult for them to confidently navigate the DLE, let alone teach students how to use it” (Gemell, 2023, March 22b).
My learning about digital citizenship in schools, the role of the DLE in education and the role that the TL plays in this has increased significantly through studying ETL523. I look forward to applying my learning in my own school context to develop the schools’ digital citizenship program and improve the schools’ overall level of skill in the DLE.
References
Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2021). What is a teacher librarian?. https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian
ISTE. (2018, October 11). Rethinking digital citizenship [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwKTYHBG5kk
Kirschner, P.A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The Myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education. 10(67) 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001
Maughan, S. (2017). School librarians are teaching digital citizenship. Publishers Weekly, 264(34), 30. https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/school-librarians-are-teaching-digital/docview/1931489244/se-2
Preddy, L. (2016). The critical role of the school librarian in digital citizenship education. Knowledge Quest 44(4), 4-5. https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=752c5457-531c-4889-b73b-41955846fe5f%40redis
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools (3rd edition). International Society for Technology in Education.
Technology is a great tool to harness information in the 21st century learning environment. It is the teacher librarian’s (TL) responsibility to ensure that students ‘have access to well-organised systems for retrieving resources’ (Gemell, 2022, July 24), since effective school libraries enhance student learning outcomes (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). This is achieved by providing easy access to information in a range of formats through the use of technology. Effective school libraries also assist with integrating information literacy skills across a range of curriculum areas (Libraries Tasmania, 2022). All these aspects are covered in a well-constructed research page.
Creating digital learning objects is an important role of the TL to support digital literacy for students. A digital learning object is ‘a standalone piece of digital content that can be used and reused for learning purposes’ (IGI Global, n.d.). ‘The TL is well-placed to curate digital resources for teachers and students to access’ (Gemell, 2022, August 22), making them a ‘one-stop-shop for accessing information quickly and easily’ (Gemell, 2022, August 22). This idea is supported by ACT Government (2019, p. 7), stating ‘Teacher librarians are professional curators – they select only the most useful resources for teaching and learning’. By creating research guides, TLs assist in locating reliable, meaningful and authoritative resources in a world of information overload (ACT Government, 2019). Research guides also ‘encourage active engagement in the interactive information seeking process’ (Education matters, 2022).
Teaching and support are required in students’ development of information literacy and research skills (Loh, 2019). Students do not naturally have digital literacy skills (Kirscher & De Bruyckere, 2017). Kelly (2022, September 16) stated that there is ‘value in building the essential skills students need to be successful, particularly when using digital technologies’. I agree with this statement and as a TL it is imperative to teach our students the skills they need to be successful. ‘This world of ever-changing information is a minefield for students to navigate and we are all having to upskill in a variety of areas in order to successfully navigate and access the information we require’ (Gemell, 2022, July 24).
Creating research guides presents challenges relating to copyright. As the TL I must be an exemplar for best practice. This was discussed in relation to the use of book covers as pictures when creating research guides. The main point from the discussion is that using the book covers is highly unlikely to have any negative effects, however it’s important that correct copyright practice is modelled (Oddone, 2022, September 13). I found the smartcopying website to be reliable resource.
Another challenge that arose is the consideration of the reading level of the online resources. Knowing my students is key to selecting appropriate resources, but this was also backed up by the use of website readability checkers. The two that I predominantly used were Webfx for individual pages and Experte for entire websites. The accessibility of the online research guide also needed to be considered. ‘If students are presented with a resource that is not suitable for their needs, then it is of little use’ (Gemell, 2022, September 8). This is also true in the evaluation of search engines. ‘It’s important to think about what the students need out of their searching’ (Gemell, 2022, August 4).
To validate the effort of building a research page, it needs to be used by students and promoted by teachers. It is not a matter of ‘build it and they will come’. Having the research pages located on a platform that students use regularly helps in this conundrum. In my current role, LibBase (part of Infiniti) is used as the research guide platform. These are linked to class pages and promoted in class by the classroom teachers. As a result, these research guides are well-used (Gemell, 2022, August 2022).
In building the research guide I have learnt to consider the readability of a website, including the reading level, navigation and layout. I have also learnt to do some coding (thanks to a wonderful colleague) to ensure that the website was fit for purpose.
References
ACT Government. (2019). School Libraries: The Heart of 21st Century Learning. Canberra: ACT Government: Education. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf
Education matters magazine. (2022). School libraries supporting 21st century learning. https://www.educationmattersmag.com.au/school-libraries-supporting-21st-century-learning/
IGI Global. (2022). What is a digital learning object. https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/enhancing-21st-century-learning-using-digital-learning-objects-and-multiple-intelligence-theory/67087
Kelly, S. (2022, September 16). Creating resources [Discussion board]. ETL501, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_62875_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_127076_1&forum_id=_281396_1&message_id=_4131909_1
Kirschner, P.A. & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001
Libraries Tasmania. (2022). Effective school libraries. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/school-library/Pages/effective.aspx
Loh, C. E. (2019). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. https://doi.org/ 10.13140/RG.2.2.32524.36489.
Oddone, K. (2022, September 13). Referencing pictures [Discussion board]. ETL501, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_62875_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_127076_1&forum_id=_281392_1&message_id=_4222723_1
I’m in the process of curating resources for assignment 2, The library research guide. Having previously made pathfinders I thought this assignment would be straightforward. However, I have come to realise that there is so much to think about when curating resources for the research guide.
More than a Google search
Research guides are so much more than doing a broad Google search and trawling through the pages to find something that I think is suitable, then copying and pasting the URL. The curation of these resources relies on the TL understanding not only the topic area, but the students who will be accessing the research guide. The research guide also needs to embed research literacy skills, so students get the research guide is more than a collection of resources; it explains how to use the resources to get the most value out of them. Appropriate annotations of the resources allows students to navigate the resources and use them more effectively. In this way, the research guide supports students in navigating a range of quality resources and avoiding the infoglut of a poorly executed Google search.
Accessibility and readability
I hadn’t previously considered the readability or accessibility of resources but now realise that this is so important. If students are presented with a resource that is not suitable for their needs, then it is of little use. There are several readability checkers available online including Experte and Sitechecker.
The readability score (scale of 0-100). The following table shows the ranges
(Image from https://www.experte.com/readability-checker)
The access of the resources is also important. Different students have different needs when it comes to access and these must be considered in the creation of a research guide. The research guide that I am currently creating is focusing on the Year 8 history topic: Japan under the Shoguns. While researching suitable sites I discovered that there are sites available that have a read aloud function for many of the articles. This function is available on worldhistory.org and School Britannica. It is also available on many eBooks. This function allows students of lower reading abilities to access resources that they may otherwise not access.
Information literacy
To ensure the research guide is more than curated resources it is important to embed information literacy skills. Links to effective note-taking skills, note-taking templates and information about effective research skills are paramount. It’s one thing for students to access the resources, it’s another to support them in effective notetaking and research. The inclusion of instructional videos and clear templates support students to navigate and get the most out of the research guide.
Be sure to
Final hot tips for a great research guide
- Know your students
- Know the curriculum
- Use the readability checkers
- Check the readability of each web resources
- Check the readability of the research guide
- Embed information literacy skills
- Notetaking templates
- Notetaking skill information
- Boolean operators
- Easy navigation of the research guide
- Visually appealing but not distracting
- Working links
- Appropriate annotations
- Modelling of correct referencing
So much has changed in my thinking in the areas of the role of the teacher librarian (TL), Information Literacy and Inquiry Learning Models over the course of this unit it’s hard to know where to start. Even prior to beginning this area of study I had moved my thinking from the TL being a staff member whose roles “included reading a story to each class every week, helping students with borrowing, putting books back on the shelves, and organising and handing out BookClub orders” (Gemell, 2021, March 7, para. 1), even though these are some tasks that I fulfil in my current TL role. On reflection, having read back over my very first post, The Role of the Teacher Librarian (Gemell, 2021, March 7), not once did I mention inquiry learning. I hinted at information literacy but didn’t quite hit the mark by stating that the TL fulfils “a vital role by working collaboratively … to plan and teach units of work in order to assist the students to develop information literacy” (para.2). This collaboration only meant working with a classroom teacher, not the principal and I had no understanding of why this collaboration was important, it was just something TLs did.
Prior to study I thought that Information Literacy just referred to students being able to search for and use information for their assignments. I also never realised that information literacy has no set definition and its use depends on the context and purpose (Charles Sturt University, 2021). With all the different theories and approaches to information literacy no wonder it becomes a daunting area! However, I have come to realise it is so much more than doing basic searches and students writing information in their own words, and the TL plays an important role in this particular avenue of literacy. This does not happen in isolation and is a collaboration between the TL, classroom teachers and the school principal. Without all these elements in sync, the initiative of information literacy will fail before it flourishes (Kelly, 2021, April 30 ).
In my previous experience, inquiry learning was done in-class with the classroom teacher and the students. It never occurred to me that the TL would be an integral part of the process. I also never realised that there were so many different inquiry models to choose from, each offering something different, depending on the context in which they are used. I had only ever worked with Kath Murdoch’s model of designing a journey of inquiry (Murdoch, 2019) (and this was only brought to my attention five years ago) so it was interesting to delve deeper into the world of inquiry learning models and the benefits of using inquiry learning. I have come to the conclusion that a whole-school approach is the most effective way to achieve quality outcomes from inquiry and “the vision of all three (TL, classroom teacher and principal) need to match so that the skills being taught and used by the students are systematic and consistent” (Gemell, 2021, April 9, para. 4). The skills the TL brings to any inquiry learning model are paramount to the success of the program.
I think that my biggest shift in thinking throughout this unit has been the concept of collaboration between TL, principal and classroom teacher. Without a shared vision and collaboration between all three, the failure of information literacy and inquiry learning is inevitable. The roles of the TL, principal and classroom teachers work hand in hand (in hand) and the TL is the butter that holds that sandwich together. “The TL needs to be proactive in voicing the needs of the teachers and students so that the principal can facilitate these needs. The principal can only act on what they know. It is up to the TL to demonstrate the value of the library resources and programs and in turn this enables the principal to be able to fulfil the needs” (Gemell, 2021, March 18, para. 3).
It’s interesting that the idea of collaboration between TL, classroom teacher and principal is not a new one and was shown as a key component to student success in 1999 (Muronaga & Harada) and possibly even earlier. It was a big lightbulb moment when I realised this was such an important component of the TL role and the success of information literacy and inquiry learning models. My biggest question now is how far can you take this collaboration and what would happen? Just imagine the possibilities!
References
Charles Sturt University. (2021). Information Literacy [course material]. ETL401, Interact2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContentEditable.jsp?content_id=_4194250_1&course_id=_55148_1
Gemell, L. (2021, March 7). Role of the Teacher Librarian. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2021/03/07/role-of-the-teacher-librarian/
Gemell, L. (2021, April 9). Information Literacy in the school context. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2021/04/09/information-literacy-in-the-school-context/
Gemell, L (2021, April 3). Inquiry learning vs. standardised testing. Mrs G’s Masters Musings. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/mastersmusings/2021/04/03/inquiry-learning-vs-standardised-testing/
Kelly, S. (2021, April 30). DISCUSSION: 5.4a: Information Literacy. [Unpublished manuscript]. School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University
Murdoch, Kath (2019). A Model for Designing a Journey of Inquiry. Kath Murdoch. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55c7efeae4b0f5d2463be2d1/t/5dcb82551bdcf03f365b0a6f/1573618265386/A+MODEL+FOR+DESIGNING+A+JOURNEY+OF+INQUIRY.pdf
Muronaga, K. & Harada, V. (1999). The Art of Collaboration. Teacher Librarian, 27 (1). 9
Mandy Lupton’s article Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum presents an interesting analysis of the links (and omissions) in the inquiry methods in the Australian Curriculum across the disciplines of Science, History and Geography.
These three disciplines give scope for inquiry learning, whether it’s guided inquiry with questions posed by the teacher, or open inquiry with questions posed by the student. Both of these inquiry models require the students to answer the questions using inquiry methods.
Inquiry models can be used across a variety of disciplines. It is important to have a consistent approach to inquiry so that the same techniques and methods are used consistently. Kath Murdoch’s Inquiry Cycle (Murdoch, 2019) is the inquiry method I am most familiar with as this is the model that is used in my K-12 school.
This uniform approach to information literacy is intertwined with collaboration between the TL, teachers and the principal. The vision of all three need to match so that the skills being taught and used by the students are systematic and consistent.
Lupton states that there are omissions in the Australian Curriculum when it comes to information literacy and the imbedded skills. This omission is seen as both an oversight, but at the same time an opportunity for the TL to shine in their role as curriculum innovators.
“If teacher librarians see their role as curriculum innovators, then integrating the Australian Curriculum strands into a coherent inquiry learning framework that explicitly integrates information literacy may be one of the most significant ways we can contribute to the implementation of the Australian Curriculum” (Lupton, 2014, p. 18).
This cannot be done by the TL alone. It needs to be a whole-school approach in order to achieve the best outcomes for students in their emerging and continuing skills in information literacy.
References
Lupton, M.(2014) Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum v6, Access, November
Murdoch, K. (2019). A model for designing a journey of inquiry. Retrieved from Kath Murdoch: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55c7efeae4b0f5d2463be2d1/t/5d672b554646780001dbe0fd/1567042417794/%23A+MODEL+FOR+DESIGNING+A+JOURNEY+OF+INQUIRY.pdf