Secker, Bell and Wrathall - implementing ANCIL

Editor's Notes

• #7: EmmaThe 2011 Demos report argues that helping young people navigate hugely variable Internet sources should be achieved not by tighter controls but by ensuring they can make informed judgements (4).The move towards independent learning is again key not just to our practices but in our thinking – we should think less about the internet causing harm (passive learning model) and instead focus on what young people bring to the technologies – helping them equip and empower themselves with an understanding of how to apply critical judgement.The Guardian’s high-provile digital literacy campaign for radical change to how ICT is taught and thought about in schools, JISC’s portfolio of projects around the digital library, data management, digital repositories, and Vitae’s events for the ‘Digital Researcher’ – all show that this concept of digital literacy or fluency is becoming of national importance (at last!). In this environment we have a chance to rehabilitate IL.
• #8: JaneInfluenced by UNESCOHolistic ModularEmbedded FlexibleActive and assessedTransitional : Transferable : TransformationalJaneholistic: supporting the whole process of researching and writing rather than just teaching traditional library skills modular: ongoing classes to meet the developing needs of students during their whole academic career, not just one-shot sessions embedded and flexible: can be implemented and taught not only by librarians but by study skills advisors, learning developers, supervisors and lecturers (depending on the needs and structure of the institution) active and assessed: containing a significant element of active and reflective learning, including peer assessment elements, in order to help students develop into informed and autonomous learnersTransitionalTransferableTransformationalTransition occurs in learners, who enter university from a wide variety of backgrounds, but often need to make the transition from school to higher education. They also have to make the transition from dependent to autonomous learning.The curriculum content needs to be transferable, forming a part of education, not simply ‘library training.’ Information literacy fosters and develops appropriatebehaviour, approaches, cognitive functions and skills surrounding the use of information. In essence information literacy equips students with the capacity to generate their own strategies for dealing with new information contexts, for example when they leave higher education and enter the workplace.Finally, information literacy should be transformational for the learner, changing their attitude, behaviour, outlook and even their world-view. Therefore this curriculum has the potential to change lives and make a real difference to society.
• #11: Katy – now curriculum is defined what next?How best to take it forward in an HE institution?Logical next step is using ANCIL to audit existing provision across the institution (mounting block analogy)
• #12: KatyUsing strands to inform the questionsAncillary questions to identify any issuesQuestionnaire v interview
• #13: KatyStrands alone initiate reaction, often lack of recognition of own provisionExpansion of strands then prompts reflection, often interviewees realise they do deliver the strands in some wayLeads to reflection on collaborative holistic approach
• #14: KatyResults identified who could lead, enthusiasts and cynics (need both), how to get institutional buy-in, where there were gaps in understanding and provision and what resources might be neededAction plan can be createdLike any campaign, keep moving and do not lose the impetus
• #15: You need to identify the important players before you auditAllow time – 3 weeks in a 10 week project is not enough – but make sure you maintain the impetusFind the right format and right reward reward to encourage participation
• #16: LSE has around 9000 students in total, 4500 are undergraduates. The rest are postgraduate and come from over 140 countries. Largest departments Economics and Accounting and Finance but strong qualitative departments: Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Philosophy, Social Policy, Geography, International History etc. 16 Nobel Prize winners from LSE – the first being George Bernard Shaw who was one of the founders of the school34 past or present world leaders have studied ot taught at LSE.
• #19: Unequal provision across ANCIL strands and support often not joined upMuch provision informal, standalone, not assessedServices often not working togetherHowever Belief that IL is important, needs to be embedded and student learning scaffoldedEvidence of willingness to change and opportunities to work together arising from work
• #20: Good understanding of IL but focus on online information: find, evaluate and manageThey tend to cover strands 1-5 in more detailRarely cover ethical and social dimensionSome courses (quantitative) state Strand 9 not required at UG levelHighlights examples of good practice and suggested skills embedded at some levelTime a factor in UG curriculum
• #21: Clear engagement with strands 1, 6 & 7Strands 8, 9 and 10 not well coveredLittle evidence that IL is embedded although recognised as idealRecognised need to work with other professionals (Careers, Teaching & Learning)Belief that embedding is difficult, might be met with resistance from faculty, organisational problems, timetables all seen as reasons why it might not happenInconsistent coverage across departmentsNot all ANCIL strand titles clear