Information literacy
SCONUL describes an Information literate person as someone who is able "demonstrate an awareness of how they gather, use, manage, synthesise and create information and data in an ethical manner and will have the information skills to do so effectively."
SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy
Benefits of Information literacy for students
As the range and quantity of published information increases, so does the need for you to be able to find quickly and easily the right information for the task. You also need to be able to synthesise and generate new information and present it back to others both in written and oral form.
Your ability to find and use information will not only help you succeed at Loughborough, but also at work. Employers are increasingly seeking individuals that are:
- independent seekers of information
- critical and discerning users of information.
Benefits of Information literacy for staff
The importance of Information Literacy is recognised not only by those working in the information field, e.g. CILIP & SCONUL, but it is also recognised by employers, professional associations and the government as an important attribute that is applicable to both study, employment and life long learning. For example the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) suggests that:
"The student will have the ability to: gather and analyse relevant information from a wide variety of sources using appropriate manual and electronic systems".
Quality Assurance Agency. 2004. Subject Benchmark Statements. Academic Standards: Health Studies. Quality Assurance Agency, Gloucester.
By working with your Academic Librarian you will have the opportunity to:
- contextualise information literacy and embed it into the curriculum linking it to other key skills
- demonstrate how this specific learning outcome is achieved
- potentially further develop your students critical thinking skills, as they have better quality evidence to develop their ideas and to support their arguments
- assist students in potentially being more able to use deep and reflective learning practices
- possibly receive better quality assignments to mark.
Arranging information literacy courses
The Library bases the Information Literacy teaching on the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy. Hopefully the model will help you decide how you would like Information Literacy embedded into the curriculum.
If you wish to organise a customised IL lecture or workshop, please contact the relevant Academic Librarian who will outline the options available including:
- sessions being delivered to a particular cohort of students,
- self-paced learning materials, such as the Advice sheets and the Academic Practice module on Learn,
- or other courses already on offer such as the Know-how courses.
The Library welcomes suggestions for courses and supporting materials.
Q. Who is my Academic Librarian?
| School | Academic Librarian |
|---|---|
| School of Civil and Building Engineering | C Greasley |
| School of Business and Economics | L Fletcher |
| School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Materials, Chemical Engineering | V Franklin |
| School of Science (Compromising Chemistry, Computing Science, Information Science, Mathematics and Physics) | R Laing |
| Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering | T M Marshall |
| School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering | R Laing |
| Loughborough Design School | F Parry |
| School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences | F Parry |
| Social, Political and Geographical Sciences | S Reid (Geography and PHIR) H Young (Social Sciences) |
| School of Arts, English and Drama | B Whetnall |