CILASS: Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the

Arts and Social Sciences

Information Literacy Network

Information Literacy and Inquiry-based Learning

CILASS’s commitment to IBL reflects the widespread move in HE over recent years from a teacher-centred conception of the learning process towards an increasingly student-centred model. The University of Sheffield was awarded a CETL on the grounds that IBL was already a pedagogical strategy that had been employed successfully in the Faculties of Arts, Social Sciences and Law.

Information access and processing skills such as those involved in using electronic resources to search for information are a pre-requisite for students undertaking an IBL curriculum.

In integrating information literacy education more closely with the subject curriculum, CILASS will be informed by, and aims to contribute to, leading-edge developments in the pedagogy of information literacy. CILASS is especially committed to developing an inquiry-based pedagogy for information literacy, drawing for example on constructivist and relational approaches that invite exploration of information literacy, and development of information literacy skills, through processes of experiential learning, critical reflection and research.

CILASS Library

Department of Information

Studies

Information Literacy Network

The Information Literacy Network is an interdisciplinary special interest group created with the purpose of bringing together key stakeholders in information literacy at the University of Sheffield under the CILASS umbrella. The Network is chaired by Professor Sheila Corrall from the Department of Information Studies and co-ordinated in partnership with the Library. It draws upon the strong research and teaching interest in information literacy in the Department, as well as on a range of initiatives in the Library, which has been instrumental in developing resources to support information literacy, in particular an online "information skills" WebCT tutorial. Information literacy is a key theme of CILASS activity, as we identify the development of information literacy capabilities as fundamental to the success of inquiry-led curricula.

Key Objectives of the Information Literacy Network:

•Inform the development of an inquiry-based pedagogy for IL teaching

•Organise a programme of events to raise awareness of and promote IL to academic staff

•Build a bank of resources to aid in the development of IL teaching in the University

•Encourage the sharing of good practice in IL development across the disciplines

•Act as the key coordinator for IL development at the University, including feeding into the University’s Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategy.

•Draw upon the strong research base (Sheila Webber, Professor Sheila Corrall) in the Department of Information Studies.

“Embedding IL in your Departmental LTA strategy”

We invited academic staff concerned with writing their departmental Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategy to a workshop run by the Information Literacy Network.

The University LTA strategy explicitly refers to information literacy in the characteristics of the Sheffield graduate, and highlights opportunities for information literacy development as part of experience of learning at Sheffield. The workshop aimed to assist departments in the development of their responses to this aspect of the Strategy. It explored issues and strategies related to incorporating information literacy development into learning and teaching, drew on practical examples and frameworks from within the University and the wider field, and on research conducted in the Department of Information Studies.

Following feedback from the session the Network has produced an initial IL bibliography, now accessible through the electronic reading list service.

Further events will focus on presenting examples of good practice in IL skills development from across the University.

The Information Literacy Network will also be hosting a workshop at the forthcoming Learning Through Enquiry Alliance conference hosted at the University of Manchester by CEEBL (Centre for Excellence in Enquiry Based Learning).Learning Development and Research Associate: Information Literacy

• A member of the CILASS team with particular responsibility for ensuring IL is at the forefront when IBL curriculum innovations are undertaken

• Key co-ordinator for the Information Literacy Network

• Promotes Information Skills WebCT tutorial, electronic reading lists and other relevant Library services to academic staff in CILASS departments

• Liaises with Library based members of the ILN over specialist support for CILASS projects

• Contributes to research in the field.