Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences

1. Centre forInquiry-basedLearningin the Arts and Social Sciences www.shef.ac.uk/cilass Pam Bing, Learning Development and Research Associate Dr Philippa Levy, Academic Director LILAC, March 28th 2006

2. CILASS: a national CETL • 5 year programme • £4.5M, initially funded by HEFCE + £350K additional capital funding • Impacting on 10,000 students • Arts, Social Sciences and Law as ‘core’ community • Extending to other disciplines • Impacting nationally and internationally

3. Inquiry-based Learning • Student-directed, open-ended inquiry • Problems, case scenarios, small and large investigations • Individual and collaborative projects • Appropriately scaled from Level 1 • Participation in communities and culture of inquiry • Capabilities for scholarship, employability, lifelong learning

4. Information Literacy and IBL • Information literacy - a key theme for CILASS • Strong information literacy capabilities are fundamental to the success of IBL • Specialist educational development support from CILASS team: Learning Development and research Associate (Information Literacy)

5. SCONUL model: Seven Pillars of Information Literacy

6. Embedding information literacyWorking with key partners: CILASS project leaders • Explore conceptions of information literacy • Familiarise them with the SCONUL model • Identify areas where their students are ‘weak’ in terms of information literacy competencies • Develop strategies for addressing these skills within the context of their IBL project • Discuss and recommend support from the Library • It doesn’t have to be complicated: annotated bibliographies and reflection

7. Embedding information literacyWorking with key partners: The Library • SEIL: Student Engagement with Information Literacy • Promoting and adapting existing “Information skills” WebCT module • Developing and promoting “Talis List” Resource Lists service, including funding staff time • Proving specialist support for CILASS project leaders • Potential to assess competencies in information literacy through information skills module

8. Embedding information literacyWorking with key partners: Department of Information Studies • Information literacy audit • Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes • Involving students as IL researchers • Interviews with all module leaders, student focus groups, analysis of module outlines • Methodology scalable to other departments

9. Embedding information literacyWorking with key partners: Department of Information Studies • Using the SCONUL framework to map the extent of IL teaching: • where does IL occur in the programme? • how is it ‘delivered’? • Is it assessed? • Are activities explicitly labelled “IL”? • Is IL mentioned in the learning outcomes?

10. Embedding information literacy:a ‘community of practice’ approach • Information Literacy Network • Drawing together expertise in the Department of Information Studies, Library and CILASS • A focal point for discussion and debate • Reaching out to the wider university • Developing resources

11. Embedding information literacy:a ‘community of practice’ approach • IL development made explicit in the University’s new Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategy (2005-10) • IL awareness events for departments responding to the LTA Strategy • Further program of events “approaching information literacy” for staff at the University

12. For the future • Continuing to strengthen partnership working • Developing IL pedagogy and resources for IBL development and innovation • Building on the aspirations of the LTA Strategy • Holding further IL Network events • Embedding IL focus into staff development activities relating to IBL • Conducting evaluation and inquiry into IL

13. ReferenceSCONUL (1999) “Information Skills in Higher Education: a SCONUL position paper” [online] http://www.sconul.ac.uk/activities/inf_lit/seven_pillars.html