Frances Norton - Podcast

Using library and museum materials in the pursuit of scientific
literacy and public engagement

Bill Gates is still most widely quoted for his notable statement -
'the Internet changes everything.  However, it is probably equally
true to say that 'the mapping of the human genome changes everything'.

The ever-expanding possibilities and consequences of digital
technology combined with discoveries in molecular medicine are
creating a completely new context for understanding and responding to issues of health and disease.

In order to navigate these issues successfully, we all need a level of scientific literacy. That may function to encourage more people to
enter the STM workforce, to take a keener interest in developments in
biomedical science, or to make informed choices during periods of
illness or treatment.

The presentation will discuss the nature of scientific literacy,
demonstrate the current situation among young people, challenge the
commonly held 'deficit' model, and will explore a number of
interesting strategic interventions currently taking place in the UK
to enhance scientific literacy -  including the use of museum and
library primary source materials in culturally congruent ways, in
order to encourage wider public engagement.

 

Patricia Senn Breivik - Podcast

Tara Brabazon - Podcast

From Spin to Social Justice: Librarians in the ‘Conceptual Age'

Daniel Pink, in his book A whole new mind , argued that we have now moved beyond the much celebrated information age.  He suggests we are already moving to the next stage, ‘the conceptual age.'  In such an epoch, not only creators but also empathizers are the citizens of value.  Investing in hardware and software is a short term strategy.  There will always be another engineer or designer to develop a faster processor, a larger hard drive or a more efficient database.  Those who think and live differently will not only create future economic development, but a more complex and socially aware citizenship. 

A core question of my presentation is whether a post-information, conceptual age will be more intellectually generous in recognizing the expertise of librarians.  I probe the costs of fetishizing information at the expense of information literacy, and valuing user-generated content rather than understanding a user's (generated) context. 

 

Christine Irving & John Crawford (presenatation)

Podcast

The development of a National Information Literacy Framework ( Scotland ): progress, barriers, constraints and opportunities

Presentation on an Eduserv funded project to develop a national information literacy framework.

Research undertaken by the Scottish Information Literacy Project (a research and development project based at Glasgow Caledonian University ), highlighted the need to develop a national overarching framework of information literacy skills and competencies which all sectors of education can recognise and develop or which can be applied to the world of work, equipping learners with skills needed for the 21st century. The framework is seen as a key tool for the embedding of information literacy in schools, FE, HE, lifelong learning and for life.

The draft framework was made available for piloting, discussion and evaluation by project partners and other interested parties in April 2007. The piloting period is drawing to an end and the project would like to share with you preliminary findings, highlighting some of the wonderful work our partners have been involved in and the impact which the Framework is having on practice and how it is affecting what is happening in education.

To set this in context the presentation will include a brief overview of the Scottish Information Literacy Project, the wider work it is involved in including advocacy, the workplace and adult literacies agendas and where the project goes from here.

 

Anja Timm

 

“The library? Why would I go there?” – Library use by undergraduate students in China, India and Greece

This address focuses on the information literacy needs of newly arriving international students on taught graduate programmes in British universities. Based on first hand research in the largest sending countries the presentation highlights the diverse approaches and attitudes to library use that international students might exhibit. It also includes a short video clip outlining educational practices in India, which seeks to draw attention to the connection between information literacy and academic writing. Overall, the intention is not to judge students but to explain how the logic of different higher education systems and the prevalent educational practices within them foster particular expectations about potential uses of libraries on the part of the students.

This presentation is based on research conducted by a team from Lancaster University Management School and the London School of Economics for the HEFCE-funded Student Diversity and Academic Writing (SDAW) Project
http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/departments/owt/Research/sdaw/).