Abstract
Information and Academic Literacies (I&AL) are fundamental to student success (Wingate, 2006; Wingate and Tribble, 2012), yet they often remain siloed, limiting their impact. Responding to the institutional drive of the Curriculum Transformation Programme (CTP) at Lancaster University, we used the opportunity to raise the profile of I&AL within core curriculum design. This session introduces the innovative I&AL Toolkit, developed from our Information Literacy Framework (Newnham, 2021). Recent sector-wide research highlights the importance of collaborative approaches to embedding academic literacies, with librarians and learning developers both playing key roles in curriculum design and inclusive practice (Hakim and Wingate, 2024; Shackleton, Smith, and Williams, 2025).
We will explore the innovative and collaborative process of mapping I&AL skills, knowledge, and abilities across academic levels 4–7. Evidence shows that embedding these literacies within modules enhances student confidence, engagement, and academic performance (Wingate and Tribble, 2012).
Our approach moves I&AL from a generic 'bolt-on' model to a fully embedded strategy, establishing it as a core and integral part of the student learning experience. This integrated approach implements strategic, curriculum-wide change, providing a transformative, sector-ready model for curriculum redesign that elevates I&AL as a key driver for institutional success, retention, graduate outcomes, and inclusive pedagogy.
Session highlights:
1. We will explore our approach to working collaboratively, outlining why this joint ownership was essential in challenging times.
2. We will outline the purpose of the toolkit, how we envision its use, and how it’s being used already, including a case study.
3. We will showcase the Toolkit's usable, accessible design and highlight how our curriculum-wide mapping has been identified as 'leading the way' in the sector.
Attendees will:
1. Be empowered in our approach to working collaboratively.
2. Understand how developing an I&AL toolkit can promote a sustainable and effective use of time.
3. Identify the importance of prioritising content and having a focused approach to I&AL teaching and support.
4. Be inspired by our innovative and creative approach in mapping I&AL.
5. Understand the potential impact of our toolkit across university and wider sector.
References
(APA 7th Edition)
Hakim, A., & Wingate, U. (2024). Collaborative approaches to embedding academic literacy instruction in the curriculum: Examples from UK universities. Studies in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2397695
Newnham, D. (2021). Information Literacies Framework. Lancaster University.
Shackleton, L., Smith, C., & Williams, R. (2025). Academic literacies: Learning developers’ perspectives on informing the curriculum. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (37). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1760
Wingate, U. (2006). Doing away with “study skills”. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(4), 457–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510600874268
Wingate, U., & Tribble, C. (2012). The best of both worlds? Towards an English for Academic Purposes/Academic Literacies writing pedagogy. Studies in Higher Education, 37(4), 481–495. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2010.513854
