This document discusses information literacy and its role as a catalyst for educational change. It begins by defining information literacy and outlining some of its key aspects. It then examines some of the challenges of implementing information literacy in higher education, such as supporting lifelong learning skills, developing a learning culture, and addressing diverse student needs through flexible teaching approaches. The document argues that information literacy can empower both learners and librarians when implemented through a clear collaborative strategy between faculty, libraries, and administrators. When adopted as a pedagogical framework, information literacy can support lifelong learning and increase institutional and national competitiveness.

1. Information Literacy, a catalyst for
educational change
Susie Andretta
Senior Lecturer in Information Management
London Metropolitan University
s.andretta@londonmet.ac.uk
www.ilit.org

2. Information literacy: a definition
To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize
when information is needed and have the ability to locate,
evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. [... ]
Ultimately, information literate people are those who have
learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they
know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and
how to use information in such a way that others can learn from
them. (ALA, 1989)

3. Overview of information literacy
CONUL Report:
Our ability to think and to select and use the information at our
disposal will be the critical determinant of future success of the
Information Society in Ireland (CONUL, 2004: 1)
Catalyst for educational change - addressing the challenges
(Candy, 2002; Bruce, 2002; Lupton, 2004)
Empowering the learner and the educator (Bundy, 2004; Andretta,
2005a; Information literacy: challenges of implementation, Italics, 5(1), January
2006)

4. HE challenges
Lifelong learning requirements (OECD, 1996)
The knowledge-based economy is characterised by the need
for continuous learning of both codified information and the
competencies to use this information. […] Capabilities for
selecting relevant information, recognising patterns in
information, interpreting and decoding information as well as
learning new and forgetting old skills are in increasing
demand. (O’Sullivan, 2002: 8)

5. HE challenges
The creation of a learning culture which produces graduates
with a capacity and desire for lifelong learning in a rapidly
changing, complex, and information abundant environment,
requires a major shift in the educational paradigm.
(Bundy, 2001)
From prescribed reading to the excitement or the burden of
choice. (Leon, 2004)

6. HE Challenges
ICT-driven learning and teaching strategies:
e-learning (DfES, 2003)
• The creation of a professional workforce and fulfilled
citizens through the mastery of self-directed lifelong
learning practices.
• The development of innovative provision geared to
address the needs of a global knowledge society and
the offering of a more flexible education system that
responds to the needs of learners irrespective of their
location.

7. HEIs challenges
Content and Competency Pedagogical Frames (Bruce et al)
Culture of prescribed knowledge-acquisition
 Preferred by HEIs - indicators of students’ retention, progression
and achievement
 Preferred by faculty staff - the sage on the stage approach
(Doherty, 1999)
 Preferred by students - “what do I do now?” syndrome (Andretta
and Cutting, 2003)
[Learning is] a qualitative change in a person’s way of seeing,
experiencing, understanding, conceptualising something in the real
world - rather than a change in the amount of knowledge which
someone possesses.(Bruce, 1997: 60)

8. HEIs challenges
Diverse student population and learning needs
 Low information literacy skills and dependent attitude (Stern,
2003; Andretta and Cutting, 2003)
Problems of plagiarism (Brine and Stubbings, 2003)
General lack of engagement beyond the assessment-
driven approach - low motivation (Andretta 2005a).
Need to adopt a more flexible approach to learning and a more
dynamic/critical investigation of the disciplines
(Bruce et al; Whitworth)

9. Information literacy in Ireland
Report of the CONUL Working Group on Information Skills
Training
1. Arrive at shared terminology, assumptions,
expectations and best practice (4.1: 8)
2. Promote a common Information Literacy framework
(IST initiatives: 11)
3. Develop a policy of implementation (capitalise on
current information literacy practices)

10. Exploring the terminology
How would you describe you view of learning, teaching and
information literacy? (extract from Bruce et al)
1. In my view learning is
2. In my view teaching is
3. I see information literacy as
4. My colleagues see information literacy as
5. Our students see information literacy as
Handouts collected for analysis. Feedback after this event.

11. Information literacy as a catalyst
Empowering the learner by fostering an independent
learning attitude
 Taking responsibility for own learning (Andretta, 2005a)
 Experiencing variation in learning (Bruce et al; Lantz et al;
Stubbings et al)
 Developing motivation through relevance to subject and
personal requirements (Lantz et al; Hepworth et al)
 Developing own voice, advocacy (Williams; Stubbings et al)
 Developing active citizenship (Whitworth; Lantz et al)

12. Information literacy as a catalyst
Empowering the librarian by claiming the facilitator’s role
[…] a librarian should be more than a keeper of books; he should be an
educator [….] All that is taught in college amounts to very little; but if we
can send students out self-reliant in their investigations, we have
accomplished very much. (Robinson, 1876: 129)
Librarians as information literacy educators:
 Resistance from faculty staff and students (Stubbings et al UK)
 Institutional acceptance and integration of information literacy
education in civic and health literacies programmes (Lantz et al,
Sweden)
 Opportunities for CPD and knowledge transfer (Hepworth et al,
Tanzania)

13. Information literacy as a catalyst
Clear strategy of collaboration between faculty, library and
administrative staff to ensure flexible provision
 Embedded approach (ACRL, 2000; Bundy, 2004)
 Top-down & Bottom-up (Lantz et al, Stubbings et al)
Learning and teaching institutional strategies
Critical and reflective pedagogy (Lantz et al, Whitworth,
Hepworth et al)
Learning and teaching provision by staff
Learning outcomes (Stubbings et al)
Prevention of plagiarism (ibid.)
PDP (ibid.)
Real- world assessment (Lantz et al)

14. Information Literacy Education
• Pedagogical framework suitable for lifelong learning
• Emancipation of learners and staff
• National and institutional competitiveness
From prescribed reading to the excitement of choice.

15. References
ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) (2000) Information Literacy Competency
Standards for Higher Education: standards, performance indicators and outcomes, Chicago, ACRL.
Available at: http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html (Accessed: 9 November 2005).
American Library Association (1989) ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, ALA,
Washington D.C., 10 January 1989. Available at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm (Accessed: 7 March 2004).
Andretta, S. (ed.) (2006) Information literacy: challenges of implementation, Italics, 5 (1), January
2006. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/italics/vol5iss1.htm (Accessed: 16
January 2006).
Andretta, S. (2005a) Information literacy: empowering the learner “against all odds”, Paper presented
at the LILAC Conference, 4 -6 April 2005, Imperial College, London.
Andretta, S. (2005b) Information Literacy: a practitioner’s guide. Oxford: Chandos Publishing.
Andretta, S. & Cutting, A. (2003) ‘Information Literacy: a plug and play approach’, Libri, 53(3): 202 –
209.
Brine, A. & Stubbings, R. (2003) ‘Plagiarism and the role of the library’, Library & Information Update,
2(12): 42-44.

16. References
Bruce C. (2002) Information Literacy as a Catalist for Educational Change A Background Paper,
White Paper prepared for UNESCO, the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information
Science, and the National Forum on Information Literacy, for use at the Information Literacy,
Meetings of Experts, Prague, The Czeck Republic, July 2002. Available at:
http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/papers/bruce-fullpaper.pdf (Accessed 7 April 2004).
Bruce, C. (1997) The Seven Faces of Information Literacy, Auslib Press, Adelaide.
Bundy, A. (2004a) Zeitgeist: Information literacy and educational change. Paper presented at the 4th
Frankfurt Scientific Symposium, Germany, 4 October 2004.
Bundy, A. (ed) (2004b), Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework. Principles,
Standards and Practice, 2nd
edition, Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy
(ANZIIL), Adelaide. Available at: http://www.caul.edu.au/info-literacy/InfoLiteracyFramework.pdf
(Accessed 7 April 2004).
Bundy, A. (2001), Information Literacy: The Key Competency for the 21st Century, available at:
http://www.library.unisa.edu.au/papers/inlit21.htm (accessed 8 November 2001).
Bundy A. (1999) Information Literacy: the 21st Century Educational Smartcard, Australian Academic
& Research Libraries (AARL), 30 (4), December 1999: 233-250.

17. References
Candy, P.C. (2002) Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning, White Paper prepared for UNESCO,
the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and the National Forum on
Information Literacy, for use at the Information Literacy, Meetings of Experts, Prague, The Czeck
Republic, July 2002. Available at:
http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/papers/candy-paper.pdf (Accessed 07/04/04).
CONUL Working Group on Information Skills Training: Final Report, March 2004.
Department for Employment and Skills (DfES) (2003), Towards a Unified e-learning Strategy.
Available at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations2/16/ (Accessed 12 June 2004).
Doherty, J.J., Hansen, M.A. and Kaya, K.K. (1999) Teaching information skills in the Information Age:
the need for critical thinking, Library Philosophy and Practice, 1(2): 1-12. [Online]. Available at:
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/doherty.htm (Accessed 12 June 2004).
Leon, P. (2004) “Time to cut the cables?”, Times Higher Educational Supplement, 30 April, pp. 8-9
Lupton, M. (2004) The Learning Connection. Information Literacy and the student experience, Auslib
Press, Adelaide.
O’Sullivan, C. (2002) “Is information literacy relevant in the real world?”, New Library World, 30(1):
7-14.

18. References
Office of Economic Co-operation and Development (1996) The Knowledge-Based
Economy (OECD), Paris (OECD/GD (96) 102).
Robinson, O.H. (1876) The Proceedings, American Library Journal, 1: 92-145.
Stern, C. (2003) Measuring students’ information literacy competency, in Martin, A. &
Rader, H. (eds.) Information and IT literacy enabling learning in the 21st
century, London:
Facet Publishing: 112-119.