Information literacy: developing the reflective practitioner Paper presented at the 5th Annual Conference of the LTSN Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, August 31 - September 2 2004, Belfast, Ireland.

1. Information Literacy: developing
the reflective practitioner
Susie Andretta
London Metropolitan University
www.ilit.org

2. Background information
 Continuation of ilit.org project
 Information Literacy: a framework for learning
 Independent and lifelong learning
 Recursive learning/reflection on practice
 Real world assessment

3. Independent and lifelong
Relationship between information literacy and lifelong learning (Bundy, 2004: 5)

4. Recursive and
reflective
Action research cycle (O’Brien, 1998)

5. Applied Information Research
AIR - Learning Outcomes:
1. Design a research project exploring an issue relevant to the information
profession in support of an application for funding
2. Identify and evaluate relevant literature in order to c contextualise the
research proposal.
3. Select research strategies appropriate to the nature of the proposed
research project.
4. Communicate the various aspects of the research project using a range
of dissemination strategies.

6. Feedback on provision
Student:
 “challenging”
 High level of anxiety (topic suitability)
 Relevant to CPD and career advancement
Staff:
 Formative feedback - extremely resource intensive
 Facilitator role difficult to maintain when students don’t
engage with the resources
 Continuous reflection on practice

7. Transferable skills?
 New career linked to AIR project
 Implementation of AIR proposal
 Successful completion of the dissertation?
 Information Literacy competences
 Reflective attitude
 Aware of weaknesses
 Response to feedback

8. Future developments
 Need to explore students’ lack of engagement with
formative tasks
 Replace questionnaires with feedback session at the end
of AIR
 More practice on implementation-end of the research
process