1. Development and Delivery of a Science
and Engineering Information Literacy
programme at NUI Maynooth
Mary Antonesa, Library
Claire McAvinia, Quality Promotion Office
NUI Maynooth, Ireland

2. Overview
• National and local context
• Module details
• Collaboration
• Blended learning
• Cost
• Findings
• Future planning

3. Context: Teaching and Learning at
NUI Maynooth

4. Context: Core Themes of the
T&L Strategy
Theme 2 - Developing graduate education:
The structure of graduate education is being actively developed through the
three Faculty-aligned Graduate Schools. NUI Maynooth will continue the
process of introducing professional doctorates, facilitate the development of
structured doctorates, incorporate generic skills modules into existing
programmes, and develop new programmes to reach out to groups outside the
University.
Theme 3 - Fostering access, fostering lifelong learning:
Teaching should foster a desire to learn throughout life, and develop the
learner’s autonomy in order to pursue lifelong learning. Access to learning
through technology and assistive technology, the provision of new
programmes, and the accreditation of prior learning, are all addressed by this
Strategy.

5. Module Details
6 month lead in
Library as lead drivers
Five week delivery period (November – December 2007)
12 attended from across the Departments of Engineering,
Biology, Geography and Psychology
Flexible blended learning
– five three-hour-face-to-face hands on classroom session
– Supplemented with online discussion and support via
Moodle

6. Blended Learning
Materials in Moodle
Discussion spaces in Moodle
Responsive to needs of students - student-centred
Using Moodle as part of classroom teaching - blended learning
rather than ‘adding on’ e-learning (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004)
Developing students’ skills in learning online as well as
information literacy

7. Module Learning Outcomes
This Module had six learning outcomes. These outcomes sit on a
framework as defined by the Australian and New Zealand Institute
for Information Literacy (ANZIIL)
Recognise the need for information and determine the nature and extent
of the information needed
Find information effectively and efficiently
Critically evaluate information and the information seeking process
Manage information collected or generated
Apply prior and new information to construct new concepts or create new
understandings
Use information while understanding and acknowledging the cultural,
ethical, economic, legal and social

8. Learning Activities
Framework provided the structure
Learning activities were open and flexible
Tailored to suit individual researchers needs
Annotated Bibliography - Each participant had to integrate
and customise these learning outcomes to their own subject
area by searching, finding, evaluating and referencing material
for their own literature review and share their findings with the
class

9. Module Itself

10. Partnership and Collaboration

15. Integrating approaches to
EndNote Web

16. Costing in time
Resource Hours
Planning 100 Assistant Librarian Hours
Delivery 20 Assistant Librarian Hours
(15 f2f & 5 online)
Meetings 25 including AL, LT & L
Total 145

17. What aspects of the teaching do you
appreciate most?
Posting additional
material on Moodle…
Approachable
and tailored
Use many
materials,
web links
and other
resources
for
teaching
If we wanted to
spend more time
on a particular
topic we were
given that
opportunity.
learn something
useful from each
session
In my research I am more aware of the quality
information resources available to me
This course
improved my
research skills

18. What is your general impression of
the course?
• I feel that If I’d taken this course at the start of my PhD it would have
saved me a lot of time in terms of literature searches and reviews
• Very useful to help me to find and manage information for the research
• I went into the course thinking “I am already literate in finding info”. But I
was surprised at how much I have gained
• 2000 hits in Moodle (25 June – 11 March)

19. Findings
Blended learning -rigorous model
Real value
Consistent attendance
Faculty Specific
IL at UG level
Collaboration
Smaller class sizes
Close the loop
Blended learning
Class size

20. Future plans?
• Undergraduates:
– Other core themes of the Teaching and
Learning Strategy
• Developing the use of blended learning to teach
information literacy
– Twofold benefit: effective use of resources,
effective use of VLE as online learners

21. Contact Details
Mary Antonesa
mary.antonesa@nuim.ie
Claire McAvinia
claire.mcavinia@nuim.ie