Empowering the learner "against all odds" Paper presented at LILAC 2005: Librarians' Information Literacy Annual Conference. April 4-6 2005, Imperial College, London.

1. Empowering the learner,
“against all odds”
Susie Andretta
Senior Lecturer in Information Management
London Metropolitan University
www.ilit.org

2. Empowering the learner
• Ever-changing information environment
"To respond effectively to an ever-changing environment ..
people need more than just a knowledge base, they also
need techniques for exploring it, connecting it to other
knowledge bases, and making practical use of it. In other
words, the landscape upon which we used to stand has
been transformed, and we are being forced to establish a
new foundation called information literacy." (ALA, 1998)

3. Empowering the learner
• Knowledge-based economy and the learn-how-to-
learn approach
“The need for continuous learning of both codified
information and the competencies to use this
information.” (OECD, 1996)

4. Empowering the learner
• Information Literacy: foundation of lifelong learning
(ACRL, 2000; ANZIIL 2004; Abid 2004)
Relationship between information literacy, independent and lifelong learning, Bundy 2004:5

5. Empowering the learner the
Information Literacy way
1. Students responsible for their learning
“[Information literacy] enables learners to master
content and extend their investigations, become more
self-directed, and assume greater control over their own
learning.” (ACRL 2000).

6. Empowering the learner the
Information Literacy way
2. Campus-wide IL approach (embedded in the
learning and teaching strategy)
“Information literacy isn’t just a library issue but, it is
an issue for all of HE and society as well.”
(Snavely, 2001: 2)

7. Empowering the learner the
Information Literacy way
3. Educators as facilitators of learning
“We remove ourselves as the ‘sage on the stage’,
thus de-emphasising the role of the instructor as yet
another infallible source of information, becoming
instead the guide on the side” (Doherty et al 1999)

8. Against all odds - challenges from
a learner’s perspective
Spoon-feeding expectations of learners
• “Non-compulsory attendance was not good because
sometimes I need some kind of obligation to force
myself to go to college and study.” (undergraduate)
• To begin with I have found the volume of work very
hard as I felt a bit like I had been thrown in at the deep
end.” (postgraduate)

9. Against all odds - challenges from
an institutional perspective
Clash of pedagogical cultures
University: “What use is made of the available information
for tracking student attendance? Are efforts made to
make it clear to students that their chances of success
are greatly improved by regular attendance?”
IL module: “Students’ experience of the different modes of
learning where the emphasis is on the quality of
engagement with the learning resources.”

10. Against all odds - challenges from
an institutional perspective
• Unversity’s response to the culture clash:
“The matter of tracking student attendance has been
endorsed by the University Executive.. Ms Andretta, has
expressly refused to provide a register for the module on
the grounds that 'it is pedagogically inappropriate to do so'
claiming that to 'monitor attendance will undermine the
module's pedagogic strategy’.. students simply MUST
attend a significant number of sessions, particularly at the
early stages.. To claim that attendance can not be
monitored is simply unacceptable.”

11. Against all odds - challenges from
the educator’s perspective
Facilitation of learning is effortful (Paul 1992) and
feedback on formative work is not recognised as
legitimate part of the workload
• 500 email messages generated by a cohort of
150 undergraduate students
• 100 scripts for a cohort of 40 postgraduate
students

12. Empowerment seen from the
learner’s perspective
“The information literacy module enables students to learn
very important skills which are needed for studying at
University. It encourages self-discipline .. I feel I have
benefited considerably from this module as it has enabled
me to develop skills which will be beneficial for my
forthcoming studies .. I have learnt different ways of
retrieving information which I did not know before and I have
also learnt to work more independently.” (undergraduate)

13. Empowerment seen from the
learner’s perspective
“[AIR] has given me a greater confidence when dealing with
academics/academia. It has made me look, increasingly, to
evidence-based decision making when confronted with
changes in the work environment.” (postgraduate)
“A great deal working in a public library in a diverse London
Borough. It will enable me to look at the community from
their perspective and provide them with what they want, not
what I think they need!” (postgraduate)

14. How do we even the odds?
London Metropolitan University:
• Support for IL education at departmental level
• Develop retention strategies suited to IL
provision

15. How do we even the odds?
Future role of IL education in the UK?
• Foundation of Lifelong Learning
(CHE, 1995; Candy et al 1994; DfES 2003)
• Re-defining the identity of information
professionals (ACRL, 2000; ANZIIL 2004)
User/Provider Learner/Facilitator

16. Additional references
Candy, P., Crebert, G. and O’Leary, J., 1994. Developing Lifelong
learners through undergraduate education. Camberra: AGPS
Commission on Higher Education (CHE), 1995. Information Literacy
Lifelong Learning in the Middle States Region. Boyer Commission on
Educating Undergraduates in the Research University - Reinventing
Undergraduate Education: a Blueprint for America's Research
Universities: 1-19.
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).