eLit.pt Project

PrahaPrahaUniv. KarolUniv. Karol6 May 20096 May 2009

Armando Malheiro da SilvaViviana Fernández Marcial

Maria Manuela Gomes Azevedo Pinto Letícia Sousa Monteiro da Silva

eLit.pt Project Team

eLit.pt Project eLit.pt Project

Information Literacy in Portugal:

A perspective from European Higher Education Area

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The Project

eLit.pt - eLit.pt - Information literacy in European Higher Information literacy in European Higher Education Space context : case study of Portugal Education Space context : case study of Portugal information skillsinformation skills

Main Area: Communication and Information Sciences Secondary area: Higher Education and Science Policies

Funding: FCT - Science and Technology Foundation (Portugal)

Principal Contractor and Host Institution: Faculty of Arts of University of Porto (FLUP)

Principal Research Unit: CETAC.media - Centre for Studies in Technologies, Arts

and Communication Services

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Team project

Armando Malheiro da Silva (Coordinator) Information Science: Faculty of Arts - University of Porto

Fernanda Martins Cognitive Psychology: Faculty of Arts - University of Porto

José Manuel Pereira Azevedo Sociology: Faculty of Arts - University of Porto

Maria Helena Padrão Linguistic: Researcher

Maria Manuela Gomes Azevedo Pinto Information Science: Faculty of Arts - University of Porto

Sérgio Paulo FerreiraSociology: Researcher

Viviana Fernández Marcial Information Science: University of A Coruña - Spain

Letícia Sousa Monteiro da Silva (Research assistant 2007-2008: Faculty of Arts - University of Porto )

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FOCUS of the project informational literacy in the Portuguese and

European learning models

Starting point of our theoretical-practical model To develop the macro level of Tom Wilson’s model

Research areas in “information behaviour” in the scope of which informational literacy belongs

Promoting a new approach where access to, the evaluation and communication of information should be integrated

an approach which projects its transversal dimension on to every aspect and situation of social life and not only on those where the subject/person interaction occurs, or in conventional services and/or technological information systems.

Epistemological and theoretical principles

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INFORMATION SCIENCE

Informational Behavior

Informational Literacy

Information access, evaluation, use, (re)production,

and communication


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MAIN DEFINITIONS: Information Science

a social science that investigates the problems, topics and study cases related with the information / communication phenomena perceivable and cognoscible through the confirmation or not of the intrinsic proprieties of the information flow origin, organization and information behaviour (origin, collection, organization, storage, retrieval, interpretation, transmission, transformation and use of the information).

Information Object of Information Science

information is a scientific object which entails the structured set of mental and emotional codified representations (signs and symbols) and modeled with/through the social interaction, able to be recorded in any information storage material (paper, film, magnetic tape, compact disk, etc) and, so, communicated in an asynchronous and multidirectional manner.

(Silva, 2006)


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OrganizationOrganization44

CreationCreation11

Search Search 22

EvaluationEvaluation33

Diffusion and Diffusion and transmission transmission

66

Transformation Transformation 77

StorageStorage55

the process of LEARNINGthe process of LEARNING

and ACQUIRE COMPETENCES AND SKILLSand ACQUIRE COMPETENCES AND SKILLS directly connected with

INFORMATIONINFORMATION

INFORMATION LITERACY INFORMATION LITERACY in the scope ofin the scope of

INFORMATION SCIENCEINFORMATION SCIENCE

Is related to Is related to


INFORMATION INFORMATION LITERACY LITERACY

is a fundamental is a fundamental topic withintopic within

INFORMATION INFORMATION BEHAVIOURBEHAVIOUR

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Based on:

physiological motives unlearned motives social motives

We have information Gaps that could be

Spontaneous Induced

From school (classes) From family From himself


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EnvironmentEnvironment Social roleSocial rolePersonPerson

Physiological, Physiological, affective and cognitive statesaffective and cognitive states

Information Information seeking seeking

behaviour behaviour

BarriersBarriersContext of Context of Information Information needsneeds


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Differentiating

Active/

continuo

us

Chaining

Extracting

Browsing

Monitoring

Ending

Information seeking behaviour cycle

Starting

Verifying


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CONTEXT (S)

In the “space of flows” and

EHEA environment

Gaps

ModelModel

Acquisition of Information competences

InformationSeeking Use /

Transformation

Barriers

Evaluation Organization

Diffusion and transmission


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Environment (1): The cyberspace or “space of flows” Impact of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) The Networked society

Intranet Internet …

e-business e-government e-culture e-learning ...

Web and the complex “digital context”

Digital divide Information divide - technology, resources and skills

- socioeconomic (rich/poor), - racial (majority/minority), - generational (young/old) - geographical (urban/rural)


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Environment (2): European Higher Education Area (EHEA)

Shift of the teaching-learning process. Students actively participate/construct their knowledge

Promotion of continuous training, lifelong learning

Emphasis on the full integration of ICT in education systems, thus enabling a system of interactive learning to take root

Creation of the ECTS (European Credits Transfer System) as a new measure by which to recognize the student's academic knowledge and it brings major changes in the transmission and acquisition of knowledge. The European credits value the hours the student devotes to acquiring specific knowledge, rather than a definition based on the number of hours the lecturer teaches..

Promotion of integrated education for the student, embracing the acquisition of generic, transversal and specific competences (knowledge, capacities and skills), in which access to and use of information is prioritized.


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Performing an inter and transdisciplinary approach

INFORMATION INFORMATION SCIENCESCIENCE

EDUCATIONEDUCATION COGNITIVE SCIENCESCOGNITIVE SCIENCES

information needs information needs produced in the produced in the educational contexteducational context

EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTEDUCATIONAL CONTEXT STUDENT’S INFORMATIONALSTUDENT’S INFORMATIONAL UNIVERSE UNIVERSE

student’s informational student’s informational behaviour and his behaviour and his personal and social personal and social context and demandscontext and demands


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That is at the basis of

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of informational literacy

in the context of

formal education

and

long-life education

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Methodology of research

The research has the following basis:

a) It is necessary to develop a specific study in the country in order to:

determine the existence or not of several information literacy standards

assess the aptitude and attitude of university students towards the higher education information literacy

c) The information culture is potentially different in distinct geographic areas of Portugal

d) The information behaviour is connected with expectative, needs and style of life

e) The creation of information literacy strategic program would be a warrant to an optimal way to adapt Portugal to the EHEA and to the knowledge society.

The Research

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Methodology of research Qualitative (Jan-Feb 2008)

to obtain precious indicators about the students’ information behaviour, expectations, needs and use of information

this indicators are being used in the design of survey

Quantitative (Apr-Oct 2008) based on the survey results

The Research

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1 2 3 4

Understand how the university students face the new competences required by the creation of

the EHEA

know how these students

are prepared in terms of information competences

prior to the university

at the end of the university degree

during the university frequency period

1st

Question

2nd

Question

Main questions that intents to answer

The Research

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Study is being performed on a national scale (8 districts)

Secondary schools(18)

12th-grade students

+

High level institutions(14)

1st cycle – 3rd and 4th semester students

9 Universities5 Polytechnics

The Research

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Scientific areas (Secondary schools)

Sciences and Technologies Social Sciences Economic Sciences Languages and Humanities / Literatures Arts

Scientific areas (High Level Education) Bolonha – 1st cycle (3rd and 4th semesters)

Architecture Biochemistry Civil Engineering Languages and Literatures Administration Nursing Psychology

The Research

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1st phase1st phase 2nd phase2nd phase 3rd phase3rd phase

Focus Group prepared according

to an indicative Interview (qualitative)

Surveybuilt upon

the interview results

and with a

national application

Results analyses and model design

The Research

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In the Student’s different contexts: School friends group family study centers tutorial services Internet… We intend to Identify : the influence of the different contexts the search skills learned and not “intrinsic” the ability to relate information from various contexts and typologies the influence of the Internet and ICT on the informational literacy of

secondary school and university students the active or passive role of the student in the learning context …

o not excluding the traditional focus on the conventional information services – public libraries, university libraries and school libraries – an aspect integrated in the functional or mediation group

The Research

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The Sample

6 Secondary schools (346 students)

6 High level Institutions

(1242 students)

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STUDENT

“Need ”

Context (Personal, family and scholar)

Competencies

Information Access

Demand s on Educational Information Services and Resources

(High School Libraries and Facu lty Library)

Demands on Public Information Services

and Resources (Public Library)

Demands on Internet and web resources

Demands on other people

Informatio n evaluation and selection

Demands on other information re sources

His/her own

Acquired in context

Environment / Conte xt

Non -satisfaction

Environment (Political, economical, social, technological, legal, educational…)

Satisfaction

Information u se, (re) production and communication

Basic group

Introspective group

Functional group

Transversal group

Questions I N F O R M A T I O N B E H A V I O U R

Questionnaire:

54 questions

4 main groups

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FIRST RESULTS:

Young generation have a very high access to information technology infrastructure.

Number of computers in household

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

30,0%

35,0%

40,0%

45,0%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

College

Highschool

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Places where students do their school work

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

Places where students make their school works

College

Highschool

FIRST RESULTS

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Young people used frequently Internet and they prefer access to it from home.

Young people used frequently Internet and they prefer access to it from home.

How often students access InternetHow often students access Internet

FIRST RESULTS

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FIRST RESULTS

Places from wich students access internet

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%College

Highschool

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Google is the preferred search engine (almost 100% of the sample uses it frequently or very frequently).

Search engines use: Frequent

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

College High school

Google

Yahoo

Sapo

AEIOU

FIRST RESULTS

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FIRST RESULTS

Thus, we confirm that students are using general resources, but this does not mean that they are qualified resources (ex. a digital library). This has no relationship with the absence or presence of ICT training

Students with formal IT training

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

100,0%

College High school

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0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

none 1 or 2 3 or 4 5 or 6 6 or 7 8 or 9 10 ormore

College

High school

FIRST RESULTS

Students have a high number of school assignments per year

Number of classes with school assignments

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FIRST RESULTS

However only 58% of university students and 65% of high school students have the advice from the teacher regarding the information search

Advice from the teacher: YES

The teacher givesadvice regarding theinformation search

The teacher givesadvice regarding the

school workstructure

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

Advices from the teacher: YES

College

Highschool

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FIRST RESULTS

Leisure is the major motivation for use information resources.

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

College High school

Internet resources use: very frequent YouTube

Wikipedia

Library web site

Blog

On line games

Radio / Music

Hi5 and simillars

Messenger andsimillarsDigital library

Uploads

Downloads

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But the question is: what kind of resources are they using to prepare themselves?

Wikipedia is a very demanded resource used frequently or very frequently by 56 % of high school students and by 54,5 % universities students

Also teacher notes are very frequently use by 68,9% and 79,7% respectively

But digital library is almost never used only 14,2% of universities and 3,6% of high school students

manifested to use it

Similar values appear for library web site use

FIRST RESULTS

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FIRST RESULTS

Use of school library

SeldomOnce in a while

Frequently

College

High school0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

Use of public library

College

High school

SeldomlyOnce in a while

Frequently

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

College

High school

Use of public libraryUse of public library

We confirm that library use is low. At least lower than we expected. It is particularly worrying for Public Library

We confirm that library use is low. At least lower than we expected. It is particularly worrying for Public Library

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Here we also detected different behaviour between high school and universities students:

First

59,1 % of high school students indicated that never or rarely use the school library

almost 50 % of university students declared going to the university library frequently.

Second university students made a better use of the library

resources than the other segment (ex.: use of OPAC, databases and of the documents of free access).

Third it is necessary to emphasize that the values in two segments

are not excellent, but nearly 90% of the high school students and 80% of the university students indicate that they do not have difficulties at the moment in accessing library resources.

Some considerations

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With regard to the students’ self-assessment, we found similar results.

Text writing and results analysis abilities are considered most important than to search information and evaluate and select results,

both considered that they have the adequate abilities to do the need tasks

Some considerations

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0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

none 1 or 2 3 or 4 5 or 6 6 or 7 8 or 9 10 ormore

College

High school

FIRST RESULTS

Number of classes with school assignments

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

College

Highschool

FIRST RESULTS

Phase considered the most important in preparing school assignments

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FIRST RESULTS

Self Assessment: ability to evaluate and select the results

of an information search

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

Inadequate Adequate, withdifficulties

Adequate More thanadequate

Self assessment: ability to evaluate and select the results of an information search

College

Highschool

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CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary results are insufficient to draw specific conclusions and how significant they are

but ...

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CONCLUSIONS

We are able to draw FIRST TENDENCIES: It seems to confirm the fact that, through our theoretical model, we will

be able to explain the information literacy phenomenon. Globally, we can verify that motivation defines information behaviour.

when a student has greater obligation or commitment to access information, evaluation and use is higher;

it was demonstrated throughout that there are differences in some indicators between university and high school students.

according to the eLit.pt model, and bearing in mind the results obtained, an operational action is appropriate and necessary, directed at the improvement of the general informational behaviour of high school and university students.

closer and more dynamic articulation between the formal education system triad (teacher, student and school library) and the informal level composed by mix groups, without forgetting the role of ICT and its influence on the students’ motivation and satisfaction, considering that we are facing a digital native generation.

even though these results refer to Portugal, we cannot talk about an isolated and individual situation because, although considering different contexts, other papers and research have shown similar results and it will be necessary develop similar projects in other countries, namely in the European area.

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Thank you for your attention ...

Website (http://web.letras.up.pt/eLit/index.htm)

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