Page 5 - Introduction — Information Literacy and Information Behaviour, Complementary Approaches for Building Capability

Introduction 5

which suggest differing experiences of learning. They invite information
professionals to recognise a need to develop a range of diverse approaches in
learning provision to address changing learners’ needs as they progress
through their lifecourse.
Li Wang examines and analyses the process of integrating information
literacy into the undergraduate curriculum. Whilst this case study is based in
New Zealand the implications of the research are far reaching and applicable
globally. The chapter reinforces Ward and Duke’s observation regarding
the need for effective collaboration and negotiation between information
literacy educators and faculty. Based on sociocultural theories, this analysis
examines in depth the nature of curriculum, distinguishing three types of
curriculum: ‘intended’ — the top-down element guide by university policies,
accrediting organisation guidelines and so on; ‘offered’ — the bottom-up
element which is what actually happened on the ground, that is what is
taught and finally ‘received’ — the knowledge and skills students actually
learn. Wang identifies the tension that exists between these and the need to
address all three to achieve integrated and embedded information literacy.
Tzu-Bin Lin and Li-Yi Wang examine the concepts of information and
media literacy and how Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) views
their application as part of their 21st Century skills framework. The authors
define very clearly these two literacies and through discourse analysis
examine the ways in which the MOE wishes these concepts to be applied.
Whilst information literacy is well understood in Singapore, they note a
fundamental deficit in an understanding of media literacy especially around
the notion of learners as producers as well as consumers of content.
Interestingly, because they found that there are no clear guidelines on how
to implement these literacies, the authors put forward the view that they
should be merged in practice. This integrated approach, they argue, creates a
new direction for Singapore and aligns practice more closely to UNESCO’s
recommendations on information and media literacies.

1.2. Section 2: Delivering Information Literacy Education

Samuel Kai-Wah Chu, Sandhya Rajagopal and Celina Wing-Yi Lee
describe a one and a half year longitudinal study in Hong Kong, involving
postgraduate students in education and engineering. This discusses the
implementation of information literacy interventions relating primarily to
knowledge of the information landscape and the use of information retrieval
tools. Their study helps to define the development of levels of expertise
among students, in terms of their information literacy. These include
novice, competent, proficient and advanced. Their work also led to