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Information Skills are planned and delivered by teaching staff and/or LIS staff

The planning and delivery of Information Skills programmes tends to vary depending on the institutional context. The literature review highlighted the ideal scenario, where all those who have a stake in Information Skills training play a role in the development and delivery of skills. These partners include academic staff, IT and media service staff and learning technologists.

There are a number of different models of co-operative working that could be adopted to suit particular needs. The case studies carried out as part of the Big Blue project serve as an illustration of some of these approaches.

Skills in practice: Examples from the Case Studies

• Leeds Metropolitan University: The resources for Skills for Learning are managed by an Advisory Group made up of library and teaching staff. They decide where there are gaps in provision and commission and select new materials for inclusion. Staff direct students to the materials through different channels and at different points in their academic careers. Read the case study.
• Manchester Metropolitan University: Online Information Skills courses for Law students devised jointly by teaching staff and the Law Librarian and administered by the library service. Read the case study.
• Leeds University: A compulsory programme is delivered to first year undergraduate geography students by a member of academic staff with some of the sessions delivered by the Library staff at the request of the academic concerned. Read the case study.
• Aberdeen University: Information Skills training is offered in a number of ways with a programme embedded in the curriculum for some subject areas, whilst a generic programme is available to other students. Read the case study.
• Southport College: A compulsory course is delivered to all full-time students aged between 16 and 18. This is planned and delivered by Library and Learning Resource Centre staff. Read the case study.
• City of Bristol College: Assignment-based workshops are delivered at the request of tutors. LRC staff liaise with tutors to deliver Information Skills linked directly to the students' assignment. Read the case study.

More information

Also see Toolkit page 'Information Skills are integrated into the curriculum'. The curriculum integration model depends on co-operative working between all stakeholders in the learning and teaching process, including teaching staff and LIS staff.

Atkinson and Scott devised a list of 11 factors which can influence the effectiveness of an Information Skills programme.

Establishing partnerships with teaching staff for the planning and delivery of Information Skills may present some difficulties but it is important that the Library/LRC asserts itself in this area. As supported by the literature librarians have particular skills and are ideally placed to pass these on to students. Factors such as including Information Skills in strategic plans may assist in partnership building.

Further reading:

• Bruce, C.S. (1995). Information literacy: a framework for higher education. Australian Library Journal, 44(3), pp.158-170.
• Hepworth, M. (2000). Approaches to providing information literacy training in higher education: challenges for librarians. The New Review of Academic Librarianship, 6, pp. 21-34.
• Rader, H.B. (1999). Faculty-librarian collaboration in building the curriculum for the millennium: the US experience. IFLA Journal, 25(4), pp.209-213.

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Updated Monday, 20 July, 2009 11:23