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Sheila Webber

The University of Sheffield, The Information School, Faculty Member

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I am Head of the Libraries, Information & Socity Research Group in the Information School, University of Sheffield, UK. My key areas for teaching and research are Information Literacy and Information Behaviour. I am recipient of the Jason Farradane Award for services to information science, and an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. I blog at http://information-literacy.blogspot.com
Address: Information School
The University of Sheffield
Regent Court
211 Portobello
Sheffield
S1 4DP
UK

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Antonio Dias de Figueiredo

Universidade de Coimbra

Haitham El-Ghareeb

Mansoura University

Pierpaolo Limone

Università degli Studi di Foggia

University of the Punjab

Kansas State University

Wageningen University

The University of New South Wales

Armando Marques-Guedes

UNL - New University of Lisbon

Anadolu University

Università di Bologna

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Papers by Sheila Webber

The Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate (#AFMIL) City

Journal of Information Literacy

This paper proposes a model for developing an Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate (#AFMIL... more This paper proposes a model for developing an Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate (#AFMIL) city. It starts by addressing general issues concerning ageing and ageism. Key features of UNESCO’s framework for a media and information literate city are described. The authors proceed to identify relevant international handbooks, guidelines and initiatives concerning age-friendly environments, cities for human rights, smart cities, creative cities and informational cities. Drawing on these documents, the authors outline a model for developing an #AFMIL city, centred on older people enacting three roles: their role as consumers of media and information; older people as represented in the media; and older people in their role as creators, critics and innovators. They highlight the role of librarians in this development.

Everyday mathematics of university students

In this poster abstract we highlight the preliminary results of an exploratory study investigatin... more In this poster abstract we highlight the preliminary results of an exploratory study investigating the ways in which university students use mathematics in their everyday lives. The study is part of wider research investigating the impact of mathematics computer games on mathematics anxiety in university students. A survey was distributed to 125 students across the University of Sheffield asking participants about the most common activities they take part in that involves mathematics, as well as any mathematics concepts involved. Responses predominantly came from undergraduates (49.6%). The most common activities included counting, measuring, and predicting. Future work would require the inclusion of students across different universities to increase the generalisability of the results

Fake news: has it changed UK academic librarians’ ideas about teaching Information Literacy?

This paper presents findings from a qualitative research study investigating librarians’ views ab... more This paper presents findings from a qualitative research study investigating librarians’ views about the impact that fake news had on their conceptions of Information Literacy (IL) and on their pedagogic practice. Writers such as Cooke (2018) assert that librarians are best placed to tackle the problem of fake news, with librarians positioned as having a civic duty to respond to the fake news discourse (Batchelor, 2017: p.143). However, Fontanin’s (2019) analysis of official policy documents identified that libraries and librarians were not seen by others as having a significant role. Library literature is also primarily focused on librarians’ role in educating users to avoid fake news, rather than on wider policy issues (Fontanin, 2019: 232). Rochlin (2017) comments on the need for the library profession to engage in dialogue about fake news, and this research responded to this, by surfacing librarians’ perceptions. Semi-structured interviews with seven librarians at a university i...

The information worlds of non-resident informal carers: stakeholder perceptions

The aim of this paper is to illuminate the distinctive elements of the information worlds (Burnet... more The aim of this paper is to illuminate the distinctive elements of the information worlds (Burnett & Jaeger, 2011) of informal carers of elderly people, and specifically carers who are not resident with the cared-for person (henceforth non-resident informal carers (NICs). House of Commons Library (2019) identifies that in 2017/18 there were 4.5 million informal carers in the United Kingdom (UK) alone, with many "sandwich generation" (Grundy & Henretta 2006) carers of both children and parents. Research has shown that, as they age, people increasingly rely on health professionals and family carers for information (e.g. Asla, Williamson & Mills, 2006), with informal carers helping elderly people make sense of the information they receive from healthcare professionals (Pálsdóttir 2012). Surveys of information sources about Covid-19 have shown that older people still use online sources less than younger people to discover health information (Office for National Statistics, 2020).

Mapping the development of critical information behaviour through school and university

Embodying HIV and AIDS Information: Experiences of Serodiscordant Couples

Library Trends, 2018

This paper aims to illuminate how serodiscordant couples were informed by their own and other's b... more This paper aims to illuminate how serodiscordant couples were informed by their own and other's bodies in their experience of HIV/ AIDS information. The lived body is the contact we have with the world. Our knowledge about others is through their bodies. In addition, illness is experienced first through the lived body. Therefore, when doctors want to learn about the illness, they extract information from the lived body. In this study, we investigated how serodiscordant couples experience HIV and AIDS information in Malawi. In-depth interviews were conducted in the homes of twenty-one serodiscordant couples and three individuals who had separated from their partners. Participants for the study were selected purposively. Data analysis was carried out using Max van Manen's phenomenological approach to generate descriptions and interpretations of the couples' experiences of HIV and AIDS information. The study found that the life-world is the overarching context of experiencing HIV and AIDS information and identified five structures of the life-world of serodiscordant couples: lived body, lived space, lived others, lived time, and spirituality. HIV and AIDS are first experienced through the lived body, and bodies were informational within the lived spaces. Thus, this research contributes to the study of HIV and AIDS information by revealing the lived body as an important source. It also identifies that the body can be an ambiguous source, since HIV and AIDS information available from the lived body may be ignored or misinterpreted by the serodiscordant couples and by those they interact with.

Teaching the Next Generation of Information Literacy Educators: Pedagogy and Learning

Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in Higher Education, 2016

The aim of this presentation is to compare key aspects of learning in two core information litera... more The aim of this presentation is to compare key aspects of learning in two core information literacy (IL) modules, one delivered to a face-to-face cohort (MA Librarianship) and one to distance learners (MA Library and Information Service Management). Graduates of these programmes (delivered by the University of Sheffield iSchool, UK) often pursue careers that require excellent personal Information Literacy (IL) and the ability to teach IL to others. Inskip’s research (2015) identified that these are subjects that library and information (LIS) students want to learn, and Saunders et al.’s (2015) international study found that LIS students’ IL requires development.Our modules aim to develop the students’ understanding of themselves as information literate citizens and teachers, and introduce them to theories and models in the fields of IL and information behavior, teaching and learning. The modules include a practical strand (searching, evaluating, using (etc.) information) and assessm...

Information literacy education for masters students: the search/teach exercise

Zusammenfassung: This paper describes the South Dakota state universities' development of a ... more Zusammenfassung: This paper describes the South Dakota state universities' development of a dual-measure instrument to test Information Literacy (IL) following the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education and using classical and modern psychometric methods. This tool can be used as an exit assessment for undergraduates and as an entrance assessment for advanced learners to indicate deficiencies in IL that must be addressed early in graduate ...

Perspectives on the information literate university

SCONUL focus, 2004

Why stop at information literate students and academics? Why not transform the whole university? ... more Why stop at information literate students and academics? Why not transform the whole university? In this article we will explain our concept of an Information Literate University (ILU), and then go on to talk about how others have reacted to it. We started developing our idea of the ILU several years ago. We had been using our diagram of the'information literate person in the changing world', signifying factors in the internal and external world that may require a person to develop his/her information literacy through the course of his/her life. ...

La culture informationnelle : un domaine d’étude international

L'éducation à la culture informationnelle

Information skills, academic literacy, information fluency and information literacy-the terminolo... more Information skills, academic literacy, information fluency and information literacy-the terminology have caused considerable debate in the UK, but in what ever guise information literacy appears, it is having a huge impact on the role of librarians. It is now seen as one of the major keys to problem solving and life long learning. A considerable amount of resources in the UK higher education (HE) library sector is put towards enhancing student's information literacy skills. Teaching has therefore become a core part of a librarian's role. Courses are being designed and delivered by library staff to students in various formats including face-to-face, online, blended learning, in formal classroom time and informally on the enquiry desk. Library staff, both professional and non professional, are expected to have an understanding of the concepts of information literacy and online learning so that they can become effective teachers either in the classroom or at the enquiry desk. The question is, how do library staff acquire these skills and how do they view their roles in relation to information literacy? Having recognised that information literacy is no longer just the province of HE, but as an essential part of life long learning and digital citizenship, library

Refereed papers A comparison of UK academics' conceptions of information literacy in two disciplines: English and Marketing

The authors aim to present and compare findings from a phenomenographic investigation into concep... more The authors aim to present and compare findings from a phenomenographic investigation into conceptions of information literacy in two populations: academics in English and Marketing disciplines teaching at British universities. These were chosen as examples of, respectively, soft-pure and soft-applied disciplines.We begin by defining information literacy and briefly setting our research in context. We explain the nature of research using the phenomenographic approach, and describe our sample and methods. We present firstly, the four qualitatively different conceptions of information literacy held by the English academics, and then the seven conceptions held by the Marketing academics. Key differences between the conceptions held in the two disciplines are discussed, in particular relating differences to characteristics of soft-pure and soft-applied disciplines. The authors conclude that study of the differences between the conceptions held by the two disciplinary groups can illumina...

Information Literacy: A Subject for the 21 st Century

I write this Editorial just after the first truly international Information Literacy (IL) confere... more I write this Editorial just after the first truly international Information Literacy (IL) conference: although its title is “European” Conference on Information Literacy (http://www.arber.com.tr/ecil2013.org/index.php/home), speakers from 59 countries travelled to Istanbul to speak, listen and learn. Meanwhile in the United States of America, October is IL Awareness month (an annual initiative supported by President Barack Obama). At the same time, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has been working with UNESCO to develop international recommendations for Media and Information Literacy. And for ordinary citizens in many parts of the world, googling for information is just part of everyday life.

Reflections on Running a critLIS Reading Group

In this chapter we offer our reflections, developed through a collaborative autoethnography, on o... more

Mapping the state of information literacy education in primary schools: The case of Pakistan

Library & Information Science Research, 2019

The relationship between students’ subject preferences and their information behaviour

Journal of Documentation, 2018

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of ... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of school subject and student information behaviour (IB). Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods were employed. In all, 152 students, teachers and librarians participated in interviews or focus groups. In total, 1,375 students, key stage 3 (11-14 years) to postgraduate, responded to a questionnaire. The research population was drawn from eight schools, two further education colleges and three universities. Insights from the literature review and the qualitative research phase led to a hypothesis which was investigated using the questionnaire: that students studying hard subjects are less likely to engage in deep IB than students studying soft subjects. Findings Results support the hypothesis that preferences for subjects at school affect choice of university degree. The hypothesis that a preference for hard or soft subjects affects IB is supported by results of an analysis in which like ...

Information literacy: conceptions, context and the formation of a discipline

Journal of Information Literacy, 2017

In this article the authors argue that progress in the development of information literacy (IL) h... more In this article the authors argue that progress in the development of information literacy (IL) has been hindered by tendencies such as: denying that information literacy is even a subject, paying exclusive attention to forces outside the discipline and forming information literacy silos. The authors start by reflecting on formative developments in information literacy outside North America in the late 1990s-early 2000s, and noting that IL has not evolved from that period as much as one might expect. They identify hindrances to information literacy’s formation as a discipline, and relate their discussion to changing notions of disciplinarity. The authors present ‘Information Literacy in the lifecourse’ as an example focus which could stimulate engagement from researchers and practitioners who are currently situated in different information literacy silos. They conclude that taking a disciplinary and lifecourse approach to information literacy would open up opportunities for working ...

Myths about HIV and AIDS among serodiscordant couples in Malawi

Aslib Journal of Information Management, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on research that uncovered myths about HIV and AID... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on research that uncovered myths about HIV and AIDS held by serodiscordant couples in Malawi, and the sources of these myths. The paper reflects on how the myths affect serodiscordant couples’ engagement with HIV and AIDS information. Design/methodology/approach Van Manen’s (1997) approach to analysis of phenomenological data was used to analyse data from in-depth interviews conducted in Malawi with 21 serodiscordant couples and three individuals who had separated from their partners because of serodiscordance. Findings Serodiscordant couples in Malawi believe and hold on to some inaccurate HIV and AIDS information that can be seen as “myths”. Some of these myths are perpetuated by official HIV and AIDS information when it is translated into the local languages. Other myths derive from social norms of the societies where the couples live. Practical implications The findings of this paper have practical implications for how HIV and AIDS ...

Développer des conditions pédagogiques pour la culture informationnelle : l’impact des contextes disciplinaires

L'éducation à la culture informationnelle

Ont contribué à ce volume : Françoise Chapron, coordinatrice 7. Note relative aux équipes de rech... more Ont contribué à ce volume : Françoise Chapron, coordinatrice 7. Note relative aux équipes de recherche technologique (ERT et ERTéducation), annexe au dossier 2.2.C. In : ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche. Politique contractuelle dans l'enseignement supérieur et la recherche-Vague 1, 2007-2010, p. 80-81. L'éducation à la culture informationnelle Préface C'est par une volonté collective issue des Assises nationales pour l'éducation à l'information (Paris, 2003) que le mouvement fédérateur s'est amorcé en ce qui concerne l'éducation à l'information. Sur l'initiative d'enseignants, de chercheurs et de professionnels, une première série de réunions a permis de structurer le projet d'ERTé en 2004. Une équipe nationale pluridisciplinaire, qui s'appuie sur les sciences de l'éducation et les sciences de l'information et de la communication, s'est ainsi constituée avec l'appui du laboratoire Groupe d'étude et de recherche interdisciplinaire en information et communication (GERIICO) de Lille et l'apport du laboratoire Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur les valeurs, les idées, les identités et les compétences (CIVIIC) de Rouen. L'équipe nationale fonctionne en réseau : une équipe de pilotage assure la coordination d'ensemble, chaque sous-équipe coordonne les actions locales, avec la possibilité de s'adjoindre des collaborations plus indirectes mais inscrites dans la mouvance globale. Si les approches et les terrains sont divers, les réflexions se rejoignent dans la volonté collective de mettre en évidence le fonctionnement des pratiques info-documentaires formelles ou informelles qui traversent l'enseignement, en s'efforçant de ne pas les abstraire des contextes sociotechniques dans lesquels elles s'inscrivent. POURQUOI CE COLLOQUE ? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ L'ERTé se terminera en 2009. Nous sommes donc dans une phase de bilan qui nous permettra, nous l'espérons, de prolonger la réflexion vers de nouveaux projets de recherche. À ce stade, nous avons éprouvé le besoin de faire le point et d'échanger sur les thèmes que nous avons explorés avec d'autres chercheurs, mais aussi avec les professionnels de la documentation et en particulier les enseignants-documentalistes. La rencontre entre chercheurs et professionnels de la documentation nous a semblé le meilleur levain pour que le travail entrepris trouve non seulement sa continuation mais un écho dans le monde enseignant. Nous avons également souhaité rencontrer des collègues d'autres pays partageant nos préoccupations. Le soutien de l'Unesco est pour nous un signe très important de reconnaissance.

What do the conceptions of geo/spatial information tell us about information literacy?

Journal of Documentation, 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report findings from an investigation into the conceptions... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report findings from an investigation into the conceptions and characteristics of geo/spatial information (GI) to demonstrate how exploring academics and students' conceptions of GI facilitated illumination of information literacy (IL) in the Geographic Information Science/Systems (GIS) discipline.Design/methodology/approachAdopting an embedded exploratory case study, the data were gathered from semi‐structured interviews, an open‐ended questionnaire and students' reflection in an online distance learning (ODL) GIS programme. The data were analysed in light of the Grounded Theory approach. Drawing on the conceptions of GI which emerged from the study, this paper highlights several characteristics of GI and discusses their implications for IL. In particular, it compares the emergent IL competencies in the GIS discipline with those in the SCONUL model.FindingsGI was identified as geo/spatial, temporal, geo/spatially contextualised, and ge...

Blended university teaching using virtual learning environments: conceptions and approaches

Instructional Science, 2011

This document is the author's post-print version of the journal article, incorporating any revisi... more

The Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate (#AFMIL) City

Journal of Information Literacy

This paper proposes a model for developing an Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate (#AFMIL... more This paper proposes a model for developing an Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate (#AFMIL) city. It starts by addressing general issues concerning ageing and ageism. Key features of UNESCO’s framework for a media and information literate city are described. The authors proceed to identify relevant international handbooks, guidelines and initiatives concerning age-friendly environments, cities for human rights, smart cities, creative cities and informational cities. Drawing on these documents, the authors outline a model for developing an #AFMIL city, centred on older people enacting three roles: their role as consumers of media and information; older people as represented in the media; and older people in their role as creators, critics and innovators. They highlight the role of librarians in this development.

Everyday mathematics of university students

In this poster abstract we highlight the preliminary results of an exploratory study investigatin... more In this poster abstract we highlight the preliminary results of an exploratory study investigating the ways in which university students use mathematics in their everyday lives. The study is part of wider research investigating the impact of mathematics computer games on mathematics anxiety in university students. A survey was distributed to 125 students across the University of Sheffield asking participants about the most common activities they take part in that involves mathematics, as well as any mathematics concepts involved. Responses predominantly came from undergraduates (49.6%). The most common activities included counting, measuring, and predicting. Future work would require the inclusion of students across different universities to increase the generalisability of the results

Fake news: has it changed UK academic librarians’ ideas about teaching Information Literacy?

This paper presents findings from a qualitative research study investigating librarians’ views ab... more This paper presents findings from a qualitative research study investigating librarians’ views about the impact that fake news had on their conceptions of Information Literacy (IL) and on their pedagogic practice. Writers such as Cooke (2018) assert that librarians are best placed to tackle the problem of fake news, with librarians positioned as having a civic duty to respond to the fake news discourse (Batchelor, 2017: p.143). However, Fontanin’s (2019) analysis of official policy documents identified that libraries and librarians were not seen by others as having a significant role. Library literature is also primarily focused on librarians’ role in educating users to avoid fake news, rather than on wider policy issues (Fontanin, 2019: 232). Rochlin (2017) comments on the need for the library profession to engage in dialogue about fake news, and this research responded to this, by surfacing librarians’ perceptions. Semi-structured interviews with seven librarians at a university i...

The information worlds of non-resident informal carers: stakeholder perceptions

The aim of this paper is to illuminate the distinctive elements of the information worlds (Burnet... more The aim of this paper is to illuminate the distinctive elements of the information worlds (Burnett & Jaeger, 2011) of informal carers of elderly people, and specifically carers who are not resident with the cared-for person (henceforth non-resident informal carers (NICs). House of Commons Library (2019) identifies that in 2017/18 there were 4.5 million informal carers in the United Kingdom (UK) alone, with many "sandwich generation" (Grundy & Henretta 2006) carers of both children and parents. Research has shown that, as they age, people increasingly rely on health professionals and family carers for information (e.g. Asla, Williamson & Mills, 2006), with informal carers helping elderly people make sense of the information they receive from healthcare professionals (Pálsdóttir 2012). Surveys of information sources about Covid-19 have shown that older people still use online sources less than younger people to discover health information (Office for National Statistics, 2020).

Mapping the development of critical information behaviour through school and university

Embodying HIV and AIDS Information: Experiences of Serodiscordant Couples

Library Trends, 2018

This paper aims to illuminate how serodiscordant couples were informed by their own and other's b... more This paper aims to illuminate how serodiscordant couples were informed by their own and other's bodies in their experience of HIV/ AIDS information. The lived body is the contact we have with the world. Our knowledge about others is through their bodies. In addition, illness is experienced first through the lived body. Therefore, when doctors want to learn about the illness, they extract information from the lived body. In this study, we investigated how serodiscordant couples experience HIV and AIDS information in Malawi. In-depth interviews were conducted in the homes of twenty-one serodiscordant couples and three individuals who had separated from their partners. Participants for the study were selected purposively. Data analysis was carried out using Max van Manen's phenomenological approach to generate descriptions and interpretations of the couples' experiences of HIV and AIDS information. The study found that the life-world is the overarching context of experiencing HIV and AIDS information and identified five structures of the life-world of serodiscordant couples: lived body, lived space, lived others, lived time, and spirituality. HIV and AIDS are first experienced through the lived body, and bodies were informational within the lived spaces. Thus, this research contributes to the study of HIV and AIDS information by revealing the lived body as an important source. It also identifies that the body can be an ambiguous source, since HIV and AIDS information available from the lived body may be ignored or misinterpreted by the serodiscordant couples and by those they interact with.

Teaching the Next Generation of Information Literacy Educators: Pedagogy and Learning

Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in Higher Education, 2016

The aim of this presentation is to compare key aspects of learning in two core information litera... more The aim of this presentation is to compare key aspects of learning in two core information literacy (IL) modules, one delivered to a face-to-face cohort (MA Librarianship) and one to distance learners (MA Library and Information Service Management). Graduates of these programmes (delivered by the University of Sheffield iSchool, UK) often pursue careers that require excellent personal Information Literacy (IL) and the ability to teach IL to others. Inskip’s research (2015) identified that these are subjects that library and information (LIS) students want to learn, and Saunders et al.’s (2015) international study found that LIS students’ IL requires development.Our modules aim to develop the students’ understanding of themselves as information literate citizens and teachers, and introduce them to theories and models in the fields of IL and information behavior, teaching and learning. The modules include a practical strand (searching, evaluating, using (etc.) information) and assessm...

Information literacy education for masters students: the search/teach exercise

Zusammenfassung: This paper describes the South Dakota state universities' development of a ... more Zusammenfassung: This paper describes the South Dakota state universities' development of a dual-measure instrument to test Information Literacy (IL) following the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education and using classical and modern psychometric methods. This tool can be used as an exit assessment for undergraduates and as an entrance assessment for advanced learners to indicate deficiencies in IL that must be addressed early in graduate ...

Perspectives on the information literate university

SCONUL focus, 2004

Why stop at information literate students and academics? Why not transform the whole university? ... more Why stop at information literate students and academics? Why not transform the whole university? In this article we will explain our concept of an Information Literate University (ILU), and then go on to talk about how others have reacted to it. We started developing our idea of the ILU several years ago. We had been using our diagram of the'information literate person in the changing world', signifying factors in the internal and external world that may require a person to develop his/her information literacy through the course of his/her life. ...

La culture informationnelle : un domaine d’étude international

L'éducation à la culture informationnelle

Information skills, academic literacy, information fluency and information literacy-the terminolo... more Information skills, academic literacy, information fluency and information literacy-the terminology have caused considerable debate in the UK, but in what ever guise information literacy appears, it is having a huge impact on the role of librarians. It is now seen as one of the major keys to problem solving and life long learning. A considerable amount of resources in the UK higher education (HE) library sector is put towards enhancing student's information literacy skills. Teaching has therefore become a core part of a librarian's role. Courses are being designed and delivered by library staff to students in various formats including face-to-face, online, blended learning, in formal classroom time and informally on the enquiry desk. Library staff, both professional and non professional, are expected to have an understanding of the concepts of information literacy and online learning so that they can become effective teachers either in the classroom or at the enquiry desk. The question is, how do library staff acquire these skills and how do they view their roles in relation to information literacy? Having recognised that information literacy is no longer just the province of HE, but as an essential part of life long learning and digital citizenship, library

Refereed papers A comparison of UK academics' conceptions of information literacy in two disciplines: English and Marketing

The authors aim to present and compare findings from a phenomenographic investigation into concep... more The authors aim to present and compare findings from a phenomenographic investigation into conceptions of information literacy in two populations: academics in English and Marketing disciplines teaching at British universities. These were chosen as examples of, respectively, soft-pure and soft-applied disciplines.We begin by defining information literacy and briefly setting our research in context. We explain the nature of research using the phenomenographic approach, and describe our sample and methods. We present firstly, the four qualitatively different conceptions of information literacy held by the English academics, and then the seven conceptions held by the Marketing academics. Key differences between the conceptions held in the two disciplines are discussed, in particular relating differences to characteristics of soft-pure and soft-applied disciplines. The authors conclude that study of the differences between the conceptions held by the two disciplinary groups can illumina...

Information Literacy: A Subject for the 21 st Century

I write this Editorial just after the first truly international Information Literacy (IL) confere... more I write this Editorial just after the first truly international Information Literacy (IL) conference: although its title is “European” Conference on Information Literacy (http://www.arber.com.tr/ecil2013.org/index.php/home), speakers from 59 countries travelled to Istanbul to speak, listen and learn. Meanwhile in the United States of America, October is IL Awareness month (an annual initiative supported by President Barack Obama). At the same time, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has been working with UNESCO to develop international recommendations for Media and Information Literacy. And for ordinary citizens in many parts of the world, googling for information is just part of everyday life.

Reflections on Running a critLIS Reading Group

In this chapter we offer our reflections, developed through a collaborative autoethnography, on o... more

Mapping the state of information literacy education in primary schools: The case of Pakistan

Library & Information Science Research, 2019

The relationship between students’ subject preferences and their information behaviour

Journal of Documentation, 2018

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of ... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of school subject and student information behaviour (IB). Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods were employed. In all, 152 students, teachers and librarians participated in interviews or focus groups. In total, 1,375 students, key stage 3 (11-14 years) to postgraduate, responded to a questionnaire. The research population was drawn from eight schools, two further education colleges and three universities. Insights from the literature review and the qualitative research phase led to a hypothesis which was investigated using the questionnaire: that students studying hard subjects are less likely to engage in deep IB than students studying soft subjects. Findings Results support the hypothesis that preferences for subjects at school affect choice of university degree. The hypothesis that a preference for hard or soft subjects affects IB is supported by results of an analysis in which like ...

Information literacy: conceptions, context and the formation of a discipline

Journal of Information Literacy, 2017

In this article the authors argue that progress in the development of information literacy (IL) h... more In this article the authors argue that progress in the development of information literacy (IL) has been hindered by tendencies such as: denying that information literacy is even a subject, paying exclusive attention to forces outside the discipline and forming information literacy silos. The authors start by reflecting on formative developments in information literacy outside North America in the late 1990s-early 2000s, and noting that IL has not evolved from that period as much as one might expect. They identify hindrances to information literacy’s formation as a discipline, and relate their discussion to changing notions of disciplinarity. The authors present ‘Information Literacy in the lifecourse’ as an example focus which could stimulate engagement from researchers and practitioners who are currently situated in different information literacy silos. They conclude that taking a disciplinary and lifecourse approach to information literacy would open up opportunities for working ...

Myths about HIV and AIDS among serodiscordant couples in Malawi

Aslib Journal of Information Management, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on research that uncovered myths about HIV and AID... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on research that uncovered myths about HIV and AIDS held by serodiscordant couples in Malawi, and the sources of these myths. The paper reflects on how the myths affect serodiscordant couples’ engagement with HIV and AIDS information. Design/methodology/approach Van Manen’s (1997) approach to analysis of phenomenological data was used to analyse data from in-depth interviews conducted in Malawi with 21 serodiscordant couples and three individuals who had separated from their partners because of serodiscordance. Findings Serodiscordant couples in Malawi believe and hold on to some inaccurate HIV and AIDS information that can be seen as “myths”. Some of these myths are perpetuated by official HIV and AIDS information when it is translated into the local languages. Other myths derive from social norms of the societies where the couples live. Practical implications The findings of this paper have practical implications for how HIV and AIDS ...

Développer des conditions pédagogiques pour la culture informationnelle : l’impact des contextes disciplinaires

L'éducation à la culture informationnelle

Ont contribué à ce volume : Françoise Chapron, coordinatrice 7. Note relative aux équipes de rech... more Ont contribué à ce volume : Françoise Chapron, coordinatrice 7. Note relative aux équipes de recherche technologique (ERT et ERTéducation), annexe au dossier 2.2.C. In : ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche. Politique contractuelle dans l'enseignement supérieur et la recherche-Vague 1, 2007-2010, p. 80-81. L'éducation à la culture informationnelle Préface C'est par une volonté collective issue des Assises nationales pour l'éducation à l'information (Paris, 2003) que le mouvement fédérateur s'est amorcé en ce qui concerne l'éducation à l'information. Sur l'initiative d'enseignants, de chercheurs et de professionnels, une première série de réunions a permis de structurer le projet d'ERTé en 2004. Une équipe nationale pluridisciplinaire, qui s'appuie sur les sciences de l'éducation et les sciences de l'information et de la communication, s'est ainsi constituée avec l'appui du laboratoire Groupe d'étude et de recherche interdisciplinaire en information et communication (GERIICO) de Lille et l'apport du laboratoire Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur les valeurs, les idées, les identités et les compétences (CIVIIC) de Rouen. L'équipe nationale fonctionne en réseau : une équipe de pilotage assure la coordination d'ensemble, chaque sous-équipe coordonne les actions locales, avec la possibilité de s'adjoindre des collaborations plus indirectes mais inscrites dans la mouvance globale. Si les approches et les terrains sont divers, les réflexions se rejoignent dans la volonté collective de mettre en évidence le fonctionnement des pratiques info-documentaires formelles ou informelles qui traversent l'enseignement, en s'efforçant de ne pas les abstraire des contextes sociotechniques dans lesquels elles s'inscrivent. POURQUOI CE COLLOQUE ? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ L'ERTé se terminera en 2009. Nous sommes donc dans une phase de bilan qui nous permettra, nous l'espérons, de prolonger la réflexion vers de nouveaux projets de recherche. À ce stade, nous avons éprouvé le besoin de faire le point et d'échanger sur les thèmes que nous avons explorés avec d'autres chercheurs, mais aussi avec les professionnels de la documentation et en particulier les enseignants-documentalistes. La rencontre entre chercheurs et professionnels de la documentation nous a semblé le meilleur levain pour que le travail entrepris trouve non seulement sa continuation mais un écho dans le monde enseignant. Nous avons également souhaité rencontrer des collègues d'autres pays partageant nos préoccupations. Le soutien de l'Unesco est pour nous un signe très important de reconnaissance.

What do the conceptions of geo/spatial information tell us about information literacy?

Journal of Documentation, 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report findings from an investigation into the conceptions... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report findings from an investigation into the conceptions and characteristics of geo/spatial information (GI) to demonstrate how exploring academics and students' conceptions of GI facilitated illumination of information literacy (IL) in the Geographic Information Science/Systems (GIS) discipline.Design/methodology/approachAdopting an embedded exploratory case study, the data were gathered from semi‐structured interviews, an open‐ended questionnaire and students' reflection in an online distance learning (ODL) GIS programme. The data were analysed in light of the Grounded Theory approach. Drawing on the conceptions of GI which emerged from the study, this paper highlights several characteristics of GI and discusses their implications for IL. In particular, it compares the emergent IL competencies in the GIS discipline with those in the SCONUL model.FindingsGI was identified as geo/spatial, temporal, geo/spatially contextualised, and ge...

Blended university teaching using virtual learning environments: conceptions and approaches

Instructional Science, 2011

This document is the author's post-print version of the journal article, incorporating any revisi... more