Sywddog Gweithredol / Executive Officer
CILIP Cymru/Wales
Department of Information Studies
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth SY23 3AS4 December 2002Chris Reading
Committee Clerk
Education and Lifelong Learning
Welsh Assembly Government
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff CF99Dear Mr Reading

Policy Review: School of the Future

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Wales (CILIP Cymru/Wales) welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the consultation regarding possible changes in the roles and operation of primary and secondary schools 10 to 15 years hence. We would also like to thank you for allowing us to delay our response to include feedback from a discussion held during a recent seminar at Gregynog Hall, Powys.One of the main aims of the National Assembly Government and the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee is to create a 'Learning Country' with excellent schools and where lifelong learning is the norm. If we are to ensure a 'Learning Country', then it is essential that pupils in primary and secondary school develop skills that they can utilise throughout life and become successful lifelong learners. Key among these skills is the ability to identify, locate, evaluate and use information. This response will concentrate on one key area - the need to develop the teaching of information literacy in the schools of the future.

Information Literacy

Common requirements of the current curriculum do refer to aspects of these skills, including information technology skills, problem solving skills and limited information handling skills. However, ensuring that pupils are information literate involves much more than this and needs to be discussed as a key part of future curriculum development. North America and Australia are leading the field in researching into information literacy. At our recent Gregynog Seminar we were fortunate to have Dr Gayner Eyre speaking, previously a member of the Department of Information Studies at Aberystwyth University, but now working at Charles Sturt University in Australia. This response is heavily indebted to research work carried out by Dr Eyre in Australia and in Wales, and comments from library and information professionals attending the Gregynog Seminar.

Definition and importance of Information Literacy

There are many definitions of information literacy. Many stem from that coined by the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy in 1989:To be information literate, a person must be able to recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information (ALA 1989 p.1).The importance of information literacy has developed in response to technological developments and it is widely accepted that ICT skills are an important component of information literacy skills. However, whilst Information literacy encompasses ICT and resource knowledge skills, it goes beyond this in terms of recognising the need for students to evaluate, analyse and appropriately use the information found.Information literacy is now an established concept in the information world, and its contribution to lifelong learning well established. A recent report from CILIP states:Participation in the information society requires the citizen to be information literate. Failure to appraise information will result in exclusion (CILIP 2002a p.39)It has been argued that:Information literate students are competent, independent learners. They know their information needs and actively engage in the world of ideas. They display confidence in their ability to solve problems and know what is relevant information. They operate comfortably in situations where there are multiple answers, as well as those with no answers. They hold high standards for their work and create quality products (Pennell 1999) Research in Australia has also identified information literacy as a key element in the profile of a lifelong learner (CAUL 2001).

Evidence for change

Major research in establishing the impact of teaching information literacy is mainly taking place in North America and Australia. However, there is research work in Wales that will contribute to these impact studies. On the 29^th of November, Richmond Park Primary School in Carmarthen launched their new library facilities and also disseminated information about their research into developing the information skills of pupils.Following a school inspection at Richmond Park, the "need to develop pupils’ independent research and library skills across the curriculum" was identified. The school took positive action and was successful in securing funding (General Teaching Council) to undertake some research. Well-resourced library areas (books, computers and audiovisual resources) were developed in the classrooms and a teaching programme to develop relevant skills to access information was introduced.Head teacher, Mr Walters, reported that the developments have already resulted in improved performance by pupils. There has been a significant decrease in the amount of time pupils take to find information, especially amongst the less able. It is still too early to assess the full impact and it will be next summer before a fuller evaluation of the developments will be available. The school has now proceeded to work with Queen Elizabeth Cambria Secondary School and the other feeder primary schools in developing KS 2/3 information skills across the curriculum.As well as working to develop a smooth transition of pupils from primary to secondary schools, the school of the future will also need to work closely with the Further and Higher Education sector in the field of information literacy. This was underlined by representatives of the University College and Research Librarians Group at the Gregynog Seminar. A longitudinal study conducted by Ray Lonsdale, Chris Armstrong and other colleagues in the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (Armstrong, et al., 2001), concluded that students in both Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) were not making use of the full range of Electronic Information Services (EIS). A further conclusion drawn was that adequate information skills were not acquired prior to entry to FE and HE institutions. It followed that, if recent entrants into FE and HE were to be information strategy-literate as well as ICT-literate, they would benefit from a co-ordinated approach to information literacy between schools and FE/HE.The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the body funded by the Higher and Further Education Funding Councils, decided to fund a scoping study by Aberystwyth University to determine the extent to which secondary education is equipping children with an awareness of the electronic information resources that they might encounter and the nature of information literacy skills education in secondary schools.Dr Gayner Eyre and colleagues at Charles Sturt University, Australia have been investigating the development of information literacy in schools. She expressed an interest in the research work being undertaken by former colleagues in Aberystwyth and is collaborating in a project that would explore the relationship between information literacy skills development in schools and post school sectors. Taking sabbatical leave from her institution in Australia she concentrated her research on the project, within Wales.The Welsh study involved interviewing key people in major institutions involved in education in Wales, and organisations contacted included:

• Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Wales
• Cymru Ar-lein
• Department for Education and Skills
• Dysg, the National Operation in Wales of the Learning and Skills Development Agency
• Enterprise College Wales, University of Glamorgan
• Flintshire Local Education Authority
• Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales
• Library and Information ServicesCouncil (Wales). Chairman
• Library and Information Services Council Wales Schools Committee. Chairman (Wales)
• National Assembly for Wales
• National Council for Education and Learning Wales
• National Grid for Learning Wales
• Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales
• People’s Network, New Opportunities Fund Digitisation Programme (Wales)
• Swansea Local Education Authority
• University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Open Learning Unit

Interviewees in Welsh institutions recognised the need to develop information literacy skills, especially ICT literacy, and suggested that there was a need for research linked to information literacy, Lifelong Learning and the development of an e-learning strategy which embraces post -16 education in Wales.

Rationale

Within the current e-learning debate in Wales, there is acknowledgement that models of learning are being transformed and that the old paradigm of 'knowledge transmission’ is being turned on its head by the need for educators to prepare students to take control and responsibility for their own learning and development (ELWa, Cymru Ar-Lein). Linked to this is the need for appropriate resource provision and access and the development of skills to utilise these:In this next century, an 'educated’ graduate will no longer be defined as one who has absorbed a certain body of factual information, but one who knows how to find, evaluate and apply needed information (Breivik 1998 p.2).There is now a large body of literature on the subject of information literacy. In the USA, Australia and Canada information literacy standards have now been published. Examples of these include the Council for Australian University Library standards (2001) and in the USA the American Association for School Libraries (2001). These do not as yet exist for the UK, where the issue of Information literacy has not been fully developed. Participants in the scoping study (BECTA, ACCAC, CILIP Wales, and the Library and Information Services Council Wales's Schools Committee) see the value in developing such standards, but feel that an audit of practice within schools, colleges of FE and Universities would be a prerequisite. Representatives of these organisations, and the ICT advisors to two LEAs in Wales, agreed that whilst some skills relevant to information literacy were included in the curriculum, issues of content (e.g. knowledge of, and selection of the most appropriate information source to suit pupils needs) and use of content were being overlooked.The ultimate goal would be to develop standards that could effect smooth transition between primary school, secondary school and FE/HE. These standards should take into account the information literacy skills needed for life and for study at tertiary level, and would also acknowledge the role of the library and information providers.Following a presentation by Dr Eyre, a focus group was held at the Gregynog Seminar. The participants recognised the need to develop information literacy, endorsed the need for an information literacy infrastructure in Wales and agreed that further research/impact studies should preclude this. In addition, participants in the focus group agreed with other findings of the scoping study, which suggested the need for all libraries to be involved and for a collaborative approach to be taken.

Library's role

As highlighted by the Richmond Park Primary School example, library resources play a key role in supporting the teaching of information literacy skills. It is important that children have the opportunity to practice these skills to become independent learners in a library environment. A properly resourced library facility in schools, including printed and online resources along with trained staff provide an excellent opportunity to develop these skills.School libraries contribute to social inclusion by providing free access to pupils whatever their background. But are pupils across Wales benefiting from equality of access to library facilities in their school? Unfortunately the results of a survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, in conjunction with the Library and Information Services Council Wales, show large variations in the provision of such facilities across Wales.

Libraries as a community resource

Public libraries in areas such as Wrexham and Flintshire have developed homework clubs. They provide free access to a range of resources, such as free access to ICT, and experienced staff are there to assist. A properly resourced school library could also provide similar facilities to promote the use of, and development of information technology; independent learning; enjoyment of reading; and adding value to the education/school experience.Many schools such as Richmond Park take advantage of the opportunity to take classes to their local library to further reinforce the development of information literacy skills. In parts of Wales, local authorities are providing a centralised Schools Library Service to support and develop the provision of resources to assist the teachers and pupils.Tregaron and Llanharri Secondary Schools are examples where the library, situated in the school, is both the school and community public library. The recently opened Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig has a library (including ICT facilities), with adjoining ICT teaching room and classroom, making it ideal to be developed as a community resource outside school hours.

Conclusion

Participation in the information society and lifelong learning requires the citizen to be information literate. Failure to appraise information and lack of confidence in the use of information, in whatever format, will result in exclusion. The school of the future will need to embed information literacy skills in the curriculum and develop a framework for teaching these skills in primary and secondary schools, in FE and HE institutions, and integrate the role of the library in its delivery.There is also an opportunity in Wales to conduct further research to evaluate the need for a co-ordinated approach in developing the teaching of information literacy skills, and to develop and test a model of key skills. If you would like any further information regarding this response, please do not hesitate to contact CILIP Cymru/Wales on 01970 622 174.Yours sincerelyHuw Llywelyn Evans
Executive Officer

References

Armstrong, C. J., Everitt, J., Fenton, R. R., Lonsdale, R. E., McDermott, E. A., Phillips, R., Spink, S., Thomas, R. E. and Urquhart, C. J. JUSTEIS: JISC Usage Surveys: Trends in Electronic Information Services. Strand A: A general survey of end users of all electronic information services; Strand C: A general survey of electronic information services provision. Final Report - 2000-2001 Cycle (Cycle Two). Aberystwyth: University of Wales Aberystwyth Department of Information and Library Studies [and] Centre for Information Quality Management, 2001. 143pp.American Association School Librarians (AASL) and Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT). (1998). Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association, 8-22.Breivik, P. S. & Senn, J.A. (1998) Information Literacy: Educating children for the 21^st Century. 2^nd Ed. Washington D.C: National Education AssociationCILIP (2002) Start with the child. London: Chartered Institute of Information Professionals.CAUL (2001) Information Literacy Standards. Adelaide: Council for Australian University LibrariansPennell, V. (1999). Advocating information literacy. In Henri, J. & Bonanno K. The information literate school community: Best practice. Wagga Wagga: CIS, 189-204