The current status of teaching and fostering information literacy in TAFE.(Technical and Further Education )

A key concern of librarians employed in the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) sector in Australia is to help students improve their ability to find and use information. Information literacy programs are provided by most TAFE libraries for this purpose. While there are examples of individual TAFE information literacy programs and initiatives in the literature, (1) there is little empirical research about TAFE librarians' information literacy practices as a whole. This research aims to fill this gap by identifying current practice. Two research questions were posed: What are the practices that TAFE librarians use to teach and foster information literacy? What changes have occurred since the last TAFE information literacy survey in 2001? The information literacy practices examined include the definition of information literacy used as a framework for training programs, librarians' understanding of information literacy, the range of training programs provided (for example introductory information skills, research level skills, computer skills training), methods of delivery and assessment, the level of collaboration with teaching staff, the level of integration in the curriculum, and methods of promoting information literacy. Associated issues explored included the training needs of librarians, the barriers experienced by librarians when advocating or providing information literacy programs, and librarians' perceptions of whether their institutions value information literacy.

The research was concerned with librarians employed by TAFE providers within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. The small number of participants from some states and territories and from dual sector institutes (universities which incorporate both the higher education and VET sectors within one institution) other than in Victoria was a limitation of the study. This precluded satisfactorily addressing whether there were any differences in practice between single and dual sector institutes, and between states and territories. However, despite these limitations, the research provided a valuable picture of the state of information literacy practices in the TAFE sector in 2005.

Definitional Issues

The information literacy literature is characterised by a superabundance of definitions indicating a range of understandings. A comprehensive review of information literacy definitions and their meaning is beyond the scope of this review; however, interested readers may wish to consult Lupton, (2) Bawden, (3) Behrens (4) and Webber and Johnston. (5)

One of the definitional issues pertinent to TAFE practice is the difference between library skills programs, bibliographic instruction and information literacy. The synonymous use of these terms by theoreticians and practitioners alike results in confusion. (6) Another feature of the information literacy discourse is the dissent among librarians and educators about terminology, particularly the 'literacy' aspect of the term. Langford (7) points out that researchers have described the term as 'fuzzy' and that teachers are not clear about the term or its implications for classroom practice. Clarification of the definition is required to ensure that all stakeholders understand and embrace the concept. (8)

A characteristic of many definitions is a description of a set of skills or attributes that an information-literate person should exhibit. This type of definition is common within current educational practice which requires the demonstration and assessment of learning outcomes. For example, the Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy (ANZIIL) Framework (9) describes the information-literate person as one who:

* recognises the need for information and determines the nature and extent of the information needed

* finds needed information effectively and efficiently;

* critically evaluates information and the information seeking process

* manages information collected or generated

* applies prior and new information to construct new concepts or create new understandings, and

* uses information with understanding and acknowledges cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information.

The Australian Library and Information Association's policy statements about information literacy, (10) clearly of relevance to TAFE practice, firmly positions information literacy as a prerequisite for personal and vocational empowerment and lifelong learning, noting that information literacy can contribute to participative citizenship, social inclusion, acquisition of skills, innovation and enterprise, the creation of new knowledge, personal, vocational, corporate and organisational empowerment, and learning for life.

In the early 1990s significant changes were occurring in TAFE with the introduction of the competency-based training curriculum. The Finn Report (11) identified six areas of competence that young people need in preparation for work and recommended the development of employment related key competencies. The Mayer Committee developed the following seven key competencies in 1992:

1 collecting, analysing and organising information

2 communicating ideas and information

3 planning and organising activities

4 working with others and in teams

5 using mathematical ideas and techniques

6 solving problems, and

7 using technology. (12)

The competency 'collecting, analysing and organizing information' is fundamental to most TAFE information literacy programs.

The first TAFE librarian to establish the connection between the key competencies and information literacy was Robert Burnheim. He recognised that collecting, analysing and organising ideas and information was a component of the broader concept of information literacy, and recommended that the Mayer Committee develop an information skills curriculum to support the development of information literacy across all educational sectors. (13) Floyd and Burnheim (14) conducted a Queensland-wide study on the delivery of competency-based training curricula. Important findings included the wide range of understandings of the term 'competency-based training' and that teachers wanted the library to provide training in the development of information literacy skills for themselves and students in support of the new curriculum. TAFE librarians clearly had an educational role and by 1995 information literacy programs were described as a core service that TAFE libraries should offer in support of independent learning. (15)

The link between library literacy and the key competency 'collecting, analysing and organising information' was explored in Zobec's master's thesis, (16) which was the first formally documented study of library literacy levels in a TAFE environment. Zobec attempted to measure the library literacy levels of flexible learners at Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) in the 1995 academic year and found that CIT courses did not meet one component of the key competency 'collecting, analysing and organising information', the ability to locate or collect information. (17) Zobec also found that measuring library literacy levels was difficult in the absence of a standard measuring instrument. (18)

Another practitioner who investigated issues related to professional practice was Harrison. (19) Harrison's unpublished survey research investigated librarians' consistency of understanding about information literacy, the information literacy training provided by TAFE libraries, the barriers librarians experience when advocating information literacy to their institutions, whether information literacy is valued by their institutions, and the inclusion of information literacy in the curriculum. Forty-one responses were received from librarians in all states and territories other than Tasmania. An important finding was that librarians did not share a uniform definition of information literacy, prompting Harrison to recommend that a definition be developed. Another recommendation was that TAFE libraries should adapt and implement the CAUL information literacy standards. (20) The limitations of the study include the small number of participants and the use of convenience sampling; however the research is of value in that it provides a snapshot of TAFE information literacy practice in 2001.

Methodology

A questionnaire was developed to ascertain the current status of TAFE librarians' information literacy practices and was administered using a web-based survey tool, SurveyMonkey.com (www.surveymonkey.com). Harrison's research (21) was used as the basis for several questions; however, some guesswork was involved, as her survey was unpublished and the questions asked were not explicit in the proceedings of the conference where it was reported. The project was conducted in three stages: pilot testing, a Victorian survey, and a national survey.

The questionnaire was piloted in early 2005 by ten librarians from colleges or institutes in Victoria known to be involved in information literacy. The results were discussed with the Victorian Association of TAFE Libraries (VATL)…