Fardiah et al- Forging ties, fostering collaborations: a case of sustainable information literacy education by the National Library with Singapore schools

Forging ties, fostering collaborations: a case study of sustainable IL education by the NLB with Singapore schools

Faridah Ibrahim

15 Aug 2013

Introduction to Paper� To highlight the current sustainable

collaborations between the National

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Introduction to Paper collaborations between the National

Library and schools in Singapore

Introduction to Paper

�Established history of collaboration between the

Ministry of Education (MOE) and National Library

Board (NLB) to equip students with Information

Literacy (IL) knowledge and skills

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Introduction to PaperLiteracy (IL) knowledge and skills

�NLB’s Information Literacy and Outreach (ILO)

team was given the opportunity to develop IL

coursewares to supplement the IL skills featured

in the new syllabi

BACKGROUND

History of collaboration between

NLB and Schools:

�Class visits

�Assembly talks

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

�Assembly talks

�Reading initiatives

�Focus on promoting NLB

resources and services

NEW APPROACHES

Starting in 2005

Public Libraries

�Proactive approach to IL through these

programmes

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�Mind Explorer (ME)

�Learn@Libraries

�Prove IT!

NEW APPROACHES

Starting in 2005

National Library

� Focus on library visits.

�students introduced to the rich

collection on Singapore and

Southeast Asia.

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�This approach is extremely labour-

intensive.

�Learning retention and transfer of

knowledge is debatable.

NEW APPROACHES

In 2012

Information Literacy and Outreach Department

(ILO)

�To equip students with the skills to be independent,

discerning users of information who can navigate

the complex information environment more

effectively and responsibly.

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�Broad-based National Information Literacy

Programme, it was planned that IL was to be taught

to Primary 3, Primary 5 and Secondary 1 students.

�This classroom-led method of imparting IL to

students was highly manpower-intensive. Questions

were raised especially on the sustainability on the

programme.

Convincing first-meeting between librarians and

curriculum planners A sharing of knowledge

�Inspiring confidence:

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�Inspiring confidence:

�Librarians displayed familiarity of the

education landscape

�communicated using terminologies

familiar to the educators

Follow-up Actions

�Resources shared were to construct IL

courseware specially customised to the

syllabi.

�Pilot sessions were conducted for two

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Follow-up Actions �Pilot sessions were conducted for two

schools

�The coursewares were amended

according to feedback from the

students, teachers, and curriculum

planners.

Criteria of Sustainability: �Effectiveness

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�Effectiveness�Efficiency�Long-term application of IL

1. Courseware Development

In developing the courseware, we asked these questions:

�What is the role of IL in project work?

�Is IL a desired outcome or a tool to

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1. Courseware Development �Is IL a desired outcome or a tool to

lifelong learning?

We wanted the outcome of the IL

programme to be both a tool and a

lifelong skill.

1. Courseware Development:Activity Book

The courseware developed was simple, and information packaged in bite-sizes.

IL component organised into 4

modules:

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Activity Book modules:

1. Analysing topic and keywords

2. Searching for Information

3. Reviewing Resources

4. Using Information Ethically

2. Bloom’s Taxonomy & Pitching of materials

Module 1 and 2:�Designed using lower level thinking

skills and subsequent activities

progresses towards higher level

thinking orders where students learn

and apply

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Pitching of materialsand apply

Module 3 and 4: �Students were required to use higher

order thinking skills to evaluate and

make informed decision of the quality of

research by analysing the types of

resources

1. Implementation: Train-the-trainer

Roll-out process:� Labour intensive to conduct

classroom-led session by librarians

� A handful of librarians would have to

conduct concurrent IL sessions at

158 schools

Implementation:

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Train-the-trainer Implementation:Train-the-trainers

Familiarise 730 History and Geography

teachers with the IL concepts our

courseware.

In addition, they were given teaching

support in the form of slides, videos

and suggested teaching guidelines.

1. Implementation: Train-the-trainer

Multiplier Effect: Over 4 years

192, 000 students

48, 000 students

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Train-the-trainer 48, 000 students

730 teachers

Long Term application of Information Literacy

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Information Literacy

1. Additional Support�Teaching students to access NLB e-

Resources

�Thematic and resource LibGuides

were developed to support the students.

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were developed to support the students.

�Both resources are accessible online

and the library resources are made

available directly to the students home

�Increases the library’s relevance and

visibility.

1. Additional Support

Can we teach the students how to fish through LibGuides & eResources?

�Through LibGuides, the students are

empowered to make the decision to use the

recommended eResources compiled for

them

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1. Additional Support�They are also encouraged to refer to

other sources other than those listed in

LibGuides

�LibGuides act as a stepping stone and for

the more motivated and self-driven

students to explore other sources of

information

2. Reference Services

Reference Services

�The integration of IL into the curriculum

allows us to encourage students to use

NLB’s Reference Services.

�NLB librarians will use electronic

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�NLB librarians will use electronic

databases and printed reference materials

as sources of their answers.

�When we answer the teens’ questions, we

are pointing to them the authoritative

sources like reference books, newspaper

articles, journals and electronic databases

in the NLB collection.

1. Competencies and skills

2. Librarians as trainers� Familiarity with both pedagogy and

andragogy

� ACTA

� The Advanced Certificate in Training

and Assessment is the national

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1. Competencies and skills of librarians

and Assessment is the national

certification programme under purview

of the Workforce Development

Authority

� Providing solid foundation on content

development and training delivery

In a new model, Joan K. Lippicott describes ‘library instruction,’ as a learning community. ‘library instruction,’ as a learning community.

‘In such an environment, stakeholders seek opportunities and lasting for

duration of the course and focused on the information environment’

2. Learning Community

2. Learning Community

� Shift in perception� Librarians are now seen as Learning

Partners, not Guest Lecturers

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2. Learning Community� The National Library experience shared in

this paper is testimony that the learning community is also achievable in the context of a national library

2. Learning Community

� The impact created out of this collaboration

is the formation of community� At the institutional level:

Between library and director of

education

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2. Learning Community education

� At the individual level:

1. between librarian and curriculum

planners,

2. between librarian and teachers

3. between reference librarian and

students.

Reflections & Conclusion

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Reflections & Conclusion

Future of Information

� Continue to gain insights into the performance of

the students in terms of information seeking

process

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Literacy Programme � This collaboration grew out of observation and

direction from the management.

� Both parties recognised the need for synergy

which led lead to longer dialogues with more

people that grew in scope over the months.

THANK YOU