Towards a Learning Society — Exploring the Challenge of Applied Information Literacy through Reality-Based Scenarios

Abstract

This paper outlines the role of information use in society to illustrate the process of developing a learning society as envisaged by the Information Literacy Research Centre which is located within the Linköping University Library. The section on the theoretical framework discusses learning from different pedagogical perspectives, the importance of reality-based scenarios and also proposes a new model, which could be described as an extension of the well known and often cited Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP) model. The successful implementation of this new model, Applied Information Literacy Education, is explored through the outlines of the following courses, Civic and Public Communication - the Citizen in the Information Society, and, Health Promoting Organizations. The paper concludes by reflecting on the theoretical and practical implications of applying the extended Kuhlthau’s model, as practice has shown that this approach is useful for pedagogical developmental work, including curriculum development in general, and specifically for information literacy programmes. This is presented as a necessary step for the promotion of a learning society based on information literacy and as a challenge not just for information literacy educators, but for other educators as well.

Keywords:

• applied information literacy
• e-learning society
• lifelong learning
• reality-based assessment
• information search process
• authentic assessment

Biographies

Agneta Lantz. PhD, Senior Librarian, Lecturer, Head of Information Literacy Research Centre, E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: [phone]

As a researcher, lecturer and senior librarian Agneta has many years of experience from practical pedagogical work as well as from educational developmental work and research within the fields of Education and Library and Information Science. In 2000 she founded and is now the head of The Information Literacy Research Centre at Linköping University (http://www.bibl.liu.se/utbildning/centrum/default.htm). Agneta completed a PhD on Breaking Information Barriers through Information Literacy: A Longitudinal and Interventional Study among Small Firm managers.

Christina Brage. Senior Librarian, Lecturer, Coordinator of User Education,

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: [phone]

Christina Brage is a senior librarian and lecturer at the Linköping University, where she is involved in teaching courses in the Information Science field. As a senior librarian at the Tema institute she is actively involved in its research projects, both within disciplines and across disciplinary boundaries. From autumn 2005 Christina was appointed as coordinator of the user education at Linköping University Library (http://www.bibl.liu.se).

Both authors work at the Linköping University Library, SE-581 83 LINKÖPING, SWEDEN.

Notes

¹ This term this will be used throughout the rest of the paper.

² http://www.natuniversitet.se (Accessed: 20 December, 2005)

³ We thank Mr Ulf Lindgren for the help with the graphical design of Figure 2.