Information Skills Development Research Articles

Learning from Africa

During 13th International AIDS Conference held in Durban South Africa former President Nelson Mandela urged conference participants to break the silence of solitude against HIV/AIDS and stressed that it can be prevented through investing in information and life skills development for young people. He mentioned promotion of abstinence safer sex and use of condoms and early treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Meanwhile Mike Tan in his column Pinoy Kasi in Philippine Daily Inquirer dated July 25 2000 calls attention to similarity of Philippine situation with that of Africa. He notes that in Africa HIV spread because of denial. In a similar situation to Africa Filipinos like to claim that Philippines are only Christian country in Asia and that this will protect them from HIV. Moreover shrill cries from Christian moralists claiming that condoms encourage promiscuity and spread HIV/AIDS or that sex education corrupts youth compounds problem of epidemic. Success stories in Africa evidenced that by acknowledging epidemic mobilizing government and nongovernmental organizations including religious leaders to support and campaign against HIV one that mainly targets young people will help curb pandemic.

Information skills development at Dialog

The Information Professional Development (IPD) programme at Dialog, the pioneer electronic information retrieval technology and a business of the Thomson Corporation, employs a four-part strategy to assist its customers by providing them with indispensable information, insight and solutions to help them make better decisions faster, to enhance that relationship as a long-term goal, and to promote Dialog’s position as a worldwide information provider. The strategy involves: the Graduate Education Programme, to provide information professionals with awareness of Dialog while they are studying for their professional degree; the Professional Association Relationship Management scheme, to build peer relationships with a wide range of special library and corporate information professionals through participation in professional organizations; the Quantum2 Leadership Development Programme, to help information professionals develop the leadership skills to empower them to develop innovative information services; and the Customer Advisory Board, to build relationships with top customers. The four elements of the IPD strategy are described in detail, with indications as to how they fit into the overall operation of Dialog. The articles concludes that the IPD programmes, together with other relationship-building efforts, have been successful in enabling the company to build lifelong relationships in the information professional community through a team of information professionals who have the central aim of helping information professionals to succeed in their organizations.

Information Literacy: Developing Lifelong Skills Through Nursing Education

The amount and complexity of information nurses are expected to manage continues to increase exponentially. Support has grown for integrated curriculum approaches that include appropriate content on the use of a variety of information formats and instruction using resource-based and process methods. Such teaching-learning approaches demand a major shift in educational paradigms and encompass resource-based learning, undergraduate research, service learning, inquiry learning, and problem-based learning. The implementation of an integrated curriculum promises advanced information skills, access, and use of available evidence to support clinical decision making and a foundation for lifetime learning. In this article, we argue that for information literacy to be enhanced, collaboration between teaching faculty and librarians must be fostered in meaningful ways. We report on the rationale of an integrated curriculum, changes to nursing education, and obstacles to the development and application of advanced information skills that exist within higher education and clinical settings.

Finding pleasure in information seeking: Leisure and amateur genealogists exploring their Irish ancestry

AbstractGenealogy may be characterized as serious leisure, that is an amateur or voluntary activity in which the hobby forms a central life interest, with participants actively acquiring and expressing special skills, knowledge and experience (Stebbins, 1996; 1997). Information skills development and information exchange are key features of genealogy. Amateur genealogists are very often older adults who have time to devote themselves to learning information and technical skills needed to navigate the complex maze of resources that support this activity.This paper explores the information seeking behaviour of amateur genealogists in their leisure. Amateur genealogists from around the world participated in telephone interviews about their hunt for their Irish ancestors. Data were analyzed to identify patterns of communication and links between and among amateur genealogists, groups, and resources. Findings reveal that amateur genealogists are a unique group of information seekers, who devote their spare time to information seeking and sharing among like‐minded researchers. Findings suggest that leisure time is an important information seeking context, in which people relate information seeking with pleasure, as opposed to a work‐related or routine life information need.

Learning and teaching

Learning and teaching

Library Services to External Students from Australian Universities: The Influence of Flexible Delivery upon Traditional Service Provision

Summary Distance education services provided by a number of Australian university libraries are considered. Attention is paid to agreements between libraries, library staff involvement in program and information skills development, evaluation of services, and the evolution of online delivery. This paper establishes that little provision is made for the specific support of the adult learner in distance education and argues that flexible delivery initiatives are diminishing the distinction between on- and off-campus services, irrespective of client-base.

From virtuos to virtual: the collaborative development of information skills at the University of Hull

This article summarises the development of information skills teaching for undergraduates and postgraduates at the University of Hull, including the move to accredited modules with self‐study materials. Virtual learning environments are discussed, and the experiences of placing two self‐study information skills modules on the Blackboard CourseInfo VLE are described. Some future plans are outlined.

Networked learning

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education is changing learning itself in significant ways. The possibilities afforded by networked learning are exciting commentators around the world and leading to great interest in concepts such as the “virtual university”, driven forward by policy emphases on lifelong learning. Having examined these developments, the paper analyses the key issues within learning itself, including learning models and learning styles, and relates these to current developments in networked learning. Research into information behaviour is then examined within the same context and in turn this is linked to the development of generic information skills. This leads to a discussion of “Networked Learner Support” and conclusions on the need for collaborative approaches if students are to receive a rich experience of learning within a constructivist pedagogy.

Review: health education interventions offering information plus sexual negotiation skill development promote increased condom use in women

. Shepherd J, Weston R, Peersman G, et al. Interventions for encouraging sexual lifestyles and behaviours intended to prevent cervical cancer . (Cochrane Review, latest version 25 May 1999.) In:...

Bibliotecas y Tecnologías

ABSTRACT This article examines some of the ways in which the Biblioteca Daniel Cosio Villegas of El Colegio de Mexico is responding to meet the goals stated in the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico's 1997-2000 Development Plan. The Plan aims to prepare students for life-long learning by teaching them reasoning and questioning skills as well as competencies in selecting, organizing and processing information from diverse systems and sources. It notes the need to discover the skill library professionals must have in order to assist patrons effectively to become self-sufficient users of information. The environment examined is one where most college and university students are products of a very traditional primary and secondary educational system that emphasizes learning through the use of class lectures and assigned textbooks rather than research and self-discovery. The author points out the need for library professionals in Mexico's institutions of higher education to teach students how to learn to access and process information themselves in order to transform this information into knowledge they can use. Some of the administrative changes made at the Biblioteca Daniel Cosio Villegas to accomplish this are described. These include: more participation by library professionals in planning; favoring matrica! organization between departments and projects and making decisions in a more collegia! fashion; subject specialization by library professionals who select, catalog, classify and give service in a specific area; and incorporation of the user into the evaluation of existing processes and services and the creation of new ones which favor a more efficacious development of their information skills. The author concludes by proposing three basic principles to guide the re-engineering process that must be undertaken by academic libraries if they are to survive and seek to shape the future of information technology rather than just responding to the challenges it presents. These principles are: the value which accrues to information by transforming it into knowledge can be analyzed systematically; the value which accrues to technology is incremented by the degree to which it is accepted by library professionals and users; and this acceptance is a function of other variables which can be understood and controlled, especially the frequency of use resulting in the development of information skills. The improvement of information skills of library professionals and users therefore constitutes the principal objective of technological integration. (Abstract written by Debora Rougeux.)

Life on the electronic frontier: The application of technology to group work

This article briefly explores historical perspectives on technology and the current state of the art in technology as it relates to community and group work. Possible applications and limitations of technology for information dissemination, skill development, support, counseling, and therapy are explored. Furthermore, arguments in the debate on the inclusion of technology into group work are outlined, including the impact of technology on relationship dynamics, group process, ethical and legal issues, client expectations, computer dependency, diversity, and other pragmatic concerns.

Contracting‐out in public health and water services in Ghana

This article examines contracting‐out in practice in public health and water services in Ghana. Drawing on in‐depth interviews and discussions with knowledgeable officials, complemented by documentary analysis and secondary sources, the article provides insights into some of the institutional constraints and capacity issues that policy‐makers and implementers need to be aware of in seeking to introduce and implement contracting‐out policies in a developing country context. Though contracting‐out in Ghana’s health and water sectors has so far been used in the provision of support services, attempts to broaden its application to include the direct provision of core services raise a number of capacity questions related to regulatory frameworks, enforcement and monitoring mechanisms, development of management information systems and skills for contract management. The capacity and willingness of the private sector to take on direct provision of public services are also crucial.

Information strategy stands the test of time

The decentralised information strategy upon which the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) was established has stood the test of time. INIS celebrated its 25th anniversary during 1995. One of the world's early international computerised systems, INIS was born in 1970 with its mission to produce and disseminate a database containing records of the world's literature on the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, and full text of non‐conventional (grey) literature. Since that time, the INIS Database has grown to over 1.8 million bibliographic records and abstracts. It continues to increase by approximately 85 000 records each year. Additionally, INIS generates full‐text microfiche of approximately 20 000 non‐conventional literature documents each year as well as a number of other information products and services. As of 1976, INIS could be considered the world's most comprehensive abstracting and indexing service in the field of atomic energy. Ninety‐four Member States (countries) and 17 cooperating international organisations currently participate in INIS. A decentralised operational philosophy is at the core of the information strategies of the organisation. INIS is, in effect, an international information cooperative made up of members who are the contributors as well as the benefactors of the system. Participants get a return on their information investment: member countries who publish and therefore contribute a few records have access to the collective 85 000 records submitted annually by all members, as well as to the full database. One of the major advantages of decentralisation is that it tends to stimulate the establishment and improvement of an international information infrastructure, as well as the transfer of modern information technology. Systems such as INIS, which capitalise on information technology transfer, information skills development and the use of standards for information management and exchange, have contributed to paving the way for the global information highway envisioned today. The INIS decentralised global information management strategy has stood the test of time and will be critical in the future information industry. INIS will embrace the changes necessary to remain in the forefront of the information society.

The educational value and use of online information services in schools

A 2-yr investigation was undertaken in six schools, one primary and five secondary schools, into the educational value and use of online information services. The schools worked for six terms using a range of datafiles from a selection of U.K. and overseas online hosts. The files are normally used by adults in business, industry, government and research organisations. They are available at commercial rates and are generally very large, sometimes extending to several million records. The intentions of the project were to study the use that might be made of such files to support the needs of the school curriculum for individual pupil research into topical issues, to explore any constraints, and to uncover management and training issues. Seven online host companies provided free or cheap access to their files: DIALOG Information Services, BLAISE-LINE, FT PROFILE Information, DATA-STAR, the European Space Agency Information Retrieval Service (ESA-IRS), KOMPASS Online and the Online Computer Library Centre Inc. Europe (OCLC). The article draws upon the evidence provided from teachers' and librarians' diaries, interviews with both staff and students, and observations and analyses of searches in progress. Educational benefits included support for topical investigations through access to information not available in schools or their localities, language and information skills development. There were some changes in teachers' roles. For example, away from the role of information provider towards that of co-learner/investigator.

A Supported Independent Living Program for Youth

This pilot project demonstrated that for selected youth, a supported independent living program can be an effective resource in bridging the transition from home to fully independent living. For some young people, the program may serve as a respite from home while an altered relationship with their family is negotiated. The program's target population of emotionally disturbed youth requires intense emotional support and guidance. They require programs that develop social and interpersonal skills and instrumental skills of daily living. Resource information packages and skill development units that are readily available when needs are identified facilitate such programming. The experience from this project indicates that ongoing support using a group model, structured sessions with incentives for regular attendance, and assistance in budget planning and problem resolution are essential in promoting independent living for older adolescents. Living alone with intensive support is a useful option for some dif...

The electronic school library

In the vast literature now available on automation in libraries and information services of different kinds, relatively little has been written on the effects of automation, in particular the use of microcomputers, in school libraries. Yet it is in this area that some of the most interesting developments have taken place. It should also be remembered that the creation of the electronic school library brings information technology to all pupils in a school whereas in other libraries, e.g. public libraries, only the minority of the public who use the public library have access to the technology. The growing use of information technology linked to the development of information skills teaching in schools has, in Britain and elsewhere, created new roles for the school librarian and has enabled pupils to use information technology to think about and effectively use information as well as technology.

Optical storage systems

A 2-yr investigation was undertaken in six schools, one primary and five secondary schools, into the educational value and use of online information services. The schools worked for six terms using a range of datafiles from a selection of U.K. and overseas online hosts. The files are normally used by adults in business, industry, government and research organisations. They are available at commercial rates and are generally very large, sometimes extending to several million records. The intentions of the project were to study the use that might be made of such files to support the needs of the school curriculum for individual pupil research into topical issues, to explore any constraints, and to uncover management and training issues.Seven online host companies provided free or cheap access to their files: DIALOG Information Services, BLAISE-LINE, FT PROFILE Information, DATA-STAR, the European Space Agency Information Retrieval Service (ESA-IRS), KOMPASS Online and the Online Computer Library Centre Inc. Europe (OCLC). The article draws upon the evidence provided from teachers' and librarians' diaries, interviews with both staff and students, and observations and analyses of searches in progress.Educational benefits included support for topical investigations through access to information not available in schools or their localities, language and information skills development. There were some changes in teachers' roles. For example, away from the role of information provider towards that of co-learner/investigator.

PRESTEL and education: a report of a one-year trial

The Council for Educational Technology for the United Kingdom has been active in developing the use of PRESTEL, British Telecom's public viewdata service, in education and training. The availability of PRESTEL has provided an opportunity to explore what information technology means to and for education. A trial of the system has been conducted and a number of reactions identified. While there were some reserva-tions about the usefulness of the existing database, there was general agreement about its potential for the future. In particular, PRESTEL could contribute to the teaching of specific subject areas, encourage the development of information skills, and support the development of telesoftware.

The Conference Workshop: Inservice Considerations for Professional Educators

The annual conference Is used by member* of many professional groups la exchange information and to explore new avenues of endeavor. A frequently used formal of information exchange and skill development is the conference workshop. Typically. In this set* ting, s group of Individuals prepares a program of events, both didactic and performance based, which results In the participants leaving with s new set of professional skills and knowledge. Little empirical data exist to document the effectiveness of the conference workshop in teaching colleague professionals new skills or knowledge