Media and Information Literacy:

strength through diversity

Sheila Webber

Information School

University of Sheffield

June 2012 http://infolitglobal.net/logo/en/

Key points

• Information and Media and Information Literacy are

contextual (to the person, the organisation, the

nation). The importance of context is a main focus

for Information Literacy research currently

• Differences matter: media and information are

important and complex, and affect the heart &

spirit as well as the mind

• Uncovering and celebrating these differences could

increase pride, motivation and ownership of MIL

internationally

Information Literacy

is not a fashion

but a human mosaic art

We all conceive it differently and

we all share

in designing it

Dr Shahd Salha, 2011

• MIL of the individual within his/her family,

workplace, communities, nation; including the

conflicts that individuals experience as they balance

their lives

• MIL of the organisation as it acts and interacts with

its members inside, and the wider world

– work by me and Bill Johnston on the Information Literate

University (Webber and Johnston, 2006)

• MIL of the government and country as it acts and

interacts with its own citizens and the wider world

(Webber and Johnston, 2002)

Information literate

person

Information economy: • Law

• Changes in media

• Pricing etc

Organisational culture: • Mission; Values; Norms

• Management style

• Information strategy

Personal goals,

values and habits,

life stage,

special needs

Local & national

culture & society

Technical changes

The information literate person in a

changing information culture and society

Bill Johnston & Sheila Webber

What information do I use?

“Empowerment of users’ abilities in relation

to information practices demands a willingness

to step outside the often general and domain-

independent perspective librarians have on

information literacy.” Sundin, O., Limberg, L. and Lundh, A. (2008)

Quotation from interview, from research by Dr Shahd Salha

Information, and Information Literacy can mean

different things in different contexts, for example

Contextual & Varying views of IL

United Kingdom

Thailand

Syria

Work context

Subject context

Country or

cultural context

Lupton (2008); Webber, Boon &

Johnston (2005)

Lloyd (2009)

Differences in information

literacy between cultures

Two research studies

Conceptions of

Information literacy: a

case study of

undergraduate students in

the Faculty of Arts,

Silpakorn University,

Thailand

Dr Phussadee

Dokphrom

Arts Faculty vision is “to

develop human beings to

be balanced physically,

intellectually, spiritually and

socially”

Silpakorn

University

Attitudes • Attitude towards obtaining information

– Enthusiasm

– Current Awareness

– Being observant and curious

– Reading attitude

– Determination

– Open-mindedness

• Attitude towards creating knowledge

– Well-versed attitude

– Interdisciplinary approach

“An information literate

students is a person

who is interested in

current issues and

ongoing things””

(Student, Department

of Thai)

“IL refers to a person

who knows different

people and can

exchange information

liberally and diversely

with them” (Student,

Modern Eastern

Languages)

Key part of IL are:

“Being enthusiastic about learning is most important, if you are willing to know, you will

make an effort, if you want to know from whatever medium, you will learn how to use

them, like if you want to know about this, you will try every way to get the information.”

(Geography Lecturer)

“An active, self-directed learner who is

knowledgeable and regularly acquires

new information with understanding, as

well as having the ability to research

and use information with an awareness

of a variety of formats”

from her research, an information literate person is:

So … even in a context that has

international similarities (university

education) new things emerge

Conceptions of information literacy of

Syrian school librarians: a

phenomenographic study

Dr Shahd Salha

Me

The second phase findings (1)

The second phase findings (2)

Quotation from interview, from research by Dr Shahd Salha

Key points revisited

• Media and Information Literacy is contextual

• Differences matter: media and information are

important and complex, and affect the heart &

spirit as well as the mind

• Uncovering and celebrating these differences could

increase pride, motivation and ownership of MIL

internationally

• So, in practical terms??

“To achieve its overall socio-economic

development goals, the appropriate national

authorities should develop a national information

literacy and Lifelong Learning strategy and vision

for the country as a whole, and admonish all

other institutions, each sector and citizens to treat

the area as a high priority”

Horton (2008), 41.

Implications for MIL indicators and

strategy • Governments should prioritise development of their

own vision of what MIL means to their citizens

• Citizens’ key life-stages and occupations could

provide a focus

• In doing this, Governments should work with

researchers as well as practitioners, so that the

three discourses meet (from practitioners, policy-

makers, and researchers; Pilerot and Lindberg,

2011)

• Indicators for individual, corporate and Government

MIL are needed

• Corporate MIL could be focused on specific sectors

(e.g. health) and could also be a focus for extra-

governmental engagement with multinationals

• It is important not to lose the heart and soul of MIL,

the vision driving a need for indicators … to finish with another quotation from Shahd Salha’s

interviewees, talking about Information Literacy…

Quotation from interview for research by Dr Shahd Salha

Sheila Webber

s.webber@shef.ac.uk

http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/

http://www.netvibes.com/sheilawebber#Sheila%27s_Web_

2.0_stuff

Twitter: sheilayoshikawa

Facebook, Youtube & Academia.edu: Sheila Webber

Shahd Salha: salhashahd@live.co.uk

References • Horton, W. (2008) Understanding information literacy: A primer.

UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-

materials/publications/full-list/understanding-information-literacy-a-primer/

• Lloyd, A. (2009) “Informing practice: information experiences of

ambulance officers in training and on-road practice.” Journal of

Documentation, 65 (3), 396-419

• Lupton, M. (2008) Information Literacy and Learning. PhD Thesis.

Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology.

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16665/1/Mandy_Lupton_Thesis.pdf

• Pilerot, O. and Lindberg, J (2011) “The concept of Information Literacy in

policy-making texts: an imperialistic project? Library Trends, 60, 2, 338-

360.

• Sundin, O., Limberg, L. and Lundh, A. (2008) “Constructing librarians’

information literacy expertise in the domain of nursing.” Journal of

librarianship and information science, 40 (1), 21-30.

• Webber, S., Boon, S. and Johnston, B. (2005) “A comparison of UK

academics’ conceptions of information literacy in two disciplines:

English and Marketing.” Library and information research, 29 (93), 4-

15. http://www.lirgjournal.org.uk/lir/ojs/index.php/lir/article/view/197

• Webber, S. and Johnston, B. (2002) “Information Literacy and

Community: a UK perspective." In: Booker, D. (Ed) Information

Literacy: The Social Action Agenda: Proceedings of the 5th National

Information Literacy Conference. Adelaide: University of South

Australia Library. 68-80. http://dis.shef.ac.uk/sheila/adelaide-webber-

johnston.pdf

• Webber, S. and Johnston, B. (2006) “Working towards the

information literate university.” In Walton, G. and Pope, A. (Eds)

Information literacy: recognising the need. Staffordshire University,

Stoke-on-Trent: 17 May 2006. Oxford: Chandos. pp 47-

58. http://dis.shef.ac.uk/sheila/staffs-webber-johnston.pdf