ALIA 2004: Challenging ideas Concurrent Session B Wednesday 22/9/04.

ALIA 2004: Challenging ideas

Concurrent Session B

Wednesday 22/9/04

Sandra Ryan

Santa Maria College

Information Literacy: evidence that school libraries can lead the

way

Information literacy

“if research over the past five or six decades has consistently shown a positive relationship between student achievement and school libraries, then why does the “case” for libraries still need to be put?” Lonsdale 2003, p.33


Is it possible to apply overseas research in the Australian setting?

Is there evidence that the research has been applied?


In terms of learning outcomes, research demonstrates the benefits of:

Improvement in resources: human and/or material is useful for lobbying at the national level.

Improvement in practice: is useful at the local level for lobbying within the school community.


Macro research usually looks at the relationship between

libraries and learning outcomes and is large scale broad based studies involving large samples


Micro research usually small groups of students in local

settings with the focus on a range of specific information and learning situations


Macro research Best known: Keith Curry Lance and associates

at Colorado Dept of Education Number of statewide studies completed:

Colorado, Alaska, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas


Summary: three major points about effects of school library media centres on academic achievement.

First: Students at schools with better funded Libraries tend to achieve higher average reading scores, irrespective of socio economic status and education level of parents


Second: Amount of staffing and size of the collection are factors that influence reading test scores

Third: Students where library staff played an instructional role tended to achieve higher average test scores


Findings relate to funding, staffing levels and instructional intervention.

Funding and staffing levels have local application however they are national, big picture issues for school libraries.

Australia does not have current national system or sector data about funding and staffing.


Comparisons with national benchmarks cannot be made.

Lobbying at the national level for improvements in funding and staffing will be ineffectual because the requested increase cannot be quantified.


There is evidence that when data on staffing and collection size is available then effective lobbying for increases can take place.

Example of Victoria in the late 80s to late 90s. Data from the Catholic sector was available and staffing and collection sizes increased as a result of lobbying by library advisers


We need national data on school libraries. This data would allow studies similar to those

of Keith Curry Lance to be made. At the macro level, research about funding and

staffing has been carried out overseas and cannot be applied to the Australian situation because of lack of appropriate data.


The benefit of instructional intervention was the other finding from the Colorado studies.

At the micro level many Australian practitioners may have applied these research findings.

It is only where programmes have been designed for accountability that there will be evidence of the benefits.


Evidence based practice Todd explains that evidence based practice

happens where teacher librarians are able to demonstrate that their day to day practice contributes to the school’s learning goals.


Information Literacy Project at Santa Maria College is an example of how evidence based practice can be used to demonstrate positive learning outcomes for students.

Instructional intervention is used by teacher librarians and evidence is gathered about the effectiveness of the intervention.

Information literacy: evidence that school libraries can lead the way

Profile of Santa Maria College

Catholic, low fees Northcote, inner suburban Melbourne Student population: 930 girls 54 different nationalities


Features of the Project style of leadership educational philosophies and teaching

strategies that reflect global, national and local trends


Features of the Project continued principles of project management documentation data collection

Information Literacy

Background Evidence based practice or the Information

Literacy Project at SMC commenced in 2000 with the Year 7 intake.

Prior to this, in November 1999, the Curriculum Committee had agreed to trial the Project for one year.

Appointment of Vicki Hudson as Information Literacy Coordinator in December 1999.

Information Literacy

Information Literacy Project 2000 Each KLA was to plan a unit of work with the

Library team.

Need to demonstrate that the Project made a difference to student learning outcomes.


Educational philosophies underpinning the Project:

Constructivist view of learning Bloom’s Taxonomy Process approach to Information Literacy Explicit teaching of the Information Literacy

process.


Developments during 2000 Style Manual for setting assignments would

assist staff to embed information literacy and cognitive skills in assignments.

The Style Manual was ready for the beginning of 2001.


Developments during 2000 By the end of 2000, Curriculum Committee had

agreed that the Project was to be maintained and extended until it covered Years 7-10.


2003 Units of work had been developed and

implemented in all or most KLAs at the Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 levels.

Our original Year 7 2000 intake were in Year 10. We have 4 years of data on the development of

their information literacy skills.


2003 We also have 3 years of information literacy

data for the 7: 2001 cohort, 2 years for the 7:2002 cohort, and one year for the 7:2003 group.

We are able to demonstrate the progress of 4 year levels as independent learners during the time that we have worked with them.


Reports 2000, 2001, 2002,2003. Annual reports on student learning outcomes

have been prepared for the Principal, Curriculum Committee, Year Level Coordinators, Subject teachers and Homeroom teachers.

Progress reports have been given to students during class and parents via the newsletter.


Year 7 2000 Progress

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Define Locate Select Organise Present Evaluate

2000:1 Results

2000:2 Results


Year 7 2000, Year 8 2001 Information Literacy Results

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Survey 2000:1 Results




Year 9 2002 Results

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Define Locate Select Organise Present Evaluate






Year 10 2003 Information Literacy Progress

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400







Year 10 2003 Information Literacy Progress

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Total Score

Survey 2000:1

Survey 2000:2

Survey 2000:3

Survey 2000:4

Survey 2000:5



0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Survey 2000:1 Survey 2000:2 Survey 2000:3 Survey 2000:4 Survey 2000:5

Target

Score



0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Total Information Literacy Score

Survey January 2000

Survey November 2003


Benefits: for teacher librarians Professional standing and credibility enhanced

by attention to student learning outcomes. Principal and leadership team are attentive to

initiatives. Teachers see us as colleagues and

collaborative partners. Students know we are teachers.


Benefits: programme structure The College has a sequential Information

Literacy Curriculum that consists of:– Units of work for Years 7 – 10– Assessment tools– A documentation and reporting process.


Benefits: programme structure

The College has an Information Literacy data collection and analysis process that provides:– A diagnostic tool– Evidence of student progress or otherwise– The ability to adjust the Information Literacy

program to suit the needs and skills of different cohorts of students.


Benefits: for students learners are supported with notetaking and

literacy scaffolds assignments contain logical steps and

achievable tasks thinking skills: higher level thinking learning process explicitly modeled


Evidence based practice has given teacher librarians a way to put the “case” for the school library at the local level. This has lead to the development of a well staffed and resourced library.

ALIA 2004: Challenging ideas Concurrent Session B Wednesday 22/9/04.

Documents

Transcript of ALIA 2004: Challenging ideas Concurrent Session B Wednesday 22/9/04.