University of MostarBosnia and Herzegovina

3rd ILTWG meetingProcess of integrating

Information Literacy into the education system at University of Mostar

RINGIDEA, London, 10.12.2013.

The University of Mostar comprises

• Faculties:– Agriculture– Economics – Civil engineering – Medicine– Law – Mechanical engineering and

computing – Social Sciences and

Humanities– Natural Science and

Education– Health studies– Academy of fine arts– Pharmacy

• Institutes for:

– Agriculture

– Economics

– Civil engineering

– Croatian language, literature and history

– Latin language

– Law

– Mechanical engineering

– Social researches

•Other:

– University library

– Student Hostel (Hall of Residence)

– Student Union and Student Associations,

– Student Services

– University Sport Facilities

University of Mostar – facts • More than 16000 students

• 1000 teachers and associates

• From 2005/2006 the University established three Cycles according to Bologna

• In 2006 the first generation was enrolled in doctoral studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

• In 2008/2009 the first generation was enrolled in the second cycle

The studies are composed of following three levels:

FIR

ST

CY

CL

ES

EC

ON

D

CY

CL

E

UNDERGRADUATE STUDY

DOCTORAL STUDY

MASTER STUDY

Bachelor3-4 YEARS

180-240 ECTS

1-2 YEARS

60-120 ECTS

Master

3 YEARS

180 ECTS

PhD

TH

IRD

C

YC

LE

University organisational structure – present state• Faculties are still legal bodies• Employment at faculty level • Students’ enrollment at faculty level• Small number of services (offices) at university

level (Office for international cooperation, QA office)

• Commissions at university level:– For Bologna process– For normative activities– For interuniversity cooperation– For finance, investment and development

Libraries at University• University library + faculty

libraries• Total of 40000 literary units,

5650 different titles• Total of 850 m2 of space• 14 employees

University library• Trained staff with certification

exam• Part of COBBIS

• Co-operative Online Bibliographic Systems and Services

• reference model of a system representing the platform for the national library information systems of Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia

University library• Service of database search• Access to online databases:

– EBSCO– ARDI (free access for 3 years) –

NEW

Faculty Libraries• Offer

– Books– Journals– Handbooks– Graduaton, master, PhD thesis of

former students

Faculty Libraries• Some of them part of COBBIS:

– Law faculty– Agriculture faculty– Faculty of Social Sciences and

Humanities • Access to databases

– Economics: EBSCO– Medical: OVID, SPRINGER (partial

access); WEB OF SCIENCE (interlibrary exchange)

Other sources of information• Individual (faculty) web sites:

– General information– Important announcements– Learning materials

Student side• Library activity – not so good• Not familiar with existance of

COBBIS• Not familiar with other

databases• Quick solution: google search

Student side• Negative student habits with

information gathering:– “Copy-paste” method– Unorganized collected information– Lack of effort at information search

Academic staff• Searching and using electronic

databases (domestic and international)

• Using other libraries (e.g. Croatian)

• Individual efforts, not institutionally supported (financial reasons)

Administrative staff• Subscription to official papers

and gazettes• Accounting seminars (obligatory

for certified accountants)

The concept of IL• Mostly unmentioned• Unknown by general public• No special programs or

initiatives for IL per se

IL in disguise• Within courses at some faculties

– methodology of scientific work– introduction to seminar paper etc.

IL news• Study program „information

sciences” at Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

• Started in academic 2011/12– Oriented at searching, evaluating

and selecting information with basic skills of their description, protection and presentation

Perceived needs• Public identification of IL concept• Better introduction of IL to

students (and academic and administrative staff)

• Practical work with students to enhance their IL

Process of integrating Information Literacy into the education system at University of Mostar

• Two options for embedding IL into curricula:– Elective course

and (or)– Include chapter(s) concerning to the IL in the

syllabus of existing subjects related to the matter:• methodology of scientific work• introduction to seminar paper etc.

• Approving at the highest level:– Technical issues of changing curricula because

faculties are still legal bodies:• Commision(s)• Faculty Councile• Senat of University

– It is easier to include IL in existing curricula (no needs for changing curricula, only syllabus of some subjects)

Process of integrating Information Literacy into the education system at University of Mostar

• Opportunity for integrating IL:– Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities decided to offer

the students of a study program Information Sciences a course named: Basics of Information Literacy.

– University of Mostar has a rule that students from all faculties can choose one elective course from other study program, no matter from which Faculty of the University of Mostar (for example: student of Mechanical Engineering can choose an elective course at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities from study program Information Sciences).

Process of integrating Information Literacy into the education system at University of Mostar

• Steps of integrating IL:– Embedding IL course into the curricula of study

program of Information Sciences at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

– Offer this course to the other students from other faculties like “elective course from another Faculty of University of Mostar”

– Parallel with this above – changing syllabus of some subjects that are appropriate to include IL in their content.

Process of integrating Information Literacy into the education system at University of Mostar

• Promotion/Dissemination:– Flyers– Circular e-mails– Web sites of faculties– Translated and published

documents on Information Literacy

– etc.

Process of integrating Information Literacy into the education system at University of Mostar

University of Mostar

Thank you for your attention!