A longitudinal study of changes in learners' cognitive states during and following an information literacy teaching intervention

Abstract

Purpose The paper identifies the changes in cognition associated with becoming information literate, specifically, in relation to the evaluation of information. Additionally, it puts forward a model for a teaching and learning intervention that engages the learner and leads to higher order information literacy (IL) thinking. From a theoretical perspective the research integrates ideas from the fields of IL, teaching and learning, e-learning and information behaviour (IB). Design/methodology/approach Three interventions were designed to develop the information literacies of first-year undergraduates studying Sport & Exercise at Staffordshire University, to teach and test IL. Interventions took a blended approach and combined face-to-face and online social network learning (OSNL)-also referred to as social media learning (SML)-and focused on one aspect of information literacy: the ability to evaluate source material. Data was captured via interviews, focus groups and from the online discussion that was analysed thematically and categorised using task, behaviour, cognitive states, affective states, conative states and knowledge. This helped to evaluate the efficacy of the interventions and provided data for further analysis. This paper focuses on the cognitive data and their transitions during the interventions and, in particular, among those respondents who experienced OSNL. Findings The changing cognitive states, associated with IL learning were modelled and made evident key cognitive states and transitions. This is represented in the paper in diagrammatic and mathematical notation. The findings indicate the complexity of the information behaviours associated with IL including the cognitive, behavioural, conative and affective elements. Although the cognitive transitions are the focus of this paper an insight is also given into an IL intervention that fosters the capability to interact critically and reflectively with information. The pedagogy that underpins these changes is indicated. The intervention, which incorporated OSNL, proved the most successful. Research limitations/implications Undergraduate students' IB can be changed and IL developed. Additional long-term data would have indicated whether this intervention had a lasting impact on the undergraduates. Practical implications IL practitioners should consider incorporating OSNL and assessment in their interventions. Incorporating discussion, reflection and peer-to-peer assessment is likely to be lead to deeper learning when teaching IL. Originality/value The research adds detail to our understanding of the cognitive, behavioural, affective and conative states associated with IL and makes explicit how these may change as the learner becomes information literate.

Using assignment data to analyse a blended information literacy intervention: A quantitative approach

“…The analysis presented here was part of a PhD study carried out by the first author and complements the pilot study Stephens, 2007a and2007b) and qualitative findings for the main study (Pope & Walton, 2009;Hepworth & Walton, 2009;Walton, 2010;Walton & Hepworth, 2011) previously reported. The purpose of this research was to determine whether a blended approach to delivering an information literacy learning and teaching intervention (a mix of face-to-face and online) could significantly enhance undergraduate's information discernment as measured through their assessed work.…”

“…Many writers in the field of e-learning have indicated that online discourse is a valuable learning tool (for example, McConnell, 2006;Mayes & DeFreitas, 2007). Furthermore, previously reported qualitative work (Walton & Hepworth, 2011) carried out indicated that students who were exposed to blended learning which included online collaborative learning (OCL), also known as online social network learning (OSNL) or the preferred term social media learning (SML), where more likely to use higher order cognitive skills such as analysis and synthesis (as defined by Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Krathwohl & and Hill, 1956) when evaluating web sites. It is argued that this greater use of higher order skills might be observed by comparing assessed work, specifically students' ability to evaluate information (information discernment).…”

Information literacy

“…Furthermore, critics of IL note that this instrumental nature found in the text of some of the older IL 'grand theories' (for example, Association of College & Research Libraries, 2000) are incompatible with the constructivist and critical approach they promote (Markless & Streatfield, 2007). Robust theoretical works (Fisher et al, 2005) and empirical studies (Hepworth, 2004) supported by extensive information behaviour research (such as, Walton & Hepworth, 2011;Bruce et al, 2013) on the cognitive, metacognitive, affective and social processes which underpin IL indicate that IL is less of an individualised activity and more social in nature. Lloyd (2012), in particular, has shown that IL is more akin to a socio-cultural or socially-enacted practice.…”

Information discernment, mis-information and pro-active scepticism

“…As Bandura (1977) stipulated, skills in themselves are not necessarily enough, learners also need to have confidence in the abilities they are developing. Nationally the House of Lords makes their intentions for learners clear in that they aim to deliver 'a cultural shift towards preparing learners to learn for themselves ' (p.12, House of Lords, 2015); however, despite this there have been few investigations into the psychosocial, social and cognitive effects of Information Literacy (Kumar andEdwards 2013, Walton andHepworth, 2011).…”

“…The reality of interacting with information in a digital landscape is complex, uncertain and much more demanding than previous landscapes which traditionally consisted of mediated information resources (Connaway et.al., 2013). The future for these children and young people 'will be characterised by an increasingly complex and constantly evolving information landscape' (Coombs, 2013) which requires a level of cognitive interaction that goes beyond the use of digital tools and becomes a metacognitive activity of self-regulation (Walton and Hepworth, 2011).…”