Cyberabstracts: a portal on the subject of abstracting designed to improve information literacy skills

2009

Self Cite

116

The IL-HUMASS survey on information literacy has been designed, based on and aimed to be applied to a population of students, teachers and librarians holding various degrees in social sciences and humanities at Spanish and Portuguese universities. The case-study method, experts’ opinions, and a literature review were used to prepare an initial version that was refined through student focus groups, interviews with librarians, and academics’ reports. A final version contained 26 items grouped into four categories (information search, assessment, processing and communication/dissemination) and three self-reporting dimensions (motivation, self-efficacy and favourite source of learning). The self-reporting nature of the IL-HUMASS survey involves a self-assessment approach that has until now been proposed rarely and only in a limited way. This will enable a better understanding of user groups through a mixed analysis including two quantitative dimensions (motivation and self-efficacy) and one qualitative dimension (the preferred source of learning).

Section: Stage 3: Evaluation and Analysis Of Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of the IL-HUMASS survey on information literacy in higher education: A self-assessment approach

2009

Self Cite

116

“…Although these are compulsory core subjects taught in the classroom, electronic educational resources play an important part in the course; these resources include the portals Ciberabstracts 2 [45], e-COMS 3 [46,47] and Alfin-EEES 4 . Both groups were given similar instruction in concept map preparation.…”

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring students’ information skills through concept mapping

Doucet

Fernández-Ramos

2010

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This paper seeks to develop a methodology that will discover, specify and measure students' abilities and skills in creating concept maps. Because competencies are the key factor in higher education, the paper analyses the role of concept maps as a tool to diagnose and improve information analysis, synthesis, organisation and representation skills and competencies. We propose a methodology that enables these skills to be evaluated by observing, analysing and measuring the stages involved in creating a concept map: identification of the main and secondary subjects; subject codification by concepts; grading of concepts; and representation of the concepts and their relationships with labels. A case study using action-research methodology tests the usefulness of the methodology on a group of university students of Library and Information Science. The method proposed provides information on the strengths and weaknesses of the students' skills analysed, thus enabling their training to be improved by means of specific actions.Keywords: Concept maps; Information organisation; Information literacy; Competencies; Skills. IntroductionInformation literacy (IL) entails learning the skills, competencies, knowledge and values to access, use and communicate information in any of its forms, in order to produce competent students and professionals trained in the routines of identifying, organising, evaluating and recording information sources appropriately and with the knowledge to process and produce their own information. Today, IL is inextricably associated with information practices and critical thinking in the information and communication technology environment [1]. The recent emergent importance of IL to the learning process is reflected in numerous publications [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].Webber and Johnston [10] define information literacy as "the adoption of appropriate information behaviour to identify, through whatever channel or medium, information well fitted to information needs, leading to wise and ethical use of information in society". Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning [11]. It is [15].Most of these standards refer to the domain of competencies related to the new ways of organising and representing information and propose observable indicators and outcomes.For example, Standard 4 of the ACRL [14] IL standards mentions the importance of tools for organising content such as schemas, diagrams, concept maps: "The information literate student applies new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product or performance". Our professional and educational experience in this field confirms that mastery of these content organisation tools contributes to raising students' levels of maturity, and provides teachers with information on the student's capacity to organise, represent and structure content by establishing internal links between content and conferring coherence. Concept mapsThe hierarchical ranking and sequencing of concepts in an integrating reticular space ...

“…These training programmes will improve the skills and abilities required for abstracting, a key competency for Aneca and other library associations. The proposal takes its inspiration from the educational portal alfineees; the subject gateway Ciberabstracts [35] which aims to improve the development of information skills; from international sources [21] [36] [37]; and from our own experience gained from research and international publications. The activities associated with each competency are presented below.…”

Section: Development Of Infolit Actions To Provide Skills In Abstractmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These education programmes will improve the skills and abilities required for abstracting, a key competency for ANECA and other library associations. The proposal takes its inspiration from the educational portal Alfin-EEES [34]; the subject gateway CIBERABSTRACTS [35], which aims to improve the development of information skills; from international sources [21,36,37]; and from our own practice gained over the years. Though the abstracting process is an activity that cannot be separated into parts, for explanatory reasons the whole is divided into the set of competencies that are presented below in a sequential order.…”

Section: Development Of Information Literacy Actions To Provide Skills In Abstracting Competencymentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of information competencies and skills in learning to abstract

Doucet

Fernández-Ramos

2008

Self Cite

The ability to abstract information is a basic competency in today's knowledge society, characterised by the mass diffusion of information and the need to manage and access it effectively. Yet abstracting is not an easy task, and requires a specific learning process. This paper examines the process of abstracting information from the perspective of competencies and skills based learning. The competencies and skills necessary in this process are identified by analysing in detail the various stages and processes involved in writing an abstract. The general skills required for the whole process, as well as the specific skills for each stage, are determined. Guidelines and recommendations are put forward to facilitate the learning of these skills in the context of abstracting.Keywords: abstracting; skills;informational competencies IntroductionThe environment and philosophy of educational processes are changing, particularly in the area of higher education, where learning based on the student's competencies and skills is becoming increasingly important. These competencies and skills centre on analysis and synthesis, the organisation and management of information flows and the access to and use of information in decision making. The ultimate aim of these competencies is to enable the student to work autonomously, to use the appropriate tools interactively and to work in groups effectively. The link between knowledge and know-how should be maintained at all times. Theory must also be learned, although theory on its own is meaningless if it is not put into practice [1]. There is a distinct difference between memory-based learning, in which new knowledge is not incorporated into the reader's cognitive structure, and meaningful learning whereby learners consciously choose to integrate new knowledge into their previously processed knowledge. In this context of a changing electronic media environment in which information 1 Correspondence to: MariaPinto, Campus de la Cartuje, s/n 18071 Granada, Spain, mpinto@ugr.es Maria Pinto, Anne-Vinciane Doucet, Andrés Fernández-RamosJournal of Information Science, XX (X) 2007, pp. 1-17 © CILIP, DOI: 10.1177/0165551506nnnnnn 2 is ever-increasing, complex and in most cases, unstructured and disperse, information literacy provides the most appropriate overall frameworks. Information literacyInformation literacy entails the learning of the skills, competencies, knowledge and values to access, use and communicate information in any of its forms, in order to produce competent students and professionals trained in the routines of identifying, evaluating and recording information sources appropriately and with the knowledge to process and produce their own information. This is a continuous process and an intelligent commitment to lifelong learning on the part of education systems. Students should be aware of the goals for which they are going to use the information, and the context in which it is to be used (for personal use, acquiring information, generating knowledge, and so on). ...