Student Learning and Workplace IL: A Case Study

Abstract

This article reports on a case study that analyzed portfolios composed by technical communication undergraduate majors at a research university in the United States. Results showed that students, who are also practicing professionals in their field, exhibited information literacy (IL) outcomes more typical of the workplace than academia. The categories of research engaged in by students to complete course work included academic, applied, and experiential. These categories grounded the students’ research in rhetorical and contextually situated practices. They indicate that it may be important to broaden the way that information literacy is articulated, taught, and learned to bridge the gap between academia and the workplace.

Information Literacy Competencies for Career Transitions in the Digital Age

“…This issue of transferability is further underlined in the findings of empirical work on information literacy outcomes where study participants are both students and practising professionals in their field. Here they exhibit information literacy outcomes more typical of the workplace setting than of the education setting (D'Angelo, 2012). This is because learners in work settings understand and practise information literacy not only from their perspectives as students, but also as employees and future professionals (Sharun, 2021).…”

What USC Upstate Alumni Say About Information Literacy in the Workplace

“…Several studies have shown that such transfer may be limited because of differences in context (Eyre, 2012;Ferran-Ferrer, Minguillon, & Perez-Montoro, 2013) and point to the need to broaden the way information literacy is articulated and taught to students (D'Angelo, 2012;Hoyer, 2011). While confirming that people who develop information competency in one context will also be information competent in other contexts, Ferran-Ferrer et al (2013) observe that transfer of information competencies occurs on the basic level of searching for and retrieving information, with more advanced skills being not directly transferrable: assessing the quality of information resources, assessing which resources are best for each situation, how to manage information resources, and how to respect ethical issues when using information resources (p. 1119).…”

The Southeastern Librarian v 65 no. 4 (Winter 2018) Complete Issue

“…Several studies have shown that such transfer may be limited because of differences in context (Eyre, 2012;Ferran-Ferrer, Minguillon, & Perez-Montoro, 2013) and point to the need to broaden the way information literacy is articulated and taught to students (D'Angelo, 2012;Hoyer, 2011). While confirming that people who develop information competency in one context will also be information competent in other contexts, Ferran-Ferrer et al 2013observe that transfer of information competencies occurs on the basic level of searching for and retrieving information, with more advanced skills being not directly transferrable: assessing the quality of information resources, assessing which resources are best for each situation, how to manage information resources, and how to respect ethical issues when using information resources (p. 1119).…”