Building resilience and resourcefulness. The evolution of an academic and information literacy strategy for first year social work students
| Published date | 10 July 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0046 |
| Date | 10 July 2017 |
| Pages | 433-446 |
| Author | Tricia Jane Bingham,Josie Wirjapranata,Allen Bartley |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Building resilience and
resourcefulness
The evolution of an academic and information
literacy strategy for first year social
work students
Tricia Jane Bingham
Learning Support Services, University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand
Josie Wirjapranata
Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library, University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand, and
Allen Bartley
Counselling, Human Services and Social Work, University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to outline the evolutionof academic and information literacy(AIL)
teaching initiatives in a first-year core social work course at the University of Auckland. It traces the
development of AIL teaching, support and assessment activities over a 10-year period as part of a
collaborativeproject involving librarians, learning advisors and an academicstaff member. The paper clearly
outlines the challenges arising because of the rapidly evolving and complex information environment in
which tertiary students find themselves, as well as the student-centred pedagogical approaches which can
assist them in navigating this environment and developing resourcefulness and resilience in undertaking
research.
Design/methodology/approach –The case study presented in thispaper outlines the evolution over a
10-year period of AIL teaching and activities taken to specifically develop AIL integrationfor the first-year
core course, Sociology for Human Services, for the degree of Bachelor of SocialWork. At its core, this case
study demonstrates the application of reflective practice on the part of library staff, academic staff and
student learningadvisors with a view to implementing AIL initiativeswhich not only addressed information
needs for assignment completionat university but also took a holistic view of students’lives, recognising the
importanceof AIL in theircivic, social and work lives. Reflection involved challengingkey assumptions about
the teaching of AIL initiatives andwhat constituted success and failure; gaining a better understanding of
new and developing informationenvironments in which students currently operate; and identifyingexisting
and emerging AIL frameworks which could best equip students to survive and flourish in these
environments. The paper focuses on the drivers, challenges, successes and impact of implementing and
adapting AIL activities as well as the learningdesign and pedagogical approaches implemented to scaffold
and develop initiatives with the whole three-year degree structure in mind. Special reference is paid to the
application of new and emerging AIL frameworks, including the ResearchSkills Development Framework
(Willison and O’Regan, 2006) and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
(Association of College and Research Libraries, 2015). The paper also outlines how mapping to graduate
attributes, learning outcomes and core practitioner competencies can strengthen AIL and assessment
activities.
Findings –Application of new an d emerging frameworks of re search and AIL can enhance bot h
teaching and assessment activities in an undergraduate degree programme. This paper outlines a move
Building
resilience and
resourcefulness
433
Received12 June 2017
Revised20 July 2017
Accepted21 July 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.118 No. 7/8, 2017
pp. 433-446
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0046
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