Conclusion of the LIB432 Module

 Our last class of the LIB432 module brought a bittersweet feeling to me, while I had a feeling of great accomplishment for completing the module, and having learnt about the various digital and information literacies it was sad that as a final year student the last of the race is being run for this degree, it took me back to my first year where I was akin to Harry Potter entering Hogwarts for the first time, inexperienced and eager to learn I was not prepared for what awaited me with trying to figure out what a Module Block was or how you needed a certain amount of CAM in order to write exams and progress through the degree. It is fitting that this final year and final module dealt with digital and information literacies as looking back I can see how much I have learnt and grown academically, and whilst I know that there is always further learning to be done with M.Lis I cant help but feel the same nostalgia I felt saying goodbye to high school. The COVID-19 pandemic was impactful on levels not fully understood, in this LIB432 module which was conducted in an online environment proved to be a blessing and a curse, a blessing in the fact that classes could be held online which made it easier for students like me who work and study full time, and a curse in a sense that it removed the “in person” aspect of learning and teaching, not to mention having not had ability to formulate friendships with fellow final year students. This module was challenging and enjoyable, it cast out the shadows from my mind, and illuminated the possibilities that this degree and being a librarian could bring.

Lesson 10

This week’s lecture I found completely different, not only because it was a guest lecture by Ms. Shehaamah Mohamed but it also gave the sense that the module was drawing to a close as all themes and exercises were being drawn together. The guest lecturer did a phenomenal job at conveying the importance of the ACRL framework to higher education, this module I feel had really taken us step by step through each frame of the ACRL and the content of the guest lecture “painted” the bigger picture. It was interesting to me to see how each of these frames fit together and form a “toolbox” for librarians to use, this combined with the experience of drawing a lesson plan and a workshop, broadened my mind to the abilities of being a librarian.

Lesson 9

This lesson dealt with what I consider the most important aspect of finding information for research authority, since the beginning of my studies a focus was always placed on finding credible information, this is effectively demonstrated by this weeks’ ACRL frame “Authority is constructed and contextual” this means that resources for information are rated according to the information needed and the context in which it will be utilized, and they represent the knowledge and reliability of those who created them. The contextuality speaks to the information need, hence it determines the authority required, an example of this is an information need in an academic setting or a need in an informal setting such as looking for a recipe or tips on how to clean or garden. This frame also dispelled the belief that authority is synonymous with expertise, as well as authority not guaranteeing expertise. This to me is eye opening especially when taking news from mainstream sources and confusing their authority with expertise on the subjects they report on. This lesson also provided distinctions between novices and experts; this definitely made me reflect on my focus in research when I started studying compared to now at the completion of this grade of studies.

Lesson 8

This weeks’ lesson focused on the ACRL frame “Searching as strategic exploration”, I found this one a bit tricky because it brought back the many instances, I was faced with the daunting task of finding articles for essays I needed to write for my studies, this in retrospect highlighted the importance of using the correct search tools and strategies that would have made the process so much easier! This frame has also taught me the importance of matching information needs to the appropriate tools. This frame also highlighted the importance of “listening” to different “voices” in research to effectively find the correct information in research.

Lesson 7

This lesson produced many philosophical thoughts in my mind as it dealt with the frame “Information creation as a process” philosophical because creation is something that is synonymous with a supreme being, however the reality is we are all creators; we constantly use information to formulate plans, objectives and we are constantly conveying this through sharing information even in an informal setting of social media. This frame is characterised by the knowledge that information creation is a result of purpose, message and delivery; so many times, we come across a topic we are passionate about and it prompts us (purpose) to share (message) our thoughts with people we know (delivery) this act is then seen as an intentional act of creation of information. In the academic spere this frame really builds on the previous ACRL frames I have encountered as it is concerned with the active process of creating information.

Lesson 6

The new definition of information literacy as laid out by the American Library Association is as follows:

Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning 

http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

this definition really tied together the six frames of the ACRL framework; it highlighted the abilities needed by the 21^st century person, I saw it as being quite concise in relation to my past and current studies, it also made me think of my interaction with social media and websites I usually frequent. This lesson’s frame was “Scholarship as conversation” it really conveyed the importance of conversation in research and learning, how competing ideas can give rise to novel discoveries and insights, the fluidity of knowledge and the need for constant evaluation of both what is known and unknown. Learning about the “Voice” in research and how it is not isolated got me thinking about the many things I am certain I know, however do not actually.

Lesson 5

In this lesson we were introduced to the E-portfolio we will be creating, a portfolio of evidence constructed from a lesson plan, a one-day workshop, as well as our digital evaluation, this reflective blog and our grasp of the ACRL framework we are currently learning. Going into the recap of the previous lesson any questions were addressed, personally I started feeling the weight of internalising these frameworks, and while on the surface it seemed easy, I found it a bit challenging to apply or connect it to each other. This weeks’ frame was research as inquiry, which I translated to the ability to ask questions, and subsequently found that in this frame questions has the ability to create more questions and even circle back to the original question. My grasp of this frame was by far easier than with the previous two frames. This frame really spoke to my research paper module as part of creating the research proposal was developing the research questions for my topic (this took place last semester) and coming across this frame really put that task into perspective. This lesson also introduced us to creating a lesson plan for a classroom in which we are the teacher, while it was a “fun” thought experiment it really gave me a glimpse into the workings of our own lecturers and teachers.