By Alice

“Our digikids may have the ICT technical skills but they possess limited online information and critical evaluation skills and teachers don’t have strategies to teach these skills. “ These were the findings of a just published New Zealand study undertaken by Judine Ladbrook and Elizabeth Probert.

School librarians will find this research extremely relevant useful as the context of the research is the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum’s vision statement that young people will be, “confident, connected, actively involved and lifelong learners. Ludbrook and Probert describe the lifelong learner as “literate, critical thinkers who actively seek, use and create knowledge.” These are the attributes of an information literate person.

Their research involved three large Auckland secondary schools and began with 188 year 10 students and from those students 22 of the most active, experienced and skilled at using ICT and at seeking information on line were selected for the research.

The students undertook focus group discussions and surveys about how they used information from the internet and how the teachers helped them with the skills involved.

Searching Behaviour

All 16 students used Google as their only search engine. The strategy for choosing a site was to enter the first listed site and they never went beyond the third listed site! Many students based their judgments of site trustworthiness on how the site looked. It was trustworthy if “it’s nicely presented, it’s not just white background, black writing” because that “shows a professionalism” and “it doesn’t have the adverts or pop ups.” Nearly all of the students felt that a internet site was accurate if it was well laid out and divided into chunks with sub-headings as this lent itself to accuracy and if it “sounded convincing it probably was true.”

Using Information and Plagiarising

The students’ strategy for using the information did not involve any synthesising but simple cutting and pasting. When they were asked to research using more than one source students 75% of the students used strategies such as putting in sites that they hadn’t used but which had come up on their initial Google search.

Steps teachers need to take to set student up for success

The students suggested that the prior knowledge work would enable them to judge information more accurately. The students did suggest that if teachers gave them several URLs, a couple of articles or chapters in books from which to choose information, and also built their prior knowledge, then they would be unable to plagiarise because teachers would know their information sources and also it would stop them from adding false references.

Lack of teacher support

One of the key themes that emerged from the research was how little teachers helped students develop their research skills. Most of the students stated that little help had been given to them. There was often an assumption by their teachers that research skills had already been taught before students reached secondary school.

Some students got given a list of helpful sites but only a few were given some minimal help to research on the internet. None of them were given help to use books to research, apart from being taken to the library.

Recommendations

The authors suggest teachers conduct diagnostic work to see what students can do in the area of information literacy and in using online resources, and use this information to make pedagogical decisions for addressing the gaps.

With the advent of the new e-Learning Planning Framework in schools, enabling “students to be successful citizens in a digital world” the deliberate teaching of information literacy skills is even more crucial.

Further reading

Ladbrook, J. & Probert, E. (2011), Information skills and critical literacy:
Where are our digikids at with online searching and are their teachers helping?
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(1), 105-121.

by Katrina

While many schools in New Zealand still have a ban on mobile phones, some schools are beginning to realise their huge potential as a learning tool providing students with personalised access to information 24/7.

Distracting?
Studies have shown that not only can a “culture of responsible use” with mobile phones be developed in schools but students are also far too busy participating in their new learning environment to want to play “virtual hooky”.

Dangerous? 
Privacy and safety issues are paramount with any social network but tools are now available to provide group administrators with a number of controls.

In class, turn on your cell phones: it’s time to text students use a service called Celly to “take quick polls and quizzes, filter messages, get news updates, take notes, and organize group study — all in real time.” Messages can be moderated or an administrator might choose to only send messages or “alerts” to group members and no phone numbers are shared.

Learning tool for all
Mobile phones for educational purposes are not limited to secondary school students as primary school teachers can demonstrate their use to, for example, take photos and video, record audio for podcasts, access the Internet and transfer files.

In Txting to m-Learn Howick Social Science teacher Nathan Kerr found that geography students’ test results shot up as a result of allowing them to use mobile phones to integrate the learning process.

However, as MOE e-fellow Toni Twiss found in her research on using mobile phones to foster information literacy, “the ability to critique and use information that is such a crucial skill” was lacking. 

This is an area where school libraries can play a big part in ensuring students acquire these skills. Read here to find out how.

Further reading
To ban or not to ban: schools must decide cellphone policies
10 major mobile learning trends to watch for

by Gail

When you stand at the door of your library and look inside, what is your library's WOW! factor? What does your library look like, sound like, and feel like - to you and to your students and teachers? What makes your library zing? What are its magical moments, like the Sonny Bill Williams rugby pass that results in an All Blacks' winning try and the crowd leaping to its feet; or the Silver Ferns goal scored from the outer circle and the ball passing through the netball hoop without touching the sides - those moments when team work, skills and knowledge come together to produce positive outcomes?

My X-factor moments

Seeing a scrum of boys in the corner of the library looking at the recently purchased sporting magazines. To attract more boys into reading, the librarian had purchased a range of magazines, which she shared with the teachers for them to also promote to their students. A zing moment! (Mokoia Intermediate, Rotorua)

Overhearing students who were exploring their new library during its official opening: one student, on seeing a display feature, exclaimed excitedly to another, "That was my idea!"  Students had been surveyed on what they would like to see in their library - activities, environment, furniture, collections etc. (Arataki School, Mt Maunganui)

A group of students inside the library's reading pit, sitting in a semi-circle either side of their teacher who was barely distinguishable from them. The boys were totally engrossed in the story being read aloud. (Southwell School, Hamilton)

Being in the library at lunch-time which was abuzz with 'wall-to wall' students browsing in the shelves, exploring the computers, and reading books and magazines – individually and in small groups – boys and girls.

Imagine taking a photograph and including it with your annual report to the Board of Trustees as evidence-based data on how well your library is being used! (Aquinas College, Tauranga)

A group of teachers huddled on the library floor with pieces of paper strewn beside them and small piles of books in the middle – it was 3.30pm and they were planning their next classroom unit and checking what resources the library had for their students to access. (Tauranga Intermediate)

Students working in small teams in the library researching a topic and using inquiry learning skills facilitated by their science teacher – yes, a science class in the library and engaged in inquiry learning – a double zing moment! (Mt. Maunganui College)

My list could go on.

What are your X-factor moments?

By Anthea

Amazon have just launched an improved Kindle.

No longer just an eReader, the Kindle Fire’s colour touchscreen connects to the web, streams movies and TV and supports apps. Although commentators compare the Kindle Fire to iPad, the functionality is more similar to the Nook Colour.

What does this mean for school libraries? Kindle Fire’s lower price may be the start of a trend of cheaper eReaders which could lead to more students owning eReaders. Students may prefer to download eBooks onto their own eReader from the school library rather than buying them.

Another option for school libraries could be to buy a set of eReaders for students to read eBooks such as reference materials including EPIC while working in the library.

Have a look at our eBooks and the Issues page to consider where to next for your school library. Or join the eBooks community. E-content (including eBooks) is here, and will be part of literacy, learning and libraries from now on.

School libraries will help to shape the future in this space.