Conference Agenda

Objectives

It is crucial that people have access to quality information about their health and about healthy behaviour. Health information is increasingly being disseminated digitally, which creates a requirement for people to adapt to the information environment and take new technologies in use. The Prague Declaration describes the ability to make effective use of the information environment to enhance one’s knowledge throughout life as a basic human right of lifelong learning. To be able to benefit from digital health information demands that people possess the informational and technological competence which is required to take advantage of the digital information environment (Bol, et al., 2016). Older adults have been found to adopt new information and communication technology (ICT) at a slower rate than those who are younger (Anderson and Perrin, 2017; Statistics [country], 2014; Vorrink, et al., 2017). However, although they lag behind those who are younger there has been a substantial growth in older people’s use of digital sources. This includes the use of the internet, as well as mobile technology such as smartphones and tablet computers (Anderson and Perrin, 2017; Statistics [country], 2014; Loos and Ivan, 2022), and the same goes for the use of social media (Faverio, 2022). Thus, to examine the adoption of health ICT by older people in more detail, it was decided to focus specifically people aged 56 years and older and examine changes in their attitudes to and use of health ICT in the period 2019 to 2022.

Methodology

Quantitative methods were used and data for the studies were gathered by surveys. Random samples from the National Register of Persons in [country] were used. In 2019 the total sample size was 1.500 people, response rate was 39%, and in 2022 the sample size was 1,200 people, response rate was 45%. Because of the response rates, the data for both surveys were weighed by gender, age, place of residence and education, so that it corresponded with the distribution in the population. Reference figures for age, gender and place of residence were obtained from the National Registry of [country] and for level of education from Statistics [country]. The focus of the paper is only on people that are 56 years or older only. In 2019 the number of participants in that age group was 173 and in 2022 it was 214. In addition, the emphasis was on questions that measure the use of health information and communication technology and their perceived possibilities of doing so, and attitudes towards it. The measurements consisted of two sets of questions: 1. Frequency of the use of health ICT was examined by two questions about the participants use of the system “Heilsuvera”: a) to communicate with doctors or to get information about their health, for example to book appointments, view drug prescriptions, or send messages to their doctor; b) to seek information about healthy lifestyle, such as nutrition or exercise. A five-point response scale was used (Very often – Never). 2. Possibilities of taking new health ICT in use was examined by two questions in the form of statements. The first asked if the participants found it difficult to begin to use new technology; and the second, how easy it was for them to get help at using technology when they were in need for it. A five-point response scale was used (Strongly agree – Strongly disagree). The analysis of the data is descriptive. All analysis is based on weighed data. Survey results from 2019 and 2022 will be compared.

Outcomes

The purpose of addressing this is to understand better how older adults can benefit from development in information and communication technology and enhance their abilities to adopting healthier lifestyles through health information. An improved awareness of the issue may help to identify their needs for support at using health information and communication technology and increase the efficiency of providing them with digital health information.

DLSU Libraries is composed of one main library and five satellite libraries located at four campuses, serving more than 25,000 patrons. In September 2020, the Libraries launched AnimoSearch, a next-generation discovery service powered by Ex Libris Primo that offers a unified search interface for accessing diverse library resources. AnimoSearch allows users to find relevant materials quickly and easily, utilizing multiple databases and advanced search features like relevance ranking, filtering, and saving searches.

In thi study I investigated the use of transaction log analysis to study the information behavior of AnimoSearch users. My goal was to learn how users interacted with the service as well as what information needs and behaviors they exhibited during the information-seeking process. Specifically, I attempted to answer the following questions:

• What are the most commonly used search terms in a discovery service?

• What are the most frequently used facets and how do they affect the success of a user’s search? and,

• How do users’ search behavior and resource access patterns vary by user segment?

I utilized transaction log analysis to investigate user behavior and information needs. Analysis of transaction logs is a non-obtrusive approach to gather data from a significant number of users with the aim of comprehending the behavior of online users (Jansen, 2006; Philip, 2004). Log studies take the most natural observations of how people use systems without experimenters or observers changing what people do. In Primo, transaction logs refer to a record of all the activities that occur within the system such as searches, clicks on search results, and access to specific resources. I quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the transaction logs from the academic year 2021-2022 , with an emphasis on identifying patterns of user behavior as a way to understand the context and motivations behind these behaviors. I obtained relevant data from the Primo usage reports such as actions, devices, facets, sessions, and popular searches as well as zero result searches. I used descriptive statistics to calculate frequency counts, means, and standard deviations to summarize the characteristics of the user population, such as their search behavior and the sorts of resources accessed. I also analyzed various user segments to identify common patterns in user activity. In addition, I undertook a content analysis of the search queries to discover prevalent themes and subjects sought by users. These data will aid in identifying popular subject areas and informing collection development decisions.

The study’s findings provided important insights into the information behavior of AnimoSearch users. Results reveal users typically conducted a large number of searches and interacted with a wide range of different resources during a single search session. Most initial searches were conducted in the “Everything” category, while the “resource type” filter was the most commonly utilized for refining results. In contrast, filtering by author was the least frequently employed. Zero search results often occurred when users entered a long string of keywords in the search box. According to the logs, users frequently modified their search queries and employed a variety of search strategies to find the information they required. The study’s findings had important implications for the design of discovery services. It emphasized the importance of systems that support complex and iterative search processes, provide users with a variety of relevant resources, and ensure the reliability and relevance of search results.

This study added to the growing body of research on transaction log analysis as a method of studying information behavior. This approach can provide valuable insights into users’ information needs, behaviors, and preferences by analyzing interactions between users and information systems. The study also emphasized the significance of taking into account the context of use when designing and evaluating information systems. Results of the study will also help developers and vendors to gain insights into how users engage with the system that can be used to improve the design and functionality of the service to better meet user needs.

References

Jansen, B. J. (2006). Search log analysis: What it is, what’s been done, how to do it. Library & Information Science Research, 28(3), 407–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LISR.2006.06.005

Philip, D. M. (2004). Information-seeking behavior of chemists: A transaction log analysis of referral URLs - ProQuest. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 55(4), 326–332.

This paper reports on a study that aimed to understand what self-tracking practices LGBTQ+ students engage in and why; and to reveal how these information literacy practices connect with their LGBTQ+ identities. LGBTQ+ refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, with the plus standing in for a wide range of other identities such as pansexual, asexual and aromantic, and intersex. People with LGBTQ+ identities can have specific challenges with mental and physical wellbeing, combined with a fear of discrimination when accessing formal healthcare (Bachmann and Gooch, 2018). An information literacy practice is understood to be a contextual, socially constructed and embodied way of knowing in an information landscape (Lloyd 2017).

The discourse on self-tracking identifies that it can engender a sense of empowerment and control through the collection of data that builds knowledge about oneself (Lupton 2016). This can lead to a sense of positive change and improvement and the achievement of health goals (Lunde et al. 2018). Previous research identified four dimensions to information literacy in self-tracking: understanding the value of quality in data inputs, the ability to interpret tracked information in the context of the limitations of the app or device; awareness of privacy and data ownership and the nuances of sharing tracked data (Cox et al. 2017; McKinney et al. 2019). Participatory surveillance from health apps, particularly around gendered issues such as menstruation is a concern (Healy 2021). There is little research on the distinctive nature of self-tracking in the LGBTQ+ community and the nature of information literacy in this landscape, and this small exploratory study makes an important contribution to the research in this field.

This study adopted an interpretivist, qualitative methodology: six semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed by a student researcher as part of a paid research internship. The research team then carried out coding and thematic analysis.

Key findings are that participants track to manage and monitor their health; experiencing tracking as a way to support mental health was emphasised. While they felt distrust about the way apps used their data, they simply accepted the risk. This was typically because the convenience of the app outweighed their concerns about privacy. Data sharing was nuanced: often restricted because of self-consciousness or fear of being judged, but embraced when there was a feeling of working towards a shared goal. There was some connection between app use and LGBTQ+ identity. The presentation concludes with some observations about the empowering nature of information literacy in this landscape in relation to data quality, interpretation, sharing and privacy, and LGBTQ+ identities.

References

Bachmann, C. L., & Gooch, B. (2018). LGBT in Britain: Health report. Stonewall. Retrieved from https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_in_britain_health.pdf

Cox, A. M., Mckinney, P. A., & Goodale, P. (2017). Food logging: An information literacy perspective. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1108/09574090910954864

Healy, R. L. (2021). Zuckerberg, get out of my uterus! An examination of fertility apps, data-sharing and remaking the female body as a digitalized reproductive subject. Journal of Gender Studies, 30(4), 406–416.

Lloyd, A. (2017). Information literacy and literacies of information: A mid-range theory and model. Journal of Information Literacy, 11(1).

Lunde, P., Nilsson, B. Bergland, A., Kvaerner, K., & Bye, A. (2018). The effectiveness of smartphone apps for lifestyle improvement in noncommunicable diseases: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(5), 1–12.

Lupton, D. (2016). The quantified self. Cambridge: Polity Press.

McKinney, P., Cox, A. M., & Sbaffi, L. (2019). Information literacy in food and activity tracking among parkrunners, people with type 2 diabetes, and people with irritable bowel syndrome: Exploratory study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(8).

Introduction

Extensive research has been done on information literacy and information behaviour (e.g., Case & Given, 2016, Wilson, 2022), but less on dictionary literacy (e.g., Lew, 2013). The interrelationship between and interdependence of these fields have, however, not been addressed extensively. An interdisciplinary view of the three fields forms the topic of this paper.

Objectives

The paper intends to show that dictionary literacy forms a subset of information literacy. We contend that a user’s attitude towards both fields are influenced by their information need in a specific context, the tools available to resolve the information need and, ultimately, depends on their level of information literacy skills and critical thinking skills, from the perspective of their information behaviour. We focus on text reception, viz., understanding the meaning of a word within its context when reading a text. (Text reception and text production are aspects of the communicative function in the Function Theory of Lexicography (Tarp, 2008).)

Methodology

We discuss, at a theoretical level, why we hold the opinion expressed in the objectives. We illustrate this with examples from texts in e-readers (such as Kindle) and on the web, linked to e-dictionaries, with drill-down options on demand to further resources.

Outcomes

The advantages and limitations of such linking are briefly discussed at the hand of examples. It will also show that the information contained in the dictionary is often not sufficient to resolve a user’s information need satisfactorily and that access to additional information sources is often required. It furthermore confirms that the user should always critically evaluate the outcome of their consultation of their information sources to ensure that the meaning or sense assigned to a word is valid in context.

Conclusion

e-Dictionaries provide easy and fast access to dictionary articles, either in stand-alone e-dictionaries (apps or web), or in e-dictionaries linked to e-texts. A user is, however, still required to evaluate the results to ensure the information is valid in context, and may often be required to consult further resources. To enable the user to obtain the required information successfully in such a consultation requires a proper understanding of dictionary and information literacy and a knowledge of other potentially relevant resources, as well as critical thinking skills, and to adapt their information behaviour to use various information sources optimally.

References

Case, D. O., & Given, L. M. (2016). Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior. Bingley: Emerald.

Lew, R. (2013). Online dictionary skills. In P. Gantar, J. Kallas, I. Kosem, S. Krek, M. Langemets, & M. Tuulik (Eds.), Proceedings of the eLex 2013 Conference (pp. 16–31). Ljubljana: Trojina.

Tarp, S. (2008). Lexicography in the borderland between knowledge and non-knowledge. Berlin: Max Niemeyer.

Wilson, T. D. (2022). Exploring information behaviour: An Introduction. Retrieved January 10, 2023 from http://informationr.net/ir/Exploring%20information%20behaviour.pdf

Introduction

To assess the development level of an information system, the so-called maturity models (MM) are commonly used. In (Anderson and Jessen, 2003), maturity is defined as a state in which an organization is able to perfectly achieve the goals it sets for itself. The MM is understood as a set of successive levels that together form the expected or required logical path from the initial state to the final state of maturity (Pöppelbuß and Röglinger, 2011). MM is often a matrix of three to five maturity levels and several to a dozen evaluation criteria (dimensions) of the capability framework. This is a tool similar to one of the methods used to assess the information/data literacy (IL/DL) of information users, the so-called rubrics (Oakleaf, 2008). Rubrics for IL assessment are a tool that describes parts and levels of a specific task, product, or service (Hafner and Hafner, 2003). They are “descriptive scoring schemes” created by educators to improve the analysis of students’ work (Moskal, 2000). They include target indicators or “criteria” in rows and levels of performance in columns of the matrix or grid of benchmarks. This brief comparison of the two tools shows the need and likelihood of their interaction.

Objectives

This article describes the way of presenting DL problems in selected MMs for research data management services (RDMS). RDMS MM, especially their DL dimensions are therefore the subject of research. The correctness of the hypothesis on the inclusion of DL problems as one of the dimensions of RDMS MMs was tested. Answers to the following questions were sought: Do the authors of RDMS MMs recognize the role of DL problems? What DL issues are present in selected MMs? At which MM levels are DL problems placed? To what extent can DL rubrics be used in creating MMs?

Methodology

Content analysis of six RDMS MMs (all found in the literature) was performed with the aim of searching for matrix elements to evaluate data-literacy (DL)-related problems. RDMS MM were chosen because of their topicality (they were created in recent years, from 2014 to 2021) and the large enough number of existing MMs of this type. This choice resulted in the research also taking into account the problems of DL.

Outcomes

IL/DL problems are represented in most MM for RDMS, which means that the hypothesis has been confirmed. They are placed in dimensions defined as leadership, services, support services, users and stakeholders, accessibility, usability. The rubrics used in the DL assessment should be included in the construction of the MM for RDMS because they contain agreed values and descriptive, yet easily digestible, data.

References

Anderson, E., & Jessen, S. (2003). Project maturity in organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 21, 457–461.

Hafner, J., & Hafner, P. (2003). Quantitative analysis of the rubric as an assessment tool: An empirical study of student peer-group rating. International Journal of Science Education, 25, 1509–1528.

Moskal, B. (2000). Scoring rubrics: What, when, and how? Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation, 7.

Oakleaf, M. (2008). Dangers and opportunities: a conceptual map of information literacy assessment approaches. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 8, 233–253.

Pöppelbuß, J., & Röglinger, M. (2011). What makes a useful maturity model? A framework for general design principles for maturity models and its demonstration in business process management. In Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), paper 28. Helsinki, Finland.

Background

Problem-based learning (PBL)is a method of instruction where students are given a real or realistic problem, such as a case study or hypothetical situation, and asked to use inductive reasoning to learn both information about the topic and how to think critically about it. (Repanovici & Koukourakis, 2021)

Literature Review by Scientometric Methods

Scientometric methods helps us review literature quickly, using algorithms to automatically select the most relevant articles. Scientometric methods help us create an image of a certain field within a certain database. Using the research question “problem-based learning”, we obtained 7,137 results in the Web of Science database. We downloaded the database in a tab-delimited file format withfull records and cited references. We analyzed the data with VOS Viewer, a software for scientometric analysis. One of the key features of VOS viewer is its ability to identify clusters of related research based on co-occurrence of keywords in article titles, abstracts, or keywords. These clusters represent groups of articles that are highly related to each other in terms of their content and can provide valuable insights into the structure of a research field or discipline. We analyzed keywords used by authors. Three hundred and twenty seven terms used in the document descriptions occurred at least ten times. The software calculates the relevance, and identified 196 terms. The term map was generated and four clusters were identified: Teaching methods using PBL;PBL in medicine; PBL effects on students; and PBL in engineering education.

Objectives, Methodology & Outcomes

Within the EU project 2021-1-IE02-KA220-HED-000035812, (Developing Information and Research Skills for Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship) modern teaching methods based on PBL are implemented at Transilvania University. There, a PBL model was implemented in the Digital Repository Management course for students in the Digital Media specialization. Starting from the hypothesis that PBL was no longer used in teaching, we introduced his method and measured the impact of the change in the pedagogical approach for students.

PBL is a student-centered and constructivist educational method that emphasizes the development of problem-solving skills and critical thinking. The students were introduced to the PBL model, througha pedagogical model that also explained the differences between the inverted pedagogy and classical pedagogy. Students carried out activitieswhere a problem was defined. They then, saw how specialists work in practice and they made practical applications after the theoretical model was presented to them. We as the researchers designed a questionnaire to measure the impact of the PBL method on the students. We followed the students’ positive and negative opinions about the method. In the end, we released an online questionnaire with 21 questions in Survey Monkey . All 61 students completed the survey. The students appreciated the results of the implementation of the PBL method and were satisfied with the knowledge they gained. Qualitative research demonstrates the need to change the classical learning method by applying interactive, intuitive methods to engage the student more in the teaching process. Especially in the field of LIS, this method is much more appreciated considering the dynamics of changing technology and the mentality of students. This model and its associated activities can be implemented to other courses.

References

Developing Information and Research Skills for Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (InRS) - Kaunas University of Technology | KTU. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2023, from https://en.ktu.edu/projects/developing-information-and-research-skills-for-business-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-inrs/

Repanovici, A., & Koukourakis, M. (2021). Problem-based Learning Method Used in Using 3D Printing Training – A Quick Review. In 11th International Conference on Information Science and Information Literacy (pp. 153–158). https://doi.org/10.2478/9788395815065-016

The digital divide manifests not only in an unequal distribution of Internet access and connectivity but increasingly in the lack of digital literacy. Drivers for bridging the digital gap and promoting digital inclusion are measures to advance digital literacy in society. This is especially true for vulnerable populations, such as refugees, as they are more likely to be exposed to social, financial, and educational risks (Nüßlein & Schmidt, 2020). Therefore, the non-profit organisation Grenzenlos Digital e.V. (https://www.grenzenlos-digital.org/) promotes digital skills particularly for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. People fleeing from their home countries are confronted with many hurdles in the countries in which they seek asylum. Next to the strenuous public authority procedures and the need to find accommodation, they often face professional reorientation as they need to find or train for new jobs or need additional qualifications to enter the labour market. However, the job search and orientation process are difficult and require knowledge about the labour market, the skills for online research and communication, and the attitudes, which include values, aspirations and priorities. The barriers to the job market are becoming even higher for people with low digital skills, as recruiting is moving online and companies rely solely on digital application processes. Targeted digital literacy training is fundamental to successful labour market orientation laying the foundation for digital inclusion. In this best practice session, we present experiences and learnings from a digital skills course for refugees and migrants in Germany that is set up in an online learning environment. The project “Intro - Finding work using computers and the Internet” (https://www.grenzenlos-digital.org/en/intro) runs for one year with participants from all over Germany. The course enables attendees to increase their information literacy and digital skills and apply them to learn more about the German job market. Goal of the project is to increase participants’ digital skills so they can use the Internet to orient themselves on the German job market as well as to communicate online about their preferences and qualifications. The training implements a new concept by triangulated synchronous (online live sessions) and asynchronous (via online learning platform) teaching methods. The curriculum of the course and its learning goals are based on the “Digital Competence Framework for Citizens - DigComp 2.2” (European Commission, 2022) from the EU covering two of the five competence areas, namely 1) information and data literacy and 2) communication and collaboration. The course content and methods employed are shaped by experiences and lessons from four years of digital skills training for refugees and migrants. In addition, the course considers findings from scientific research on barriers to information-seeking during labour market orientation, such as inadequate operational skills (Stiller & Trkulja, 2018) resulting from restricted availability of laptops and computers. The best practice session covers different aspects that need to be acknowledged when designing low digital skills training, such as the target group, evaluation of students’ progress and course content, motivations, and the settings in which the course will take place. The benefits and drawbacks of aligning the course content with the digital skills framework are elaborated and discussed. Furthermore, we will share tips on teaching practices and methods that proved to be successful in conveying low digital skills.

Acknowledgments

The project “Intro - Finding work using computers and the Internet” is supported by the non-profit organization The Digital Collective (DigiCo) which is promoting digital inclusion in Europe.

References

Nüßlein, L., & Schmidt, J. (2020). Digitale Kompetenzen für alle. Weiterbildungsangebote nach DigComp für Personen mit geringen digitalen Kompetenzen in Deutschland. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://de.rescue.org/report/forschungsbericht-digitale-kompetenzen-fuer-alle

Stiller, J., & Trkulja, V. (2018). Assessing digital skills of refugee migrants during job orientation in Germany. In G. Chowdhury, J. McLeod, V. Gillet, & P. Willett (Eds.), Transforming digital worlds (pp. 527–536). Springer International Publishing.

European Commission, JRC, Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S. & Punie, Y. (2022). DigiComp 2.2. Publications Office of the European Union. Retrieved from https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128415

Since 2018 I have been module leader for a 15 credit masters level course taught at City, University of London as part of the Masters in Academic Practice, which is a teaching qualification in higher education offered to internal and external staff. Typically there are 100 students on the programme. The module EDM122 Digital Literacies and Open Practice explores digital and information literacies of staff and students, including dispelling the myth of the ‘digital native’ and how to embed various literacies into academic programmes. The module also helps develop copyright literacy (Morrison & Secker, 2017) and situates this as a key component of digital scholarship (Weller, 2011). In addition to being offered to academic staff, it is an elective module for students in the Library and Information Science (LIS) department and has been completed by several members of library staff at City. The module webinar series is available to anyone to join and recordings and resources are shared on the module blog: https://blogs.city.ac.uk/dilop/

In this reflective practice session I will share my experiences of teaching this module for the past 5 years and the impact it has had on my students’ open educational practices. I will also reflect on the role of the open access board game The Publishing Trap (Morrison & Secker, 2022) which is played on the final teaching day of the module. To illustrate the session I will share feedback and assessments created by students that highlight their own understanding and experiences of digital, information, and copyright literacy and its relationship to open educational practices (OEP). The students are teachers in a wide variety of disciplines, but it is worth noting that there has been a high number of health sciences lecturers and nurse educators who appear to find the module particularly transformative. I will discuss any new practices they might have adopted, drawing on how previous studies conceptualise OEP (Cronin & MacLaren, 2018).

The impact of the module will be considered from broader perspective and I will briefly report on findings from an ongoing research project on staff attitudes towards technology enabled teaching and its relationship to open practices (Secker, 2020) I will be collecting additional data in Spring and Summer 2023 so I should also be able to share more recent findings at the conference that explore the impact of the pandemic on staff attitudes.

Finally, I will invite contributions from the delegates to share any insights into the way a module of this type might contribute to building staff understanding of digital literacies and OEP.

References

Morrison, C., & Secker, J. (2017). The publishing trap. Retrieved August 3, 2021 from https://copyrightliteracy.org/resources/the-publishing-trap/

Weller, M. (2011). The digital scholar: How technology is transforming scholarly practice. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Morrison, C., & Secker, J. (2022). Copyright education and information literacy. In Navigating copyright for libraries: Purpose and scope. (pp. 285–318). Walter de Gruyter. Retrieved from https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/28858/1/

Cronin, C., & MacLaren, I. (2018). Conceptualising OEP: A review of theoretical and empirical literature in Open Educational Practices. Open Praxis, 10(2), 127–143. http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.10.2.825

Secker, J. (2020). Understanding the role of technology in academic practice through a lens of openness. In INTED2020 Proceedings. (pp. 5363–5368). Valencia, Spain: IATED.

The Durban University of Technology has been exploring new ways of teaching information literacy. Students’ learning preferences have evolved; thus, it is critical to experiment with new teaching strategies to stay current and hold their interest. Research shows that for many students, a didactic approach to teaching information literacy can be extremely boring and ineffective. By introducing educational games with predetermined learning objectives into the information literacy curriculum, game-based learning might be the answer. Wilson et al. (2017) state that the effectiveness of games in teaching and learning has been thoroughly proven in educational studies. The use of games as a medium for learning is not a new concept. Games can benefit the learning process regardless of their complexity or whether they incorporate technology. Today’s students have grown up playing computer and video games, which has influenced how they receive information and learn (Aziz et al. 2018). Games-based learning can help to speed up knowledge transfer and application for students to actively participate in class activities alongside their peers, which benefits their ability to learn new material. Games can be used to uncover learning gaps in students and to promote engagement without concern about criticism (Chesley, C., & Anantachai, T. 2019). The objective of this paper was to identify the effectiveness of game-based learning whilst adding value to the student learning experience. The ADDIE model guided the design and development of the game. This model consists of five phases: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. To design the game the learning objectives were used as a guideline. The game was designed for students to complete within the time limit and to make them feel proud of finding solutions. During pre- and post-game conversations, the learning outcomes were clarified and reinforced. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to collect data and measure the effectiveness of game-based learning. This paper investigates students’ experiences with information literacy through game-based learning.

References

Anantachai, T. & Chesley, C. (2019). Level up the one-shot: Empowering students with backward design and game-based learning. In Rigby, M. & Steiner, S. (Eds.), Motivating students on a time budget: Pedagogical frames and lesson plans for in-person and online information literacy instruction (pp. 167–180). Chicago, IL: ACRL. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/ulib_fac_scholar/109

Aziz, A. N., Subiyanto, S., & Harlanu, M. (2018). Effects of the digital game-based learning (DGBL) on students’ academic performance in Arabic learning at Sambas Purbalingga. KARSA: Journal of Social and Islamic Culture, 26(1), 1–22. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from http://ejournal.iainmadura.ac.id/index.php/karsa/article/view/1518/1146

Wilson, S. N., et al. (2017). Game-based learning and information literacy: A randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of two information literacy learning experiences. International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), 7(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGBL.2017100101

Introduction

The ability to solve information problems is a critical skill that all students in higher education must possess, regardless of their field of study. While educators in higher education recognize the importance of this skill, they often struggle to allocate sufficient time for its development in their lectures. To address this challenge, we have developed a digital learning platform called Edubook, designed to help students develop information literacy skills through independent learning. The Edubook in its final form has been created by an experienced digital publisher and is made available to students at the cost of a traditional textbook.

Design

The structure of the Edubook follows the information problem-solving process, as outlined in for instance the Big Six Skills model (Berkowitz and Eisenberg, 1990). The platform includes chapters on task definition, information-seeking strategies, results selection, information analysis, information use, feedback processing and reflection. A key feature of the Edubook is its high degree of interactivity. Each chapter includes a combination of theory and explanations, as well as questions and assignments for students to complete, with immediate feedback provided by the system. Theory is presented in text as well as image and video formats, with the chapter on information-seeking strategies, for example, featuring screencasts that demonstrate key techniques for forward and backward chaining. Additionally, the Edubook aims to alleviate the workload of subject teachers while still providing students with the opportunity to learn how to effectively explore digital resources relevant to their studies. To achieve this, the platform incorporates a variety of exercises, such as drag-and-drop, labeling tasks, fill-in-the-blank questions and multiple-choice questions, all derived from various professional contexts, including nursing, human resource management, primary education, leisure management, and product design.

Results and Limitations

The Edubook on Information Problem Solving is currently scheduled for completion in May 2023 and will be available for use in the 2023-2024 academic year. A pilot study involving a group of students from the Bachelor of ICT at The Hague University of Applied Sciences will be conducted in April-May, with results presented at the ECIL 2023 conference. The target audience for the Edubook is Dutch and Flemish students in universities of applied sciences. The possibility of creating an English version of the platform has yet to be discussed with the publisher.

References

Berkowitz, R., & Eisenberg, M. (1990). Information problem-solving: The big six skills approach to library & information skills instruction. Norwood, N. J.: Ablex Pub. Corp.