Transforming information literacy conversations to enhance student learning: new curriculum dialogues

Abstract

Information literacy is an essential component of the La Trobe University inquiry/research graduate capability and it provides the skill set needed for students to take their first steps on the path to engaging with academic information and scholarly communication processes. A deep learning approach to information literacy can be achieved if students have an opportunity to build awareness of generic skills followed by practice in their discipline context. This article describes a collaborative model for developing and embedding information literacy resources within disciplines, that is based on Biggs and Tang's (2007) concept of constructive alignment, and that is suitable for implementation on an institutional scale. The article explores the application of the model through interviews with academics and concludes by providing a set of reflections on the importance of librarians taking an educationally theorised approach to both teaching and learning conversations related to information literacy and to the development of curriculum resources. All of which, need to be focused on collecting evidence of student learning outcomes.