A Content Analysis of Information Literacy Courses in Master’s Degree Programs of Library and Information Studies
Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: A content analysis of textbooks used forinstruction of information literacy courses in Masters in Library
and Information Studies programs was conducted. The hypotheses was
that these courses identified specific competencies of information
literacy at various stages of learning and differentiated between
lower-level basic skills from upper-level more sophisticated
skills. This paradigm was exemplified by the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education (2003). Chi-square (?2) analyses of
the frequencies with which educational levels starting from K-12
through graduate school occurred were conducted. Textbooks that
contained any of the following information literacy themes met the
selection criteria: (a) determining information needed, (b)
accessing the information, (c) critically evaluating and
synthesizing retrieved information, (d) integrating and applying
knowledge, and (e) understanding the economic, legal, and social
implications of information production and dissemination. Contrary to the hypotheses, the results revealed that
emphases were on grouped competencies such as K-12 or
undergraduate, rather than on graded incremental proficiencies.
Educational levels K-12 were found to have significantly more
citations than expected. Frequencies of references to college
levels decreased as the learning levels advanced. There was no
mention of the junior level. Emphases on lower-level basic
information literacy skills were revealed by higher frequencies of
references to sophomore than those of senior. Moreover, graduate
level had only eight mentions out of a total of 361 observations.
Taken as a whole, these courses fell short of the scholarly
expectations of clearly identifying between lower-level basic
skills from upper-level more sophisticated
skills.
Author: Loyd Mbabu
Institution: Ohio University
Language: English
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1569174128