Information Literacy and Quality Assurance in South African Higher Education Institutions

Information literacy education and instruction in academic libraries and LIS schools in institutions of higher education in South Africa

“…The authors, nevertheless, observed that it takes time and sustained action over an extended period to make any fundamental change in respect of improving family literacy. Similar studies to this were conducted in 2002 and 2005 by De Jager and Nassimbeni (2002;2005) to assess the progress made in the institutionalisation and inculcation of IL in higher institutions of learning in South Africa. Initially, it was reported by the authors that institutional commitment was lacking, but later the authors noted remarkable progress, especially on the part of the academic libraries which made reference to IL in their mission statements.…”

Using the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy to foster teaching and learning partnerships

“…Without reifying the ACRL threshold concepts as distinct outcomes, this study illustrates their potential value to help lecturers and librarians pinpoint the modes of thinking and being that are helpful for engaging in disciplinary knowledge practices. On the other hand, limited exposure to concepts in educational theory and literacies scholarship might handicap librarians in their attempts to engage productively with faculty concerning information literacy (Bundy 2004, De Jager and Nassimbeni 2005, Simmons 2005, Elmborg 2006). The language and concepts presented in the ACRL Framework can serve as pivots or common meeting points around which the specific knowledge practices or dispositions desired by a lecturer and librarian might be more precisely evoked and discussed.…”

“…Reports of frustrations in working within the limitations of the 'one shot' information literacy training session are legion, both locally and abroad (De Jager & Nassimbeni 2005, Saunders 2012, Salisbury et al 2012. The librarians at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) have been attempting for some time to interest lecturers in partnering to embed information literacy within academic curricula in order to position students for ongoing lifelong learning.…”

“…Lecturers are encouraged to develop graduates that are "inquiry focused", "critically and relevantly literate", "autonomous and independent" thinkers capable of working collaboratively and "communicating across difference", with ethical and "social consciousness" (UWC 2010). Information literacy provides the bedrock for independent, critical thinking and is referenced directly or indirectly within several clusters of graduate attributes (De Jager & Nassimbeni 2005, Barrie 2012, Salisbury et al 2012. Despite this important relationship, librarians can find it difficult to engage academics on the precise ways in which ongoing exposure to and assessment of information literacy is crucial for attaining these core institutional values, whether viewed as attributes or learning literacies.…”

From borders and landscape to ecosystem: reconfiguring library services to meet the needs of South African youth

“…They come in search of materials for their school assignments; but, in the absence of libraries in their schools, they do not know how to set about finding and using the information they need. Another example is the strong thread of comment on the under-preparedness of South African university entrants for higher education (for example De Jager & Nassimbeni 2005;Hart & Davids 2010). Academic librarians have to step in to teach the basic information skills that might be expected to have been learned at school.…”