|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Catching up on my reading and came across an article in the 2012 January's CILIP Update about learning facilitators Claie Harrop and Laura Sneddon getting students to expand their research horizons. I was interested in this article as it covered my interest in research and information literacy.
Research - a frustrating experience
Students on courses with a practical base were often finding the research process for assignments a frustrating experience. They wanted to gather information as quickly as possible and did not invest their time in the process or consider the extra benefits of research skills to their chosen professions and their academic success. For many of our students, spending time on extensive research seems to be a luxury they feel they cannot afford. So we decided to start use our information literacy sessions to explore how research skills would enable them to engage with developments in their industries, boost their employability (and grades) and allow them to communicate with others working in the field. We hoped that this would start a shift towards students and staff valuing, enjoying and claiming ownership of their research.
It also linked to an earlier activity I had just engaged with, that of responding to CILIP's Future Skills consultation on CILIP's Body of Professional Knowledge (PBK). The current PBK's only reference to research is "familiar with research methods". I feel as information professionals we should be engaged with research in a number of ways including those referred to above and carry out or being involved in research projects where possible.
|
|
|
|
|
I'm going to be delivering a Reflective Writing Workshop at The University of Abertay in Dundee next month Wednesday 21st March 2012: 13:30 - 16.30
The workshop consists of presentations and exercises. It is suitable for Chartership, Re-validation and Certification candidates, and indeed anyone who wishes to reflect more effectively on their personal and professional development.
Learning outcomes:
-
To understand and recognise:
-
Why we reflect
-
What reflective practice is
-
What reflective writing is
-
How to write effectively
-
To practice reflective writing
The Career Development Group has been awarded the CILIP Seal of Recognition (http://www.cilip.org.uk/jobs-careers/qualifications/seal/Pages/default.aspx). Delegates will receive a certificate of attendance if requested.
Previous attendees found this workshop and its practical exercises very useful.
Cost: ?35 + VAT (includes refreshments)
Places are limited. For more information and to book contact Celia Jenkins c.jenkins@ed.ac.uk.
Closing date for booking is Wednesday 14th March 2012.
For many Reflective Practice / Writing does not come easy and indeed for my Chartership I had no experience of what reflective writing was all about. A couple of years later I was enlightened by a Reflective Practice Module I took at Glasgow Caledonian University as part of an MSC in Lifelong Learning and Development. There I was introduced to the writing and teaching of Dr Jenny Moon and saw for myself how a piece of writing can become less descriptive and more reflective. I now share that with other people and last year was approached by Celia Jenkins to produce and deliver a Reflective Practice / Writing Workshop for CILIP CDG (Career Development Group) Scotland. The first workshop was ran last year and proved successful so another is being run.
|
|
|
|
|
There were a couple of themes that caught my attention in Tom Haigh's presentation. He said that historians like to tell stories and I think they are not alone. We all like to hear a good story and often use stories to recount something or use it to represent a viewpoint or example of how something happened. For example oral history - interviews with people involved in a topic or their experience of a war, working in a type of industry that is no longer operating.
Hearing people's stories have becoming increasingly popular and used as case studies and or examples of good practice.
Different historical approaches included: intellectual history; social history, cultural history, institutional history and history of practice/labour. In relation to history and information science he identified 'Information History' apparently coined by Alistair Black. I will need to check that with Dr John Crawford an ex colleague of mine who is interested in this area and knows Alistair as well as Toni Weller who was mentioned. Information history includes history of libraries, books, reading, publishing; Information Disciplines; Information Society.
The workshop task to create a group of 4 or 5 people and identify a member of the group who is actively engaged in a research project that could make use of the historical approaches was useful as it made participants think of practical applications from the presentation.
For the full details see / hear Tom Haigh's presentation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|