|
 back
|
|
Information seeking as an object of learning: contrasting perspectives of young people and adults
Louise Limberg, Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University College of Borås and Göteborg University, BORÅS, Sweden
Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss an analysis of research findings from three major research projects conducted during the last decade. The topic of research is information seeking and learning with a particular interest directed to how information and communication technologies shape learning and teching experiences. The research was set in school contexts, from elementary to upper secondary level, and had dual points of departure, adopting either a learning (students) or a teaching (teachers and librarians) perspective. The major theoretical framework for these studies was formed by two perspectives on learning; firstly a phenomenographic approach aiming at describing variation of ways of experiencing information seeking and information literacy; secondly, a socio-cultural perspective, viewing information seeking and learning as participation in a socialisation exercise set in the discursive practice of school. One conclusive finding was that the quality of students’ information seeking and use closely interacts with the quality of their learning outcomes. Findings further indicate a surprising gap between teachers’ views of the content of information literacy education and their views of assessment criteria as regards the quality of students’ work. Together these research projects reveal a major difference between young peoples’ views of information seeking and teachers’s and librarians’ views of the goals and means for information seeking. The paper will discuss various implications of these findings, for teaching and learning information literacy.
|
|
|
