This master’s thesis studies library teaching at two university libraries, Freie Universität Berlin in Germany and Södertörn University in Sweden. The aim of this paper is to study views on information literacy, how these views affect teaching practice, and how the teaching of information literacy is connected to, on the one hand, German and Swedish learning culture and, on the other, the local community of practice at the studied university libraries. The theories applied in this paper are learning culture and community of practice as developed in the works of Judith Ricken and Etienne Wenger. The methods that have been used are qualitative, semi-structured interviews that were conducted at both university libraries. It was observed that the teaching practices were highly connected to learning cultures. While library teach-ing at Freie Universität Berlin’s university library focuses mostly on concrete practical knowledge, the develop-ment of general competencies is the most important part at Södertörn University library. The community of practice at Freie Universität Berlin’s university library is quite clearly delimited and concentrated on core com-petencies like knowledge about databases and reference organizers. At Södertörn University library the more cross-border community of practice includes even non-traditional library work like academic writing as a teach-ing subject. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies.

This study focuses on the encounter between the academic librarian and the academic library user with a specific need for information. The aim of the study is to examine the process of mediation of information and to uncover any inherent problems or systemic inertia that may occur within that process. Special attention has been given to information-seeking behaviour in the digital age and the possibility of viewing information literacy as a meta-literacy. The difference between the surface web and the academic invis- ible web is also investigated. Empirical data was collected by the use of ethnographic fieldwork at the Karolin- ska Institutet University Library over a period of five weeks. The data is analysed using actor-network theory as a point of departure. Actors, networks, mediators and intermediaries involved in the process of mediation of information are identified and defined. By tracing techno-economic and socio-technic networks the actors’ in- centives are uncovered, as well as the various transactions in which they are engaged. The study sheds light upon a significant difference in participatory motivation between the face-to-face reference work and the information literacy course incorporated within curricula. The use of actor-network theory enables information to be seen as an actor among other actors and during the analysis of the empirical data the topic of the nature of information is discussed using the model of the DIKW-hierarchy. A shift in the academic library towards a hybrid institution engaged in both the dispersion of information and the production of information is uncovered and the possible consequences of this shift are also discussed. The further development of the academic librarian’s educational role might be a viable option in the develop- ment of information literacy education in higher education.

Subject searching—seeking information with a subject or topic in mind—is often involved in carrying out undergraduate assignments such as term papers and research reports. It is also an important component of information literacy—the abilities and experiences of effectively finding and evaluating, and appropriately using, needed information—which universities hope to cultivate in undergraduates by the time they complete their degree programs. By exploring the subject searching of a small group of upper-level, academically successful undergraduates over a school year I sought to acquire a deeper understanding of the contexts and characteristics of their subject searching, and of the extent to which it was similar in quality to that of search and domain experts. Primary data sources for this study comprised subject searching diaries maintained by participants, and three online subject searches they demonstrated at the beginning, middle, and end of the study during which they talked aloud while I observed, followed by focused interviews. To explore the quality of study participants’ subject searching I looked for indications of advanced thinking in thoughts they spoke aloud during demonstration sessions relating to using strategy, evaluating, and creating personal understanding, which represent three of the most challenging and complex aspects of information literacy. Applying a layered interpretive process, I identified themes within several hundred instances of participants’ advanced thinking relating to these three information literacy elements, with evaluative themes occurring most often. I also noted three factors influencing the extent of similarity between the quality of participants’ advanced thinking and that of search and domain experts which reflected matters that tended to be i) pragmatic or principled, , ii) technical or conceptual, and iii) externally or internally focused. Filtered through these factors, participants’ instances of advanced thinking brought to mind three levels of subject searching abilities: the competent student, the search expert, and the domain expert. Although relatively few in number, I identified at least some advanced thinking evincing domain expert qualities in voiced thoughts of all but one participant, suggesting the gap between higher order thinking abilities of upper-level undergraduates and information literate individuals is not always dauntingly large.

本研究旨在了解國民中學教師資訊素養與教學效能的關係，主要探討不同背景變項、環境變項之國民中學教師，在資訊素養與教學效能的差異情形。 本研究之研究對象，乃以苗栗縣之公立國民中學教師為主，抽樣18所公立國民小學312位教師，調查結果以平均數、標準差、t 考驗、單因子變異數分析、薛費事後多重比較法、皮爾遜積差相關等統計方法，進行資料處理分析，獲致下列結論： 一、苗栗縣國民中學教師資訊素養與教學效能整體是屬於「中上」程度的表現。 二、苗栗縣國民中學教師資訊素養因教師背景變項不同而有顯著差異。 (1)男性教師在資訊素養上表現高於女性教師 (2)師大學歷的教師在「資訊操作」、「資訊應用整合」，高於一般大學學歷的教師。 (3)主修資訊科系之國中教師高於非資訊本科之國民中學教師。 (4)任教科目是電腦的苗栗縣國民中學教師在「資訊應用整合」、「資訊操作」、「資訊倫理」、「資訊認知」、「整體層面」上的得分都是最高。 (5)資訊研習時數在61小時以上的國民中學教師其資訊素養亦較高。 (6)苗栗縣國民中學教師不同年齡、服務年資、職務及研習項目在資訊素養上沒有明顯差異。 三、苗栗縣國民中學教師教學效能因教師背景變項不同而有顯著差異。 (1)男性教師在教學效能上高於女性教師。 (2)任教科目是電腦的國民中學教師在「教學策略」、「教學技巧與評量」「教學氣氛」、「教學規劃」、「整體上」層面上的得分都是最高。 (3)苗栗縣國民中學教師不同資訊研習時數在「教學策略」、「學技巧與評量」、「教學氣氛」、「教學規劃」、「整體教學效能」層面有顯著的差異存在。 (4)苗栗縣國民中學教師不同資訊研習項目在教學效能上有顯著差異存在。在「整體教學效能」層面，資訊研習項目是網路應用及網頁製作、電腦及多媒體教學製作的國中教師高於資訊研習項目是光碟教學應用及製作的國民中學教師。 (5)苗栗縣國民中學教師不同年齡、學歷、修業科系、服務年資、職務、在「整體教學效能」層面，無顯著差異。 四、苗栗縣國民中學教師資訊素養與教學效能不因教師環境變項不同而有顯著差異。 五、苗栗縣國民中學教師資訊素養與教學效能間有顯著正相關。 基於以上研究結果，本研究針對教育行政單位與未來研究提出建議，以作為教育與研究之參考。 / This research explored the relationship of information literacy and teaching effectiveness, and analyzed the differences of information literacy and teaching effectiveness among junior high school teachers by different background and environment factors. The samples of this study are 312 teachers of 18 junior high schools locating in Miaoli County. The results are analyzed by means, standard deviations, frequency, t-test, one-way ANOVA, pearson’s product-moment correlation, Scheffé method , canonical correlation. The finding were as following : 1.“Upper-high”level performance was found on the whole in relation to the teaching-information literacy and teaching effectiveness of the junior high school teachers of Miaoli County .. 2. Significant differences were found between the background variables of the junior high school teachers of Miaoli County in relation to the teaching-information literacy. 2.1 Male teachers scored higher than female teachers in relation to the teaching-information literacy . 2.2 Teachers graduating from “National Normal Taiwan University” scored higher on “information operation” and “information application” than teachers graduating from other universities . 2.3 Teachers majoring in computer sciences scored higher on information literacy than teachers of not this major. 2.4 Teachers teaching in computer sciences scored higher on information literacy than teachers of teaching other subjects. 2.5 Teachers researching and studying above 61hours scored higher on information literacy than teachers of researching and studying under 20 hours. 2.6 No significant difference was found between age 、teaching experience、duty and the items of researching and studying on information literacy. 3.Significant differences were found between the background variables of the junior high school teachers of Miaoli County in relation to teaching effectiveness. 3.1 Male teachers scored higher than female teachers in relation to teaching effectiveness. 3.2 Teachers teaching in computer sciences scored higher on teaching effectiveness than teachers of teaching other subjects. 3.3 Teachers researching and studying above 61 hours scored higher on teaching effectiveness than teachers of researching and studying under 20 hours. 3.4 Teachers researching and studying items on internet application scored higher 0n teaching effectiveness than teachers of researching and studying other items. 3.5 No significant difference was found between age 、 higher degree、teaching experience、duty and course of majoring on teaching effectiveness 4. No significant difference was found between the environment variables Of the junior high school teachers of Miaoli County in relation to teaching-information literacy and teaching effectiveness. 5. There is a positive correlation between information literacy and teaching effectiveness . These results can be used by education administratives, school principles ,and future research. Keywords：Information literacy；Teaching effectiveness

It is widely recognised that meaning and interpretation are fundamental aspects of user-system interaction in the retrieval of specialised information. Important constituents of information retrieval system are thesauri. To identify what understandings of thesauri exist, is crucial to improve instruction of database users and for an assessment of the functioning of thesauri in specialised information. Thesauri as phenomena can be viewed from a techno scientific perspective and a lifeworld perspective. The lifeworld perspective is made up of the collective understanding of those who use them. Lifeworld aspects of thesauri, i.e., how they are understood by social science researchers, have been disclosed by applying phenomenographic research against the background of the hermeneutical constitution of the online dialogue. The phenomenographic interpretative model has been used since its knowledge interest focuses on how techno scientific concepts are conceived of in the lifeworld. This has rendered descriptions of conceptions of thesauri in the form of two main categories: 1) the thesaurus as being separable from the database with the subcategories a) the thesaurus as a control device, and b) as incomplete terminology; 2) the thesaurus as being inseparable from the database with the subcategories of a) descriptors as evaluation criteria, and b) as search enhancers. Based on the configuration of the online dialogue, searching without understanding the thesaurus has also been described in the form of a third, 'empty' category and contrasted with the conceptions of thesauri. The findings represent a contribution to the hermeneutics of the online dialogue, and the results are immediately applicable for the development of discourses in the instruction of end-users and future information professionals. They also provide an empirical argument in support of further conceptual development of thesauri, which strives to make explicit the meaning of descriptors by incorporating terminological and epistemological knowledge, thus integrating domain knowledge into the database search process. The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma at any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made.

This thesis explores the relationship between information literacy and learning. In formal education, students are frequently required to independently find and use information to learn about a topic, and information literacy is often claimed to be a generic skill and graduate attribute. However, to date; the experienced relationship between information literacy and learning has not been investigated. In order to investigate this experience, I have based this research on interviews with 19 students enrolled in third year music composition courses, and 18 students enrolled in a third year tax law course at an Australian university. My primary research question was 'What is the experienced relationship between information literacy and learning?' The secondary research question was "What are the generic and situated aspects of information literacy?' In this study, I have used phenomenography to describe the qualitatively different ways that students in two distinct disciplines experience the relationship between information literacy and learning. I have suggested curriculum implications of this description based on a relational approach to learning and teaching. The outcomes of the study include two related sets of categories which map the experience of students in music composition and tax law, and the theoretical GeST windows model for information literacy which is based upon literacy models and theories. The key findings of this study include: * A description of the nature of the experienced relationship between information literacy and learning in music composition and tax law as 1) Applying, 2) Discovering and 3) Expressing (music) or Understanding (tax law); * the theoretical GeST windows model and alignment of the model with the empirical study; * the presentation of curriculum implications in music and tax law, and * an exploration of the nature of information as-it-is-experienced. The findings may be used by teachers, students, librarians, academic skills advisors, academic developers and policy makers in higher education.

This research examines the reading and information needs of undergraduate distance education students at Curtin University of Technology and the academic library's role in meeting those needs. Twelve undergraduate units offered at Curtin in second semester were selected as the prime units of this research. The research was conducted in three phases in 1996. First, the documents supplied to the distance education students were examined to determine what reading was specified and/or suggested to the students. Next, the unit co-ordinators responsible for the units were interviewed to find out what reading and information literacy expectations they held for their distance education students. Finally, the non-metropolitan area students enrolled in the units were interviewed to find out if they felt they could complete the units using only supplied readings and prescribed texts. They were also asked about obtaining resources through Curtin University Library and Information Service or other sources. Their use of telecommunications and computers was also examined.This research found there were as many models of the practice of distance education as there were units surveyed. There was a high degree of agreement between the unit co-ordinators and students on the possibility of completing their associated units using only the supplied reading plus the textbooks. The students could not complete their units using only the supplied reading but many could successfully complete units using the supplied reading and set texts.Although all students were using computers there was a significant difference in the number of students that had access to a computer linked to telecommunications and the number of students that were using this access. Only a small proportion of the students used this facility to access the Curtin Off Campus Library Services.There was a lack of knowledge by ++ / students of the services and resources that were available to them. Responses from students indicated they were not effectively informed about the services and resources available to them. This lack of knowledge of existing services pointed to a need for improved marketing of the services to this group of students. An improved level of co-operation between the library, the unit co-ordinators and the University Distance Education Service is recommended to address some of the issues raised in this research. This co-operation should include working with academic staff in unit and course design and a review of the promotion of all services to distance education students

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006. / Title from title page screen, viewed on February 4, 2008. Dissertation Committee: Dent Rhodes (chair), Tom Crumpler, Cheri Toledo, Bobb Darnell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-113) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2007. / A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the, College of Arts, School of Humanities and Languages, University of Western Sydney. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Bibl.(Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2000. / Summaries in Afrikaans and English. Includes bibliographical references.