Thesis (D.Phil.)(Information Science)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Submitted by Duarte Zeny (zenydu@gmail.com) on 2013-01-26T12:24:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação 2005 - 20-5-05.doc: 1262592 bytes, checksum: 7925ad92f9d97f02662a1981a1932315 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-01-26T12:24:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação 2005 - 20-5-05.doc: 1262592 bytes, checksum: 7925ad92f9d97f02662a1981a1932315 (MD5) / A emergência da Sociedade da Informação, também identificada como Sociedade de Aprendizagem entre outras denominações, tem sido caracterizada pela presença maciça das tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC), configurando novos ambientes para aprender, viver e trabalhar, tanto para pessoas quanto para organizações. Esse ambiente tem sido marcado pelo uso da informação, mediada pelas TIC, para geração de conhecimento e produção de riquezas para aqueles que sabem lidar e obter resultados nesse universo. Portanto o domínio efetivo das competências relacionadas ao universo informacional tem representado diferencial de sobrevivência, competitividade e inclusão socioprofissional. Dessa consciência, a classe bibliotecária americana impulsionou um movimento denominado Information Literacy, cuja tradução mais usual tem sido: competência em informação, que visa promover a aquisição de competências para atuar no ambiente informacional. A American Library Association (ALA), em 1989, definiu o que é ser competente em informação e esse conceito passou a ser disseminado e estudado no mundo inteiro como forma de inclusão, competitividade e “empowerment” para indivíduos e organizações. Por outro lado, o profissional de Secretariado Executivo atua na gestão do fluxo informacional nos diversos níveis hierárquicos das organizações públicas e privadas e, ao assessorar chefias, realiza, entre outras atividades, o filtro das informações, bem como o arquivamento em meios físico e digital, a busca de informações em rede, gerando e disseminando informações, sendo a interface entre o ambiento interno e externo, além de um mediador que ajuda no efetivo trabalho de gestão realizado por seus executivos-chefe. Por isso é que se procurou verificar se a formação em Secretariado Executivo da UFBA tem possibilitado aos seus graduandos a apreensão dos fundamentos e práticas para a aquisição da Information Literacy e, conseqüentemente, para uma inserção desse profissional, sintonizada com as necessidades atuais das organizações e da sociedade. Essa investigação considerou o contexto descrito, o perfil delineado para o secretário executivo no século XXI, as diretrizes curriculares nacionais para a área de secretariado e, especificamente, a reflexão sobre a proposta pedagógica do curso em vigor, à luz dos conceitos sobre currículo e projeto pedagógico, a fim de promover um repensar da formação em sintonia com o cenário descrito. Para tanto, levou-se em consideração que as transformações presentes nessa Sociedade da Informação sinalizam a emergência de novos paradigmas educacionais e organizacionais numa perspectiva global, holística e sistêmica, que considere a formação do indivíduo-cidadão para a vida e o trabalho, num aprendizado contínuo e para toda a vida. / Salvador

Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The Internet has become a useful instrument in connecting users, regardless of their geographical locations, and has thus has made the world a small village where users can interact and search for information. Another aspect that has made the Internet popular amongst users, is its growing popularity as a global resource connecting millions of users surfing the Web daily, searching for and sharing information. A successful search for information depends on the user’s ability to search effectively, and this ability is based on computer competency, knowledge of Information Technology (IT), perceptions of IT usage, and the demographics of the user. These user’s characteristics tend to influence the overall user experience. Although the Internet is used by different groups of users to achieve different objectives of information search, not all of them achieve these objectives. The main aim of this study was to determine the success rate of post-graduate students using free-form information searching to find academic reference materials.

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / This research project looked at the role of public libraries in bridging the digital divide which is both a symptom and a cause of social exclusion. Public libraries offer free information services to ordinary citizens by means a wide range of media, including the Internet. But they offer more than just access as their information literacy programmes educate people in the use of the various media. Across the world there are many initiatives employed by public libraries to help bridge the digital divide. The purpose of the case study of one library district was to investigate if and how libraries in Cape Town were taking on this responsibility. The project had two parts: a survey of one district of the city’s libraries and a closer case study of one selected library in the district. The overall findings from both phases of the study were that Public libraries do help to narrow the Digital Divide by providing free internet access to the public. One of the initiatives the Public libraries that were surveyed including Masiphumelele library employed to help narrow the Digital Divide is SmartCape. Not only did Masiphumelele have SmartCape, but it also offered free computer literacy classes to its users.

Information literacy is universally considered one of effective means through which one’s information skills are developed, more especially at higher education Institutions. It has been part of the WSU library’s tradition to promote and offer units of Information Literacy instruction to all students at WSU, although it was initially on ad-hoc bases until 2010 when the Faculty of Education introduced it as a module or a program as a credit-bearing subject to all first year level Bachelor of Education students. The study is intended to understand the perceptions of students that are currently enrolled in Bachelor of Education Degree level one regarding the Information Literacy Program at Walter Sisulu University. The Information Literacy Program is offered in two campuses of WSU, that is Mthatha and Butterworth campuses. This study was conducted using first year level B. Ed students in Butterworth campus only. This may be regarded as a limitation of the study. The study is largely informed by a literature review of scholarly journal articles, books, internet sources and academic libraries in South Africa. The study applied quantitative method using semi-structured questionnaires as the main data gathering instrument. The sample was drawn from 80 first year B Ed students. A total of 80 questionnaires were distributed and 65 were received back. In the study the significant changes in the higher education in the post-apartheid South Africa are discussed. The historical evolution of information literacy as a course in South Africa and internationally is also discussed. The study reveals that information literacy has contributed positively to students’ study approaches. It has helped the students to learn how to apply computing and internet skills to improve on their studies. More importantly, the study reveals that information literacy has helped the students to learn different ways to search for and use information for the purpose of working on their assignments and enhancing their knowledge generally. Furthermore, the study reveals that it has helped the students to know how to tailor their search for information using specific databases such as OPAC, PROQUEST, EBSCOHOST, and SABINET etc.

Research shows that teens (Generation Z) are not as information literate as required to function effectively in an information society. Yet many teens are gamers and succeed at game-related tasks that require information literacy skills. This thesis examines the potential that the online game Minecraft, and one of its related affinity spaces, may have in the development of information literacy skills in teens. This case study unfolded in three phases: a video game analysis of Minecraft, a discussion forum analysis and an interpretive report of interviews with eight teen gamers. Findings suggest that Minecraft’s design induces players to seek out game related information in affinity spaces, select appropriate sources, evaluate the information shared by fellow gamers and decide what best satisfies their information need. Further research could determine whether the specific information literacy skills in this gaming context can be generalized to other gaming environments and to non-gaming contexts.

Library instruction continues to evolve. Regardless of the myriad and conflicting opinions academic librarians have about the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, the debates and the document itself have engendered greater discourse surrounding how and why librarians teach. The Framework provides an additional push toward designing instruction with big ideas rather than a skills-based curriculum. However, we still must contend with constraints imposed upon us by higher education taking on business models and enforcing a skills agenda. To enact the pedagogy of the Framework in contrast to changes in higher education presents a challenge. We should consider ways in which the Framework can help us push back against these neoliberal agendas in our pedagogy and reinvent our roles as librarian educators.

En los últimos años, el uso de la gamificación en la educación superior se ha orientado a mejorar el nivel de compromiso de los estudiantes en el aprendizaje. El modelo de educación por competencias no es ajeno a esta pedagogía que hoy se apoya en la creatividad del docente y en la participación del estudiante. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar cómo el uso de la gamificación incide en el incremento de dominio de la competencia informacional en estudiantes universitarios. El enfoque utilizado es mixto. En la fase cuantitativa con diseño cuasi experimental se utilizó el cuestionario ALFIN-Humass para medir la percepción del desarrollo de la competencia (pre y pos) y se demostró que hay diferencias significativas entre el pretest y postest del grupo experimental en la percepción del desarrollo de ALFIN (t = –4,63; p < 0,01). En la cualitativa, se llevó a cabo un grupo focal cuyos resultados confirmaron los hallazgos cuantitativos. La contribución de este trabajo radica en señalar la pertinencia de la gamificación como estrategia didáctica en el desarrollo de las competencias informacionales. / In recent years, gamification in higher education aimed to improve the level of student engagement in learning. The model of education by competencies is no stranger to this pedagogy, which today relies on teacher creativity and student participation. The objective of this research was to analyze how gamification affects the increase in the mastery of information skills in university students. The research approach used is mixed. In the quantitative phase with a quasi-experimental design, the ALFIN-Humass questionnaire was used to measure the perception of competence development (pre and post), showing that there are significant differences between the pretest and post-test of the experimental group in the perception of ALFIN development (t = -4.63; p <.01). In the qualitative one, a focus group was conducted whose results confirmed the quantitative findings. The contribution of this work lies in pointing out the relevance of gamification as a didactic strategy in the development of Information Literacy Competency.

Information Literacy is an integral part of university libraries. At the University of Cape Town (UCT) it has had varying levels of success, depending on the size of the class, the access to devices, the time provided, and the frequency of sessions. Unlikely other universities around the world, information literacy is not embedded in the curriculum. The standard practice in our context has been once-off sessions offered to students at the beginning of an academic year. This is targeted to different courses and disciplines. This study sought to understand the information (IL) and digital literacy (DL) skills of postgraduate students in an Information Systems (IS) course. Specifically it looked at how they undertake their academic writing tasks without formal exposure to IL or DL training. It examines the general IL and DL skills, the ineffectiveness of IL interventions provided and explores opportunites for curriculum integration of Il in postgraduate courses. This case study uses a case study approach to explore the perceptions of students and their lecturers of the IL presentations which the library offers. Using a mixture of interviews with lecturers and a student questionnaire and focus group discussions with students the study sought to provide a wholistic picture of the various perspectives and experiences. Findings showed that students and lecturers had a very narrow perception of IL, although IL is a skills set that helps students to acquire competencies for a lifelong learning journey in terms of information usage generally and digitally in particular. A framework for librarians is proposed based on SCONUL's Seven Pillars of Information Literacy. This would enable a more wholistic approach to IL as it develops student as self-directed learners rather than learners who just aim to comply with course regulations. Integration of IL into the curriculum is proposed as a necessary strategy and if librarians increased their teaching professionalisation working in partnership with their academic colleagues, they could raise the profile of IL in institutional priorities.

The central theme of this study revolves around information delivery in a developing community. The notion of appropriate, accessible information networks is scrutinised. The Okavango region in Namibia is used as a case study of a developing, rural community. The region is underdeveloped in important spheres such as health, agriculture and education. Library and related information services are either underdeveloped or undeveloped. The region has a favourable rainfall pattern and a viable agricultural resource base. This is important for Namibia, because the country has large areas of semi-desert and desert. Although the Okavango region is vast ( some 4.6 million hectares), the majority of the population (137,000 at the 1991 census), are settled in a narrow 5-10 kilometre strip along the south bank of the Okavango river. This in itself offers challenging opportunities to improve connectivity and access to appropriate information for community development. The current situation with regard to information delivery and information literacy levels in Namibia is sketched and a detailed description of two projects striving towards appropriate, accessible information delivery given. Both projects are based in a tertiary environment, one at the University of Namibia and the other at five Western Cape tertiary institutions in South Africa. Although, essentially these projects aim at improving information delivery at a tertiary level, community outreach components are woven into the long term vision of both projects. The information literacy components of the projects described are of special significance. The concept of information literacy and the potential of information literacy projects and programmes to facilitate the delivery of appropriate, accessible information to developing communities are probed