Information Literacy Notes

Introduction by Zandi Lemboneni

  • Zandi Lemboneni is the faculty librarian for FID, covering applied design and information technology.

  • She teaches information literacy within communications modules, which contributes 10-15% towards the class mark for academic literacies.

  • There are five modules for information literacy, followed by a multiple-choice test.

  • The course aims to equip students with skills applicable to assignments.

  • The complete course involves approximately three sessions to cover all five modules.

Module Overview

  • Module 1: Search strategy (the focus of the current session).

  • Modules 2 & 3: Information tools and resources.

  • Module 4: Copyright and plagiarism issues, with further elaboration by Janet on university and departmental consequences.

  • Module 5: Referencing, covering citation and referencing, which also helps avoid plagiarism.

Information Literacy Defined

  • Information literacy is a set of abilities, a skill that improves with practice.

  • It involves:

    • Discovering information.

    • Understanding how information is produced.

    • Evaluating the value of information.

    • Using information to create knowledge, especially in the context of assignments.

  • Following these steps can improve assignment marks.

Assignment Rubrics

  • Lecturers use rubrics with weighted criteria (excellent, good, average, below average, poor) to grade assignments.

  • Information literacy helps with content, which carries significant weight.

  • Correct citation and referencing can secure marks (e.g., 10 marks out of 50, weighted at 20%).

  • Excellent content can earn high marks, depending on the rubric's weighting.

  • Rubrics vary by lecturer; Janet will provide the specific rubric for the course.

Benefits of Information Literacy

  • Prevents information overload by teaching students where to find relevant information.

  • Empowers students to learn independently throughout their academic careers.

  • Aids in making informed decisions about information sources.

  • Contributes to academic success.

Module 1: Search Strategy

  • Covers:

    • Defining search strategy.

    • Analyzing assignment topics.

    • Research techniques for databases and library discovery tools.

    • Creating a search string for database searching.

  • These techniques are specifically for databases, not AI chatbots, which use natural language.

  • Information from databases can be validated, unlike that from AI chatbots.

Search Strategy Definition

  • A structured plan used to effectively and efficiently search for information.

Analyzing a Topic: The Three I Model

  • Identify Keywords: Pinpoint the key terms in the assignment question.

  • Identify Synonyms: Find alternative words for the keywords.

  • Identify Related Terms: Discover broader and narrower terms.

Identifying Keywords: The Five Ws and H Model

  • What: What is the assignment asking you to do?

  • Who: Who are the relevant people or entities?

  • Where: Is there a specific place involved?

  • When: Is there a specific time period?

  • Why: Why are you doing this assignment?

  • How: How should you approach the assignment?

  • Not all assignments will address all of these questions, but it's a useful framework.

Example Assignment Analysis

  • Assignment: Explore the influence of color psychology on consumer behavior in graphic design, specifically focusing on the South African market in the past decade.

  • Identification of keywords related to Why, What, Where, When, and Who.

Synonyms

  • Different words or images that represent the same concept.

  • Example: Bluebird represents Twitter (now X), check mark represents Nike.

Related Terms

  • Broad and narrow terms related to a concept.

  • Example: Keyboard (broad term) vs. Alphanumerical Keys (narrow term).

Applying to the Example Assignment

  • Keyword: Impact

    • Synonyms: Effect, Influence, Outcome

  • Audience: Consumers

  • Field: Graphic Design

  • Location: South Africa

  • Timeframe: Past Decade (synonym: Past Ten Years)
    Visual communication is another term for Graphic Design.

Search Techniques

  • Techniques used in library catalogs and databases to refine searches.

  • Include Boolean operators, phrase searching, truncation, and wildcards.

Boolean Operators

  • AND: Narrows search results by requiring all specified keywords to be present.

  • OR: Broadens search results by including synonyms or alternative terms.

  • NOT: Excludes specific terms from the search.

KFC Example

  • Analogy to ordering food at KFC to illustrate Boolean operators.

  • Ordering "dunked wings and a Coke, no ice, and large fries" demonstrates the use of "AND" and "NOT."

  • If KFC is out of Coke, asking for "Coke or Sprite" uses the "OR" operator to provide an alternative.

Examples of Boolean Operators

  • "Strategy AND plan" requires both words.

  • "Strategy OR plan" includes either word.

  • "Strategy NOT plan" excludes results about planning.

Truncation and Wildcards

  • Truncation: Uses a root word, followed by an asterisk (*), to find variations of the word.

    • Example: market* finds market, marketing, markets.

  • Wildcards: Uses a question mark (?) to account for different spellings.

    • Example: organi?ation accounts for both American (z) and British (s) spellings.

Phrase Searching

  • Using inverted commas to search for specific phrases and ensure those words appear together.

  • Example: "color psychology", "graphic design", "visual communication".

  • Without inverted commas, the system might search for the individual words separately, yielding irrelevant results.

Creating a Search String

  • Combining keywords and search techniques (Boolean operators, phrase searching).

  • Example: (impact OR influence) AND ("color psychology" OR "color therapy") AND ("graphic design" OR "visual communication") AND ("consumer behavior") AND ("South Africa")
    Using inverted commas for "South Africa" ensures results specific to the country, not just countries in the southern part of Africa.