Shared vision, shared responsibility : the vertical integration of information literacy across the zoology curriculum

Abstract

This paper tells the story of how a shared vision and shared responsibility between the Library and the School of Zoology at the University of Tasmania has led to the vertical integration of information literacy into the Zoology curriculum. Lecturers have embedded meaningful and stimulating learning activities into coursework, deliberately aimed at developing students’ information literacy. Students require sound information skills to undertake these activities; these skills are taught by the Liaison Librarian during specially tailored workshops incorporated into the unit teaching. Activities include: a first-year introduction to information skills and the scholarly information infrastructure; second/third year projects that require students to find 'the science' behind popular wildlife documentaries and to explore issues and controversies of scholarly communication; the introduction of EndNote to third-year students to manage information for their major research project; and advanced skills for Honours students to undertake major literature searches and manage information using EndNote. This paper discusses: the value of contributions from the different perspectives of librarians and lecturers; the importance of an iterative, incremental approach to developing students’ information literacy for lifelong learning; what students think; and work that still needs to be done