As of 22 April 2009 this website is 'frozen' in time — see the current IFLA websites
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As of 22 April 2009 this website is 'frozen' in time — see the current IFLA websites
This old website and all of its content will stay on as archive – http://archive.ifla.org
Byungki Lee
Kiho Song
Hyunju Park
This paper intends to (1) reveal not only the librarian's own media skills, but also the importance of instruction in helping users cultivate media skills or information skills as a positive reference service (2) introduce information capability theory which is a more developed concept than media/ information skills, (3) emphasize the importance of school librarians' media skills and their teaching roles in elementary and secondary schools, (4) give subsequent implications regarding the scopes and contents of media skills/ information skills and school librarians' teaching roles to other librarians- including public librarians, university librarians, children's librarians, and special librarians, and (5) finally, present international issues and directions affecting the new role of all librarians again including public librarians, school librarians, university librarians, children's librarians, special librarians, and media specialists all around the world, emphasizing changes introduced by 'Information and Media' which has been taught as an independent subject since 1996 in secondary schools throughout Korea.
In the case of the library, it is natural for librarians to have media/ information skills. It is important to help users cultivate media/ information skills as well. It is a positive reference service. When users are students as in the case of school libraries, it is even more important.
School education in any information society requires the development of students' media/ information skills, as well as the curriculum of 'Information and Media' to support development. The speed at which knowledge learned in schools becomes outdated has accelerated. Thus, the importance of the ability to manage new information and knowledge has increased. Information skills include the abilities to access, analyze, apply and evaluate information through various kinds of media such as printed information media, audiovisual information media, electronic communication information media, and experience information. The subject 'Information and Media' is a curriculum designed to develop information seeking capabilities so one may inquire about new information with one's established knowledge, solve all information tasks, and also create new information.
It is the duty and goal of the information society that the education for 'Information and Media' be under supervision of school librarians. This will make the school library media center an educational information center equipped with all useful media. One may say the role of the school librarian has grown beyond the traditional role of manager and organizer of books to a direct participant in teaching and learning information skills.
With official acknowledgment of these ideas and educational needs, on Oct. 25, 1995 the Korean Department of Education opened the subject of 'Information and Media' as an independent subject of the optional liberal arts program in senior high schools for the first time. This was designed to be taught by teacher-librarians. It is the first, most advanced and exemplary role presented in the world to teacher-librarians.
Therefore, this paper intends to (1) reveal not only the librarian's own media skills, but also the importance of instruction in helping users cultivate media skills or information skills as a positive reference service, (2) introduce information capability theory which is a more developed concept than media/ information skills, (3) emphasize the importance of school librarians' media skills and their teaching roles in elementary and secondary schools, (4) give subsequent implications regarding the scopes and contents of media skills/ information skills and school librarians' teaching roles to other librarians- including public librarians, university librarians, children's librarians, and special librarians, and (5) finally, present international issues and directions affecting the new role of all librarians again including public librarians, school librarians, university librarians, children's librarians, special librarians, and media specialists all around the world, emphasizing changes introduced by 'Information and Media' which has been taught as an independent subject since 1996 in secondary schools throughout Korea.
In an information society, information and knowledge have been produced and circulated en masse, and thus media or means of information delivery also multiplied. In such circumstances, one faces many difficulties without the skills to handle such media. Therefore, the information capability and knowledge a man should have in order to get by have become an essential requisite in modern lives. Information capability is the ability to acquire new information with one's own established knowledge, solve all information tasks, and create new information. (Table 1)
Basic information capability includes the following: information access capability, information analysis capability, information application capability, and information evaluation capability.
Information access capability is the ability to find information we need.
To find necessary information, we should clearly understand what information we need, and learn characteristics of media and subsequent ways to explore information. Information analysis capability is the ability to understand obtained information through reading, listening and viewing collected information. For the analysis of information, the ability to judge components of information and evaluate them in accordance with their fields are needed.
Information application capability is the organization and creation of knowledge and information as well as their presentation in a proper manner.
Information evaluation capability is the ability to review how well information activity works under a certain rule. Therefore, our purpose of education for 'Information and Media' is to cultivate information capability, an integral part of culture needed in an information society.
In the 1960s and 70s, western countries such as the USA, England, and Australia began to turn school libraries into media centers. They began to collect, organize, arrange and provide users with all instructional media, not limited to printed resources. Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc. maintain much of the traditional roles of school libraries at present.
However, Korea actively made initiatives to create school library media centers in the 1980s. For example, Korea prepared the foundation of the school library media center through the revision of the Library Promotion Law in 1991. Under the system of the school library media center, the roles of teacher-librarians have been turned into those of media specialists who have professional knowledge and qualifications on instructional media, not to mention printed resources. Media specialists are in charge of not only the management of the media center and various media including printed resources, instructional media, and computers as clerical or managerial roles, but also reading guidance, library media skills, and team-teaching of an integrated information curriculum as educational roles.
But in reality, throughout the world, the role of media specialist has not expanded beyond an indirect educational role. More exactly, the role has not expanded beyond a clerical or managerial role. In effect, it is inexplicit and difficult to guide media skills, or to have integrated information curriculum in schools. Now is the time that such curriculum become reality and teacher-librarians or media specialists be in charge of education for the development of information capabilities, making use of the school library media center as an information center. For such purposes, teacher-librarians or media specialists must improve their qualifications and roles as Information and Media teachers. They are to manage the school library media center and teach the subject 'Information and Media.' That is our duty living in an information society. The comparisons of roles of traditional teacher-librarian, media specialist, and information and media teacher are as follows. (Table 2)
Table 2 Comparison of Roles
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Library education in traditional school libraries has been made separate from the regular curricula of schools. 'How to find resources in the library' has been defined as essential. Since the library has changed into the media center, the education for library media skills has been developed into an integrated information curriculum, as suggested in 'INFORMATION POWER( AASL, 1988).' The education for library skills, library media skills, and information curriculum remains in the 'supportive' level of school curricula, not ahead of education for learning 'information skills.' Now it is time that curriculum for cultivating media skills or information capability and finally embedding information mind become an independent subject, and teacher-librarians should lead its education.
Table 3 The Basic ConceptÛ@: Type of Curriculum
Processes and methods for reaching goals are important for the education of creativity in general curricula. For that purpose, the capability to access, analyze, apply, and evaluate useful information is required. Another supplement for information capability is also necessary for mastering skills today while fluctuating change continues. An 'independent subject' for teaching and learning 'Information and Media' is needed to cultivate such skills which may be applied.
Naturally, content components of other subjects for the training of information capability can be included in this curriculum.
2) Basic concept UA: the concept framework
'Information and Media' originates from the education for library media skills and reading guidance. But this level is nothing but a source approach and a pathfinder approach stage(Carol C. Kuhlthau). The concept framework of 'Information and Media' is the integration of academic fields and factors of library & information science and educational technology into educational theories and information capability theories. (Figure 1)
Educational theories cover constructivism and objectivism learning theory, socio-media theory, teaching/ learning theory, learning organization theory, etc. Information capability theory consists of information access, analysis, application, and evaluation capability, which correspond to 'process approach stage' in the long run(Carol C. Kuhlthau). It indicates a great shift of conceptual and academic focus when compared with the education for library skills or integrated information curriculum.
Figure 1 The Basic Concept ÛA: the Concept Framework
In terms of constructivism, learning is a process of construction of information and knowledge through an individual's experiences and cognitive structure. It is emphasized that a learner decides his own learning method; actively acquires information and knowledge; and constructs knowledge for himself. In terms of objectivism, information has already existed objectively, and learning is a process of acquiring the information and knowledge. The subject 'Information and Media' is based on both theoretical points of view stated above.
[2] Socio-media theory
The socio-media is the media to support collaborative construction of social knowledge in the process of expression, exchange, recording, mutual stimulation, and correction of people's common ideas or information. While hypertext, hypermedia, and multimedia are terms stressing multi form of process and representation of information, socio-media theory emphasizes the aspect of supporting the construction of social knowledge.
[3] Teaching/ learning theory
Teaching/ learning theory is about methods and processes of teaching and learning between teachers and students. The theoretical background of 'Information and Media' consists of several teaching/ learning theories such as 'anchored instruction,' 'discovery learning,' 'cognitive apprenticeship,' 'creativity theory,' 'cognitive flexibility theory,' etc.
[4] Learning organization theory
Learning organization theory is about learning methods and processes of individual or organization. Incessant learning is required due to short life expectancy of information and knowledge in a rapidly changing information society. Learning organization theories are 'systems thinking,' 'personal mastery,' 'mental model,' 'shared vision,' 'team learning,' etc.
(Available in the printed version only)
(Available in the printed version only)
[1] Constructivism and objectivism learning theory
Today's society rests upon a great turning point in the age of civilization.
Our society has been rapidly changing day by day. The words, 'a global village where mankind gets along' have hit home to everyone as every aspect of political, economic, and social fields is delivered through satellite antenna and information media to each home. Also, banking deposits, commodities orders, and even the airline reservation of tickets can be made through personal computers both at home and at work. All knowledge and information can be obtained through information networks such as the Internet.
Thus, school education in any information society requires education for the development of information capabilities and the development of 'Information and Media' to support it. Information capabilities are information access capability, information analysis capability, information application capability, and information evaluation capability through various information media such as printed, audiovisual, electronic communication, and experience.
The ultimate objective of 'Information and Media' is to help develop intellectual and creative human beings with abilities to inquire about new information with their own established knowledge, solve all information tasks, and create new information and knowledge.
Nowadays, as information increases at explosive speed, it is impossible for school texts to cover all available knowledge. Furthermore, as the development of scientific civilization and state of the art technologies accelerates, the speed at which knowledge has been outdated exponentiates.
Consequently, the knowledge and skills acquired would be obsolete. They would not be used for many years or decades to follow.
Therefore, it is important to increase students' capabilities. They must be able to solve information tasks by incessant inquiry of necessary information and thus gain knowledge for themselves.
The subject 'Information and Media' aims to bring up autonomous and productive individuals with discernment, inquiry and problem-solving abilities.
This will be accomplished through process-oriented education of individual and autonomous learning, not knowledge-oriented education.
[2] Objectives
B. To make students understand the diversity of information media and the influence that affects humans and society, through printed information media, audiovisual information media, electronic communication information media, and experience information.
C. To make students acquire problem-solving abilities and inquiry abilities through information access, information analysis, information application, and information evaluation procedures.
D. To make students acquire the habit and attitude for utilizing information through reading, listening & viewing, information communication, discussion, and so forth.
[3] Contents
(Table available in the printed version only)
[4] Teaching/learning method
B. Teach students to know the importance of information and media, and the relationship between them.
C. Teach students to cultivate information capability in consideration of their cognitive and thinking developmental levels, and understand specific information and the characteristics of information society by manipulating information through access, analysis, application, evaluation and synthesis of information problems/ tasks, not simply through information retrieval and search.
D. To make students understand the library(educational information center) as an information center, and make library materials related to each subject's contents element or information tasks, rather than the knowledge of materials itself.
E. To use many types of media in the information analysis to solve information tasks, including computer and database, and make students acquire objective problem-solving abilities through a variety of media information.
[5.] Evaluation
B. The evaluation of skills domain evaluates information access, analysis, application, and evaluation capability, problem-solving ability, information society's coping ability, and so forth.
C. The evaluation of emotion and attitude domain evaluates the extent of objective value and attitude's habitualization, from the view of personal information need and information society's need.
D. Information and Media curriculum shall be evaluated as follows:
UNIT1:What are Information and Media ?
UNIT2: Information Media and Information Access
UNIT3: Information Media and Information Analysis
UNIT4: Information Media and Information Application
UNIT5: Information Media and Information Evaluation
UNIT6: Information Media and Modern Life
Evaluation standards for approving a textbook are as follows:
[2] Organization of contents
[3] The level and domain of contents
2. Do the contents help one understand the meaning of information capability as a basic culture, and by this to cultivate the capability to solve information tasks for oneself and create new information by acquiring new information with his own established knowledge?
3. Do the contents help one understand all types of information access as a component of information capability, and cultivate searching capability by this?
4. Do the contents help one understand various methods of information analysis as a component of information capability, and cultivate analysis capability by this?
5. Do the contents help one understand various types of information application as a component of information capability, and cultivate application capability by this?
6. Do the contents help one understand various methods of information evaluation as a component of information capability, and cultivate evaluation capability by this?
14. Are the contents useful for the right information life style?
[4] Contents structure
16. Is each unit organized to practice problem-solving and task-centered learning, and promote students' positive participation?
17. Are general structure, unit introduction, and research problems suitably organized?
[5] Expressions and writing rules
19. Are the expressions exact and consistent?
20. Is the writing suitable for language rules, standard language regulations, foreign language writing rules, educational language guidelines, and other rules?
Owing to the strong desire for education, Korea has accomplished outstanding economic development despite the lack of capital and resources.
Both Koreans and people around the world acknowledge that progress in Korea is due to the strong enthusiasm for education. However, in a society based on information and knowledge creativity is foremost in importance. Therefore educational reform concerning this is now being discussed. There must be some changes in the educational method, curriculum, and subjects taught. It is high time librarians observe change in society and especially that of school education.
Also, for the first time the standard of school library arrangement for teacher-librarian and training teacher(librarian) is clarified by the education law in 1997 and prescribed in the library promotion law(Korean Library Promotion Law, 1991). The regulations of the school library arrangement in the Korean Library Promotion Law are as follows:
Under this law, there are 12 full-time teacher-librarians among 6,122 elementary schools, 57 among 2,539 middle schools and 205 among 1,735 high schools(The Educational Statistics Annual, 1997). But additional teacher-librarians in charge of both a subject and the library are required in every school, and there are thousands of teachers who have teacher-librarian certificates nation-wide. The characteristics of teacher-librarians in Korea have 3 major points. First, the system of the full-time teacher-librarian is stated clearly in the education law. Secondly, teacher-librarians are stationed in every public high school in the city of Seoul. Third, the arrangement standard is prescribed in the education law, and in the library promotion law.
Since 1945, the curriculum of school education has been changed roughly six times. The process of curriculum changes is divided into one prestage and 6 periods according to chronological order.
The urgent policy for education and the period of syllabus(1945-1963), then the first period(1954-1963), the second period(1963-1973), the third period(1973-1981), the fourth period (1981-1987), the fifth period(1987-1992) and finally the sixth period(1992- ). Now the 6th curriculum has been implemented in the high schools since 1996.
The definition of the 6th national curriculum is stated as follows.
The first level: the curriculum of national-level based on law by Korean Department of Education.
Next, the second level: planning and management guidelines of city/ regional level based on the first level.
Finally, the third level: all adjusted and organized curriculum at the school level based on the first and the second level.
Specific lesson plan devised by teachers to use in real classrooms based on the third level can be included in the category of curriculum. Those levels can be found in the diagram below.
Unfortunately, the second and the third level tend to be weak in Korea.
In the future more emphasis must be placed on school level's curriculum with regard to the environment and characteristics of the individual school and society, not to mention any requests or community feedback. This will improve educational contents and quality.
The subjects of the 6th curriculum are as follows.
Faculty members of the Dept. of Library & Information Science Education at College of Education, Kong-ju National University and teacher-librarians in schools have worked together for the last 5 years, based on the 6th curriculum.
They extensively studied collections of librarians' thesis, and the educational role of librarians all around the world, along with the changes in today's society, educational theories, the curriculum, library & information science, educational technology and school library media studies. At last, the researchers and Keum-ok Girls' Public High School, which is located in Seoul, requested the opening of the subject 'Information and Media' along with the approval of using a textbook. This was taken to the Korean Department of Education on Aug 30, 1995. After investigation, the curriculum committee which included university professors and teacher-librarians approved the new subject under the supervision of the Korean Department of Education on October 25, 1995. The new textbook was authorized on Dec 29, 1995, following 3 accounts of close examination.
From the perspective of school education, not to mention school library media studies, this was a historic occasion. It was the first time not only in Korea for such a course to be recognized and offered, but the first time in the world.
(Available in the printed version only)
(Available in the printed version only)
The course hours that students study this subject in class or the library are 2 course hours a semester, total 4 hours a year.
Judging from these results, students are very interested in this subject.
The reasons they've chosen this subject in the questionnaires vary.
To know the situation of the times. Usefulness of Information is more practical. Helpful for social activities. Fresh and interesting. To get information as it is. Helpful for real lives. Various and interesting classes. More practical to get a lot of information. The request of a modern society. The age of information. Without information, no success in business. To know how the world works. To keep up with the times.
Practical. Because now it is the age of the information society. To keep up with a rapidly changing world. Interesting title. Information is important. Helpful for logical writing of the college entrance test. To be well-informed of current events. Helpful to get quick and accurate information. To get new information of more recent generation, not that of older generation.
And what are the differences of their instructional scopes/ contents, or instructional methods/ strategies between one another?
The point is that all of the librarians in the world should research and define these together.
There is a set curriculum in each nation. Each curriculum is unique based on each country's needs and environment. If we compare the curricula among many countries, we find many common subjects such as language arts, mathematics, social studies, and geography, but there are also many differences representing the educational mission of each country.
Even though it may be the same subject, whether it is compulsory or elective tends to make a difference. The course hours that students study in the class may be of many types, too. And according to the levels of industrial development, the curriculum between developed and developing countries can be adjusted. Curriculum is a mirror of the times. Each country in the world is employing a curriculum suitable for that country in its effort to cope with today's technology along with other factors. In light of the times, we librarians should study whether the subject 'Information and Media' which teacher-librarians teach will be compulsory or elective, and which type will be more suitable.
Finally, we should study what course hours are appropriate. All of the librarians in the world should attempt to form a consensus on these and other related criteria.
[2] Content scopes of the subject 'Information and Media'
The subject 'Information and Media' consists of the content elements of library & information science, educational technology, and media studies.
The new subject is to be born, integrating the content elements into information capability theory and educational theories. We have already examined specific contents of the curriculum; therefore, we will research the content elements of each unit. In the future, content elements for problem-solving ability, that is, content elements of learning organization theory, future-probing methods, and so forth will be included in the subject.
We, all of the world's librarians, should take interest in researching the area of contents.
[3] The role level of Information and Media teacher
The teacher-librarian and the media specialist should be transformed into an information and media teacher.
To begin with, we librarians must transform the school library or media center into an educational information center. We, all of the world's librarians, should probe and study how we can make the role of information and media teacher more concrete, and what direction the role should take. Since the subject 'Information and Media' includes the academic elements of both library/ information science and educational technology, the information and media teacher must complete the basic courses of both scholarships. That is, we 'Information and Media' teachers will ensure the ability of both disciplines together. In the teacher training system, the 'media specialist's certificate' in America is a typical and exemplary case. The study of all school librarians regarding these two subjects is a matter of concern for the world, because the new role of information and media teacher requires both for proficiency.
Then, how can all of the world's librarians apply instructional methodologies to cultivate information capabilities of students/users according to the type of library, contents to be taught, administrative organization, or background of students or users?
One example of instructional model, so-called Top Four approach which is applied by teacher-librarians in Korea is as follows.
Again, all of the world's librarians must develop diverse instructional methodologies in the future unique to each environment though courses throughout the world will retain core similarities.
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In Fig. 3 the model emphasizes information problem(task) solving. That is, the model is intended to define the information task at first, and then develop information access, analysis, application, and evaluation capability based on the task. The instruction of an information society and modern learning theories, especially constructivism learning theory emphasizes problem-solving and task-centered learning.
The main points in the model are the 4 classes of skills. Three skills are for students; creative thinking skills; problem-solving (metacognitive) skills; information access, analysis, application, and evaluation skills of their own. The rest are instructional skills, which are for librarians as instructors.
The first inner circle is based on social constructivism in learning theory.
The social constructivism learning theory emphasizes interaction by reflexive dialogue in learning activities between instructors and learners, and among learners. Thus, when students/ users meet difficulty in information problem solving, they always seek to discuss and collaborate with each other.
The second and third circle indicate procedures or processes to solve information tasks. The procedures or processes are, in fact, not only objectives of the subject 'Information and Media,' but they are also based on cognitive domain in Bloom, B.S.'s taxonomy of educational objectives.
Bloom's taxonomy consists of six levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Information task definition, formulating search strategy, and implementing information search in information access in Fig. 3 correspond to knowledge, comprehension, and application in the Bloom's taxonomy; information analysis in Fig. 3 to analysis; information application to synthesis; information evaluation to evaluation.
The fourth circle emphasizes the importance of information in independent learning in the school. The fifth circle emphasizes the importance of information in social activities and lifelong learning in the society.
The 1st- 5th circles indicate level 1, the sixth circle level 2, the seventh circle level 3. The three levels are based on cognitive apprenticeship instructional methodology.
Cognitive apprenticeship instructional methodology, as formulated by Collins, Brown, & Newman(1989), consists of six teaching methods: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. The six methods break down into three groups. The first group- modeling, coaching, and scaffolding- is designed to help learners acquire an integrated set of cognitive and metacognitive skills through observation and supported practice. The second group- articulation and reflection- is designed to help learners gain control of their own problem solving strategies. The final group- exploration- is intended to encourage learner autonomy and problem formulation by the self.
The level 1 in Fig. 3 means the first group, the level 2 the second group, the level 3 the final group in cognitive apprenticeship.
The research of all of the world's librarians on the instructional methodologies is a matter of concern.
The research of all of the world's school librarians on this point is a matter of concern.
Through this organization, all of the world's librarians will be able to co-research. Through the periodic meeting each year, we can accomplish in-depth research of the subject 'Information and Media,' the user activities, and the development of libraries. Specifically, we can accomplish research of the nature, goals and objectives, contents & practical application cases, teaching/ learning method, and evaluation of the subject.
The organization will become the only user-oriented and centered division or section for user education/ activities in IFLA. The importance of the word 'user' itself is increasing more and more throughout the modern library.
We must go with users, for users, and toward users.
The point is a matter of concern of all of the librarians in the world.
(So-called Top Four Approach
We know from history that the individual, society or nation that does not pertinently cope with the challenges of industrial civilization falls behind.
The swiftly proceeding information society is another civilization following the agricultural and industrial civilization to which we cannot avoid adapting.
Now more than ever the intellectual creativity of humans becomes the critical element in determining the difference between a "developed" country or a "developing" country in our information and technology age.
Information, knowledge and ingenuity are the driving forces of a country's development today. Thus it is fair to say the development of a nation is under control of these.
During such times, what is the mission of the librarian, specifically the school librarian? Our mission is to implement information capability and the tools to ensure success in such an environment. Success will be ensured by the development of intellectual creativity by students through the school library media center's implementation of skills. The information center must adopt a concept that will foster these skills.
In the case of a developing nation in an industrial society, it will remain only another "developing" country "leading" itself only to industrial development, without the creative and analytical information skills necessary to become a developed information society. Thus, industrialization and informationalization are simultaneously needed. As can be seen in developing countries, it is increasingly necessary to instill information capability. In the case of industrialized countries, information capability is necessary for continuous development.
The demand and duty of the times are to implement such capabilities.
In the view of librarians' reference service, we must implement information education as opposed to information provision, the former being more positive to today's needs. We, librarians, must have a sense of our centennial mission.
We must strive not only for our own countries' development but the development of the world as a whole.
With this in mind, I urge all the world's librarians assembled here today, upon returning home, strive to implement media/ information skills. And strive to educate 'Information and Media' so that users or students may cultivate information capability in the library, especially the school libraries of your countries and apply their skills both in and out of the library.