ARIL Introduction by Dr. Sam Ang Sam

Academic Research andInformation Literacy (ARIL)

Sam-Ang Sam, Ph.D.

Contents1 Academic Research & Information

Literacy (ARIL)2 Why ARIL?3 Expected Learning Outcomes4 Teaching Research Skills & Eradicating

Plagiarism5 Conclusion

• Information Literacy (IL) is very important to support learning in the 21st century.

• It is an effective tool that enables students to proactively engage in academic work and establish a foundation for life-long learning.

• Without information literacy skills, students will get lost in the world of abundant resources.

• Nowadays, people from the general public and scholars from the academic community produce millions of articles daily in various forms.

1 Academic Research & Information Literacy

• Information literacy skills enable students to understand the differences in all the types of information available to them.

• Additionally, they help students know where to find the right resources to meet their specific educational needs.

• In the academic setting, without information literacy skills, students may not know how to present their research findings in their academic work, and may end up committing plagiarism unintentionally.

Academic Research & Information Literacy

• Information literacy is not a new concept. • It has been continually discussed in advanced countries since

Paul G. Zurkowski first introduced it in 1974. [Dissertations & academic writings]

• A full IL movement began in the 1980s (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2009, p. 3).

• But IL is still very new to Cambodia. • Ideas concerning IL began being discussed here in 2010, and

they are becoming more widely known as people are recognizing their importance.


• The definition of IL has evolved over time. • When it was first introduced, Zurkowski stated that

“an information literate individual is anyone who has learned to use a wide range of information sources in order to solve problems at work and in his or her daily life” (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2009, p. 3).

• However, the definition of IL has evolved over the 35 years since its initial conception.

• Various institutions and scholars have put forth new, comprehensive definitions of IL.


• Probably the most prominent IL definition is the one given by the American Library Association (ALA).

• ALA defines information literacy as a “set of skills that enables individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (American Library Association, 1989).

• Furthermore, ALA states that “information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. . . .


• It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning” (American Library Association, n.d.).

• The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Australian School Library Association (ASLA), UNESCO, the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and the National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL) put forth an IL definition that is similar to that of the ALA.


• The ALIA and the ASLA state that “information literate learners are able to access, process, organize, create and present information in a range of ways that make meaning for them and allow the construction of personal knowledge” (Australian Library, n.d.).

• In 2005, UNESCO, IFLA and NFIL through the High Level Colloquium adopted the Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Life Long Learning.

• The proclamation states that “information literacy lies at the core of lifelong learning. . . .


• It empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use, and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals.

• It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion of all nations” (International Federation, 2014).

• Information literacy is considered a set of foundational skills that all students should possess.


• IL is not only a tool which enables students to use information effectively and within ethical standards, but it also enables students to gain new knowledge and improve critical thinking and writing skills.

• Information literacy skills allow students to reach their full potential.

• Therefore, to study successfully at PUC, students need to learn information literacy.


• In this course, we will study IL skills through the academic research and writing process.

• You are going to learn how to choose a research topic and sort through all sorts of resources and information to find the information you need to make an academic argument about the topic.

• You will learn how to read and understand available research and information, analyze the information and think critically about it, and then you will learn how to use the information ethically and responsibly in your writing.


2 Why ARIL: Why do we need this course?• Plagiarism is widespread on campus.• Possible reasons for plagiarism:o Low English proficiencyo Low writing skillso Not knowing how to identify and locate informationo Not knowing how to cite worko Students not knowing they plagiarize, because

teachers sometimes do not point out or take any action against it

• ARIL course is not the only solution to end plagiarism, but it can be one of the tools to reduce it.

3 Expected Learning OutcomesoBy the end of the course, students will be able

to:• Use the library, research databases, and the

Internet to access scholarly materials;• Evaluate and use information from various

media effectively;• Paraphrase, summarize, and quote scholarly

sources correctly;

Expected Learning Outcomes• Avoid plagiarism in their academic writing;• Communicate their ideas in a scholarly

manner and produce a complete secondary research paper; • Evaluate and revise their own writing;• Evaluate information and recognize

reliable sources of information in everyday life.

4 Why is teaching research skills & eradicating plagiarism important?o MoEYS goals in the 2014-2018 Strategic PlanGeneral• Improving the quality of learning, teaching, and research in

Higher Education by developing curriculum that relates to analytical skills

• Addressing the gap between employers’ needs and university graduates in terms of skills, knowledge, and critical thinking ability

Why is teaching research skills & eradicating plagiarism important?Research Related• Improving research at universities that will allow Cambodia to

better participate in the Knowledge Economy of the 21st century and prepare for ASEAN

• Preparing qualified researching professors (MoEYS goal of 1,000 Masters and 250 PhD by 2018)

o Most importantly, it will aid in continuing to improve the quality of the education students receive from PUC.

5 CONCLUSION

• At the end, ARIL will instill in students with skills which enable them to locate, evaluate, and use information of various types, in any media effectively.

CONCLUSIONo By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:• Define a research topic and keywords search;• Locate and evaluate information of various types, and in any

media;• Take notes (summarization, paraphrase, quotation);• Provide citations correctly;• Produce a good secondary research paper.

• Grassian, Esther S., and Joan R. Kaplowitz. (2009). Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

• http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. This report was released on January 10, 1989, in Washington, D.C.

• http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

• https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/aliaasla-policy-information-literacy-australian-schools. ALIA/ASLA policy on information literacy in Australian schools.

• http://www.ifla.org/publications/beacons-of-the-information-society-the-alexandria-proclamation-on-information-literacy. Beacons of the Information Society: The Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning (14 May 2014).

References

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential

http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/aliaasla-policy-information-literacy-australian-schools




http://www.ifla.org/publications/beacons-of-the-information-society-the-alexandria-proclamation-on-information-literacy




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File: L1_ARIL_intro.pptDate: 02/12/14