Education for Information

This paper reports the development of an international Masters in Information Studies between the Universities of Parma (Italy) and Northumbria (United Kingdom). Rather than concentrating on a detailed discussion of course content, it considers the strengths of an international collaborative course development and delivery and the issues involved in developing such a course and gaining approval for it through the different procedures of two countries.

The present article presents conditions relating to the effective use of text-based computer conferencing for group interaction. More specifically, it discusses ways peers found in order to express themselves as members of on-line groups and if they were able to reach consensus during interaction.

The findings of the research are based on qualitative data gathered during the course of the author's doctorate research. Students from two different courses in the University of Sheffield, with experience of on-line group interaction, were the subjects of the study. 50 semi-structured interviews were the main tool of data collection. A Grounded Theory Approach, as developed by Strauss and Corbin was adopted for the analysis of the interview data. The analysis made also use of the Atlas.ti qualitative data software.

Conditions (such as causes, intervening and contextual conditions, actions and outcomes) that were found to influence the on-line group interaction are presented using the above mode of data explication. A discussion of the findings in relation to the existing literature follows at the end of the paper.

Applying a qualitative research design and using questionnaires, interviews, observation, focus groups, and debate, this study examines the phenomena and implications of change on LIS curricula, the stakeholders' perception of the current curriculum, the processes of curriculum design and review, and the impact of social, economic, political and technological factors at the East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS). For comparative purposes, experiences in the Departments of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wales (Aberystwyth), Botswana and Cape Town are also examined. Findings suggest the need for curricula policy, improvement of programme content both in academic and ICT aspects, indigenisation and harmonisation of programmes, the adoption of varied teaching methods, improvement of space, teaching, research and ICT facilities, internalisation of programmes and the introduction of a practicum are required at EASLIS.

Library and information studies education in Australia is characterised by unresolved tensions, some of which have persisted for several decades. Among its characteristics and conflicts are a multi-tiered system of qualification, a high number of schools per capita with a wide range of discipline affiliations, a wide acceptance of distance learning, pressure for curriculum review, and the perceived need for a national approach to planning for the profession.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become basic ingredients of, and competitive tools in, the information-intensive tertiary/higher education sector. Their increased and specialised use in teaching and learning, research, academic administration, institutional management and information provision translates into greater access to higher education, flexible and innovative delivery at reduced educational costs, more efficient provision of information services and enhanced educational outcomes. In Library and Information Science (LIS) education, ICTs can represent both the content of courses and essential tools for effective learning of the content. The constant rapid development of these technologies means that LIS curriculum structures and content have to be reorganised, infusing greater ICT knowledge and skills into courses and providing more hands-on practice. African LIS educators recognise the importance of intensifying information technology courses in their curricula to be relevant, visible and competitive in an increasingly globalised and networked world. However, they are often challenged by factors such as technological capacity, funding and sustainability of resources, human expertise and the attitudes of trainers/trainees, higher education bureaucracy and a complicated employment market. Collaborative initiatives and approaches in the implementation of ICT projects are particularly significant because networking, which is the backbone for effective harnessing of ICTs, often transcends departmental, institutional and national jurisdictions.

Explores and analyses the status and use of ICT in LIS Departments/Schools in selected Eastern and Southern African countries in relation to learning, teaching, research, academic administration, and resource support. ICT is dealt with in the context of information storage, retrieval, communication, interactive learning, MIS and use technologies. Qualitative methods were mainly used in information collection, analysis and reporting. Opinions of Directors/Heads of LIS Departments/Schools or their representatives in seven countries were collected by an e-mailed open-ended questionnaire that was sampled purposively. The conclusion is reached that although many LIS schools in the region increasingly exploit and use ICT, underdeveloped infrastructure, inadequate resources and lack of adequate skills among staff to explore the technologies extensively, maintain existing disparities. Although students and lecturers have an overwhelming interest in learning about and using ICT, LIS institutions in South Africa (that are better endowed with regard to infrastructure and resources) exploit ICT more effectively and to a far greater extent than their counterparts in other sub-Saharan African countries. Other hidden variables are also identified and discussed. The paper provides useful information for comparative studies as well as an agenda for research on auditing ICT capacity in LIS schools in the region.