Document Type : Articles
Authors
1 Senior Assistant Librarian, University for Development Studies, Ghana.
2 Assistant Librarian, Wesley College of Education, Ghana.
3 Senior Assistant Librarian, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Ghana.
Abstract
Information literacy is an essential skill of the 21st century in pursuing information and knowledge. Incorporating it into the College of Education curriculum should be an integral education component. A survey research approach was used to identify different information literacy skills possessed by 83 Level 200 students in a Ghanaian College of Education. The study's significant findings disclosed that most students are not used to Boolean operators and truncation to retrieve information. It also emerged that students are trained in information literacy skills in research methodology, library instruction, and the use of computers. Challenges faced by the students in learning information literacy skills are overcrowded lecture halls and insufficient learning materials. The study adds to the existing literature on information literacy and indicates the urgency, relevance, and need for all Colleges of Education in Ghana to integrate the course into their curriculum.
Keywords
ACRL (2020) Information literacy competency standards for higher education. Retrieved from https://alair.ala.org/bitstream/handle/11213/7668/ACRL%20Information%20Literacy%20Competency%20Standards%20for%20Higher%20Education.pdf
Adeleke, D. S., Arikawe, S. & Asaolu, A. (2015) Nigerian libraries and information literacy in the 21St Century: how far, so far? BİLGİ DÜNYASI, 16 (1), 127-140. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/Reza/Downloads/90-Makalenin%20yazar%20isimsiz%20tam%20metni-165-1-10-20200607.pdf
Adeleke, D. S. & Emeahara, E. N. (2016) Relationship between information literacy and use of electronic information resources by postgraduate students of the University of Ibadan. 1381. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1381?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F1381&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Afful-Arthur, P. & Filson, C. K. (2015). Strengthening the teaching of information literacy skills: Case of University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Journal of Applied Information Science and Technology, 8(2), 72-79. Retrieved from https://www.jaistonline.org/Afful-ArthurFilson_vol8no2_2k15.pdf
Aftab, M. & Singh, N. (2017) Measuring information literacy skills among the social science research scholars of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia University. International Research: Journal of Library and Information Science, 7 (4), 641-660. Retrieved from http://irjlis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/5-IR451-74.pdf
Alagu, A. & Thanuskodi, S. (2018) Assessment of information literacy skills among students of Alagappa University, India. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 2083. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/2083
Amegashie , P. K. & Ankamah , S. (2020). Information literacy among students of the university of Ghana business school and Ghana institute of management and public administration business school. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 4157. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4157?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F4157&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Anafo, P. & Filson, C. (2014) Promoting IL among undergraduate students of Ashesi University College, Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1032.
Ankamah, S., Gyesi, K. & Anaman, A. A. (2021). The evaluation of information literacy among medical students at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 6008. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/6008?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F6008&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Asiedu, N. K., Plockey, F. & Kordie, G.A. (2020). Assessing the Information Literacy Skills of Education Students in a Multi-Campus Institution. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4428
Atta-Obeng, L., Boakye, E. & Kwamena, F. P. (2017). Information literacy in Ghanaian academic institutions. A case study of KNUST. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1697. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1697
Baro, E.E. (2010). A survey of information literacy education in library schools in Africa. Library Review, 60 (3), 202-217. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531111117263
Bannerman, V. (2008). The critical role of libraries in the information society. Ghana Library Journal, 19(2), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.4314/glj.v19i2.33963
Bothma, T J., Cosijn, E., Fourie, I. & Penzhorn, C. (2014). Navigating IL, your information society survival toolkit (4th ed.). Cape Town: Pearson.
Catalano, A. J. (2010) Using ACRL standards to assess the information literacy of graduate students in an education programme at Hofstra University. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 5(4), 21-38. https://doi.org/10.18438/B8V62B
Chinyere, E. U. (2014). Effects of library instruction on satisfaction with the use of library and its services: A study of undergraduate students in five universities in the Southern part of Nigeria. European Scientific Journal, 10 (13), 441-445.
Chukwudi, J. H., Chewhoma, E. C. & Chinemerem, U. C. (2015). Information literacy education among faculty and students: The role of Laz Otti Memorial Library, Babcock University, Nigeria. Information and Knowledge Management, 5 (5), 25-30. Retrieved from https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/IKM/article/view/22286/22791
Cordell, R. M. (2013). Information literacy and Digital literacy: Competing or complementary? Communications in Information Literacy 7 (2), 177-183. https:doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2013.7.2.150
Dadzie , P. (2007). Information literacy: Assessing the readiness of Ghanaian universities. Information Development, 23(4), 226-277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266666907084762
Dorvlo, S. S. & Dadzie, P. (2016). Information literacy among postgraduate students of the University of Ghana. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1392. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1392?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F1392&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Gross, M. & Latham, D. (2007). Attaining information literacy: An investigation of the relationship between skill level, self-estimates of skill, and library anxiety. Library and Information Science Research, 29(3), 332-335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2007.04.012
Guo, J. & Hunag, J. (2021). Information literacy education during the pandemic: The cases of academic libraries in Chinese top universities. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 47(4), 102363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102363
Hadimani, M., B. & Rajgoli, I. (2010). Assessing information literacy competence among the undergraduate students of College of Agriculture, Raichur: A case study. DESIDOC Journal of Library and Information Technology, 30 (2), 70-78. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.30.2.8
Ilogho, J. E. & Nkiko, C. (2014) IL search skills of students in five selected private universities in Ogun State, Nigeria, a survey. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1040. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1040.
Islam, Md., M. & Rahman, Md., A. (2014) Assessing information literacy competency of Arts Faculty students at the University of Dhaka. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1110. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1110?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F1110&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Issa, A. O. Amsuan, B. B. Olarongbe, S. A. Igwe, K. N. & Oguntayo, S. A. (2015) An assessment of the information literacy competence of undergraduate students at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Annals of Library and Information Studies, 62 (2), 68-76.
Kufuor, A., Tedam, K. & Poreku, P. (2016). A study of the challenges of information retrieval among university students in Ghana. Frontiers of Library, Information and Computer Sciences, 2(1), 102-108. Retrieved from https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.com/articles/a-study-of-the-challenges-of-information-retrieval-among-university-students-in-ghana.pdf
Olubiyo, P. O., Ogunniyi, S. O., Ademilua, S. O. & Akanmidu-Fagbemi, V. Y. (2019) A survey of information literacy skills among undergraduates of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Nigeria. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/2353
Omeluzor, S. U., Bamidele, I. A., Onuha, U. D. & Alarape, A. A. (2013) IL skills among postgraduate students of Babcock University, Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Research in Management, 12 (2), 1-18. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saturday-Omeluzor/publication/259672105_Information_literacy_skills_among_Postgraduate_Students_of_Babcock_University_Nigeria/links/0046352d41c9fee4d9000000/Information-literacy-skills-among-Postgraduate-Students-of-Babcock-University-Nigeria.pdf
Ozor, A. & Toner, J. (2022). Information literacy behavior and practice: An assessment of undergraduate students at Ada College of Education, Ghana. Journal of Library Administration, 62 (1), 132-151. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9195-3303
Ratanya, F.C. (2012). Levels of information literacy among post graduate Students in School Based Program (SBP): Case study of Egerton University. Paper presented at the 20th SCECSAL Conference, Nairobi, 4th-8th June 2012. Kenya Library Association & The Law Publishers. (pp:75- 87).
Singh, P. K. (2015). Assessing the Information Literacy among Agricultural Science Undergraduate Students of BHU. In 60th ILA International Conference (Diamond Jubilee) on Embedded Librarianship and Technological challenges of the Digital Age (pp. 460-469).
Suleiman, S. A. (2012) User education programs in academic libraries: the experience of the
International Islamic University Malaysia students. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 774. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/774?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Flibphilprac%2F774&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Swapna, G. & Birador, B., S. (2017) Assessment of IL skills among science post graduate students in University of Karnataka State. Journal of Library and Information Studies, 7(3), 135-151. Retrieved from https://www.ijlis.org/articles/assessment-of-information-literacy-skills-among-sciencepost-graduate-students-in-universities-of-karnataka-state-a-study.pdf
Yeboah, F. A. & Owusu-Ansah, C. M. (2020). Evaluating the information access skills of students of a College of Education in Ghana. Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice, 8 (2), 45-54. http://doi.org/10.1633/JISTaP.2020.8.2.4
Yeboah, F. & Sanche, S. (2021). Information literacy, an investigation into students’ access and use of information in an academic institution in Ghana. Open Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 1023. https://doi.org/10.31586/ojer.2021.109
', './data/ijism/coversheet/cover_en.jpg'))