Reference is made to the letter School projects (Maria Abela ,TMID 24 April).

I fully agree with what has been expressed regarding the situation of the projects being given by school teachers both at primary and secondary levels. From my short experience working as a secondary school librarian (though also in contact with its primary sister school) I have realised that the situation about which Ms Abela writes is not only true but should be adequately addressed.

The reason is very simple. There is no structure in our schools at either level to handle projects or research work. This brings me once again to what I have been trying to communicate to local authorities – that we have to see that a proper Information Literacy (IL) subject is introduced in schools. In all my articles, I have not only given a piece of my mind but have also presented current research on the subject. However, history repeats itself. Unless you are an academic or are in close political proximity in order to influence those in high places, you are nobody. IL is nothing new and this is not the place to highlight its history and benefits.

Together with what I have suggested (a curriculum that includes IL), I also suggest that parents should undertake similar training as well, for various reasons.

1) The parent gains personal knowledge (it is useless to talk about lifelong learning if one is not equipped with the necessary tools. Tools and not knowledge are needed for lifelong learning. Knowledge is the result of using the right set of tools for the right information);

2) The parent is able to “guide” his or her children;

3) Neither parents nor children are frustrated in pursuing the project;

4) Students learn IL at school, taught by librarians (it is their proper subject);

5) Students continue to hone these skills as they grow up and therefore, when they arrive both at 6th Form and university level, they will have improved these skills immensely;

6) Both children and their parents will be able to sift through information and make informed decisions;

7) Computer skills are improved;

8) Internet skills are improved;

9) Plagiarism is reduced, if not eliminated;

10) Creativity and originality are increased;

11) Critical thinking is improved;

12) Students become more aware of how to handle different information formats and learn the best way to present the same information.

As will be noted, the benefits of having a proper IL subject embedded in the curriculum are multiple. It is also worth noting that IL is the “mother of all literacies” and the key to lifelong learning. It is also important to highlight the fact that computers alone, or the IT aspect in the curriculum, do not make students IL. In other words, knowing how to operate a PC or use its applications is only part of the whole story. A recent article by the ACM1 found that high-school students not only lack the necessary ICT skills but “students were not able to perform basic research using technology, evaluate their sources or distinguish between research value of a library source and an Internet source” (Ibid.). It is true that this study has been carried out in the US and we are not going to compare like with like; but we do well if we notice these kinds of signals, which come to us from around the world.

It is true that we need a new impetus in this regard, with a new breath of fresh air in the way we approach the next wave of the knowledge society. Maybe we need a new vision, new concepts and a more modern way of learning. Why we do not ask people who have implemented IL in curricula in different nations? Why do we stifle or try to hinder such initiatives? (I also had a couple of experiences in this respect.) There is a dire need for IL both among students at different levels of education and parents, and it is high time that something serious is done in this regard.

This “school project” issue is also contributing to the stress level on both parents and students who, most of the time, lack the necessary skills and are inundated with information and its presentation.

In conclusion, since I would like to offer help and be part of the solution rather than the problem, parents like Ms Abela may contact me on [email protected]

Claudio Laferla DLIS, 3rd Yr BApp.Sci.LIS (NSW) is a member of: ENSIL (European Network for School libraries and Information Literacy); MSLA (Malta School Library Association); MaLIA (Malta Library and Information Association).

* Please note that this article reflects the writer’s own thinking and knowledge and has been written in his capacity as a librarian.

References:

1. Stone, JA and Madigan, E 2007, “Inconsistencies and disconnects: The gap between the perception and reality of the technology skills of first-year college students raises questions about the role of state curriculum standards”, Communications of the ACM, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 76-79.