Paving the Way for Graduate Students’ Information Literacy Skills

Over 85% of students doing their Masters’ degree in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences are over 30 years old (Education Statistics Finland 2022), usually meaning that some time has passed since their first degree. When returning to studies, their information literacy (IL) skills need updating to help them use the current databases and search portals effectively. Together with the teachers from the health faculty, academic librarians worked on finding the best information literacy guidance tools for Masters’ degree students in LAB University of Applied Sciences.

Scoping the Needs with Service Design

A service design process was initiated in early 2022 to find ways to enhance the information retrieval skills of the Master’s Students. Information was gathered using mixed methods, including observation, interview, survey and scoping to form a versatile view of the current situation.

Customer profiles were created for three different student types based on the collected data. The student types showed differences in their need for guidance and support – one being a super achiever and needing just a little push in the right direction, the other needing more structured and personalized help, and the third looking for individualized support. Solution ideas most beneficial for all student types were a step-by-step guide for updating and refreshing the information retrieval skills and an entry-level skills test which allows the students to reflect on and evaluate their IL skills.

Useful Tools for Adult Learners

The step-by-step guide that emphasized search skills and tools was created in summer 2022. This guide was designed to work with the already existing comprehensive information retrieval guide. The new guide was tested with a pilot group of summer course students. According to the course lecturer, the students had less difficulties finding and identifying academic sources with the help of the new guide.

The teachers viewed the step-by-step guide as such an important part of the studies that they wanted to ensure and control that the students have familiarized themselves with the guide. The entry-level skills test was created in autumn 2022 for this purpose. Passing the test is a mandatory part of a research methods course. The test was piloted in spring 2023.

As Marquez and Downey (2015) state, using a service design process can help the library refine existing services to meet the needs of our patrons and ensure through collaboration that the services are effective and relevant. Customer profiles offer a good way to remind the librarians of the diverse customer base, and to make sure the adult learners’ specific needs are met.

References

  • Education Statistics Finland. (2022) University of applied sciences (UAS) education. Students and degrees. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://vipunen.fi/en-gb/polytechnic/Pages/Opiskelijat-ja-tutkinnot.aspx
  • Marquez, J., & Downey, A. (2015). Service design: An introduction to a holistic assessment methodology of library services. Weave: Journal of Library User Experience, 1(2).

Riikka Sinisalo, Essi Prykäri
LUT University, Lahti, Finland

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