In September 2021 the Norwegian government launched its “Strategy for digital transformation in higher education 2021-2025” (Strategy, 2021), and in November 2022 the Action plan building on this strategy was launched (Action plan, 2022). The strategy and action plan are closely related to various European Union initiatives (Digital education action plan, 2021; A Europe fit for the digital age, 2019), and also links to the overall plan for digitalization of the Norwegian society (A digital public sector, 2019).
The strategy and action plan focus on students and academics, and their need for more competencies and enhanced practical knowledge in information technology. The end goal is a more digitally competent workforce.
Neither the strategy nor the action plan mentions academic libraries specifically, but within the actions, there is room for relevant interventions where academic libraries can take a leading role.
In this paper, we would like to share some experiences from development work in this field, from the University of Bergen and the University Library, and from the University Library at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. To meet the increasing demands from the Ministry of Education and Research, the University of Bergen decided to develop a program in digital competencies and digital skills, and the library was invited to participate in the development of this program. The library’s contribution is called Digital source criticism/information evaluation. A short online course primarily targeting first years students teaches them to navigate more critically in a world of facts, opinions and arguments shared in everything from social media to academic textbooks. The three-module course follows a case regarding the increasing amount of plastic waste in the sea, and how research about this finds its way to the debate.
University of Tromsø Library has developed iKomp, a free and open online course for anyone interested in learning more about source use and learning strategies. The main purpose of the course is to make students well equipped to meet the demands and expectations of universities and colleges regarding learning, academic integrity, and use of sources. The course can be taken in its entirety with a final exam and therefore works well as a work requirement for undergraduates. A similar course for sixth form pupils has also been developed, aiming to prepare this group both for higher education and for handling information at work or at home.
In conclusion, we will compare the two approaches through a qualitative cross case-comparison of the two aformentioned courses, investigating scope, learning goals and other relevant aspects, and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the courses (Yin, 2018). We will also give recommendations for development of second-generation information literacy training.
References
- A digital public sector. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/en-digital-offentlig-sektor/id2653874/
- A Europe fit for the digital age. (2019). Retrieved from https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age_en
- Action Plan for digital transformation in higher education and research. (2022). Retrieved from https://hkdir.no/vaare-tenester/handlingsplan-for-digital-omstilling-i-hoeyere-utdanning-og-forskning
- Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027. (2021). Retrieved from https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/digital-education/action-plan
- Strategy for digital transformation in Higher Education Sector. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/strategi-for-digital-omstilling-i-universitets-og-hoyskolesektoren/id2870981/
- Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods. SAGE.
Ane Landøy1, Henry Langseth2, Mariann Cecilie Løkse3
1HK-dir, Bergen, Norway; 2University of Bergen Library, Bergen, Norway; 3UiT – The Arctic University of Norway Library, Tromsø, Norway