Learning to Be a Student at the University of Paris 8 : An Innovative Example of Teaching Information Literacy in the First Year (original) (raw)

Ifla Publications, 2008

Abstract

If the democratisation of access to higher education has been undeniable for the past twenty years, one cannot say the same about the democratisation of access to knowledge. However, the French university system has changed and become more and more interested in training and not only in teaching, as was the case before. One wonders about the failure or the interruption of studies as a result. Hence the necessity to think of supplementary devices for the students, intended to support their intellectual training. The objective is to allow beginners to discover and adapt to the intellectual processes necessary to think and do research by themselves. This implies some training in information methodology as early as the first year. It is fundamental because it clarifies the basic principles of access to knowledge and it helps students to understand how ideas are classified. The initiation of the new students to information literacy has come into general use today at universities, but Paris 8 takes a prominent position in teaching it (we know this thanks to Alain Coulon's studies). Indeed, an innovative experiment has been developed since 1984 within the framework of the fundamental languages based on the law known as the Savary Act. A pattern was thus created with the help of the URFIST of Paris (Regional Unit for Training in Scientific and Technical Information), which was then developed and implemented in a quasi-homogeneous way with its principles. At Paris 8, it is the Department of Information Sciences and Documentation which organizes and coordinates the course of information research methodology. It results in a 36-hour semi-annual module, taught by 9 part-time lecturers. A short thesis due at the end of the 12 sessions (on a 3-hour basis each week) makes it possible to confirm the development of methodological knowledge. The question of the continuity of this training and its progression remains. A step has been taken with the creation of issued certificates on two levels (B2i and C2i), but the transitions, which have not been organized yet, are being studied by the different actors concerned.

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