IFLA #wlic e-Learning delivery mode extends reach to IL learners in Singapore

I'm liveblogging the IFLA World Library and Information Conference in Helsinki, Finland. The next paper is Proliferating Information Literacy - e-Learning delivery mode extends reach to IL learners in Singapore from Gee Miaw Miin.
She explained how schools in Singapore schools may not have librarians, and they look to the National Library to provide training. So there was a 5 year project (2007-2011) involving parents and teachers as well as students. They developed 26 "bite sized" IL modules, which people have to pay for, with a target of 40,000 learners.
The skills they targetted were resource skills, serach skills, critique skills and publishing, focusing on citation and presention. They used an instructional designer, with the principles:
- allow individual control of pace and learning activities (allowing pause and additional sources)
- addressing three learning styles (visual aural, kinesthetic)
- break information into bite size (the photo shows that slide)
- connect information to ptrior learning (e.g. reflecting on past searching experiences)
- create scenarios around real life information problems e.g. a housewife looking for recipes, a businessman looking for data
- provide hands on activities or incorporate games e.g. crossword puzzles
- provide templates and summaries for learners' future use
- have final assessment
In terms of marketing, to get 40,000 people to actually pay and take the modules, the speaker emphasised parttnerships with all sorts of agencies - a real variety including business sector and public sector organistions. There was support from the top level, as there was a media and information literacy initiative from government. This includes training adults (about 10% of the total of 50,00 people taking units, I think).
The Ministry of Education's 21st century Competencies framework provides a valuable context, and also there is an initiative to train all teachers, so that IL is integrated into the curriculum. They are exploring the possibility of supporting more collaborative leraning (which is not an element at the moment). A project team is also looking at delivering the IL training using mobile apps.
There is preview material at http://www.nlba.sg
Full paper at Proliferating Information Literacy - e-Learning delivery mode extends reach to IL learners in Singapore GEE MIAW MIIN (National Library Board, Singapore)