Making it real: information literacy and student engagement

In recent years Irish universities have expanded and diversified in response to a changing external environment. A key factor in this change is the increasing acceptance of the importance of lifelong learning. This drive to produce quality graduates, who can compete in a national and global market, combined with a parallel a shift in the approach to teaching and learning within higher education means that the library and its resources are becoming fundamental components of the teaching and learning process. This paper will share innovative practices currently taking place in both Dublin City University (DCU) and University College Dublin (UCD) and discuss their impact on learning outcomes; it will include feedback received from academic staff and students. This paper presents innovative ways that identify the information skills (IS) needed to meet the module learning objectives at all levels. It suggests ways IS can be delivered in a more quantifiable, coordinated, and planned way that can be incorporated - in a practical and effective way – into module assessment