2nd Scientific Working Group (SWG) Meeting Mostar, Jun, 2012

The University of Pristina, temporary settled in Kosovska Mitrovica (UPKM) Nemanja Vasic, assistant lecturer, Faculty of Technical Sciences Danijela Kulic, assistant lecturer, Faculty of Philosophy

Summary of the survey conducted by DWG in January and February 2012 Results of the cross-sectional study performed among students of the Ecological Engineering, FTS A brief outline of the possibilities of incorporating IL syllabus into academic study programmes

 SWG, together with other four working groups, participated at the project’s information meeting on 18 January, 2011  The questionnaire (translated and adapted) distributed to the project meeting participants and students of our University Medical Faculty 35 % Faculty of technical Sciences 26% Faculty of Philosophy 14,3 % Faculty of Economics 9,52 and Law 9 %

66,67 % knew the definition of IL Is there a course on IL? –38, 09 % - there is no course on IL –28, 57% - it exists within another course –19, 05 % - there is a course on IL Are there IL experts? -54,76% - YES, -30,95% - NO Is there a need for IL experts? -80,90% - YES Would students/experts benefit from materials or tutorials on IL? - 88,09% were affirmative for students -95,23 % were affirmative for experts

 Which specific topics would be of most interest to IL professsionals? 26% - managing information 54,76% - everything related to IL is important  Which specific topics would be of most interest to students? 21,42% - accessing and evaluating information 52,38% - everything related to IL is important  For 83,33% personal and professional needs are the main motivational factor for joining the project  This initiative (presentation on IL and the questionnaire) motivated 76,19% of the participants to be informed and educated in IL

A number of meetings was organised at various institutions within the University with following aims: - to investigate the possibility of having such a course at the University, - to analyse evaluation and accreditation process, -to discuss organizational facilities for establishing IL course, -check if there is a course on Information Literacy or a similar one.

Other issues which were taken into consideration: -the Syllabus was discussed and compared with the similar courses that were found at some faculties, -the matter of implementing the Syllabus at the faculties, -changing the existing and preparing the new ones

Some of the questions: Is there a course on Information Literacy? Is there a course on Information Literacy within another course? Are there IL experts? Do you find it necessary to have a course on IL? Have you considered introducing IL course? –Would it be an elective or mandatory course? At which year of study?

Which unit do you find the most useful for students? –Accessing information –Evaluating information –Research mechanisms and strategies –Managing information –Using information –Copy rights and plagiarism –All the above mentioned Would students benefit from manual or similar book on IL? If you got a final product (IL curriculum) would it be possible to accredit the course within respective study programme? Would you have experts who could teach the course? Or somebody who would be trained? If the University implemented the course (at University level: University library/Center for career development) would students be encouraged to follow the course? What kind of course would that be?

Answers; possibilities for incorporating IL at University level There isn’t any course on IL in the form of presented Syllabus, There are courses dealing with similar issues, and with some aspects of Information Literacy (Academic Writing, Methodology of Scientific Work, Techniques of Doing Research Projects, etc.) The courses are designed for each study programme individually depending on the subject of study. the IL Syllabus would be general type of course Students would learn how to use computer programmes for finding, managing and processing information, citing and communicating information.

Cross-sectional study conducted among students of the Ecological Engineering, FTS

According to the results of survey and skimming and scanning of materials (guidelines, the final draft of syllabus and suggested Online module) we might conclude as follows: Introduce the course to BA students It should comprise all units in Syllabus, from the first, what is information and information literacy, to the seventh, detecting plagiarism.

Elective or mandatory? –it should be left to educational council to determine –Elective is preferred When it comes to IL experts, the teachers that are teaching courses dealing with IL should be contacted and asked if they would be ready to take over a course on IL, with or without additional trainings Students would benefit from manual or similar book on IL

If we adopt the offered Syllabus, we can: offer the course to the faculties to discuss it on faculties’ educational board, Award it with ECTS and integrate it within respective study programme. go through the University Senate and accreditation process.

Another possibility for this course: To introduce the IL course at University level (the University Library or the Center for Career Development.) connection with Life Long component of the project, a European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) compatible certificate. Thank you for your attention!