Revamping GXEX1401 Nor Edzan Che Nasir University of Malaya

In 1998, the University of Malaya made it compulsory for all undergraduates to sign up for the Information Skills Course or the GXEX1401. This is a one-credit hour 14 weeks compulsory university course for all undergraduates and the Library was entrusted to run the course. GXEX 1401 has been running for 13 years and throughout this duration, the course had changed considerably both in contents and delivery method. This paper will look at the development of the course since its inception and how the Library plays a significant role in inculcating lifelong learning to the students. ABSTRACT

OUTLINE Introduction Then Now Outcomes What then? Conclusion

INTRODUCTION GXEX 1401 = Information skills course Students = OPAC class, Library class etc Started in 1998 Why - Different levels of IL skills: rural-urban, info rich-info poor, have-have nots Compulsory for undergraduates Must pass 1-credit hour 1 hour lecture per week for 14 weeks 1 st year

INTRODUCTION 1 st semester = arts-based faculties 2 nd semester = science-based faculties Separate for Law, Medicine and Dentistry Library responsible for the entire course Designed to fulfill “information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” ~ ALA, 1989.

INTRODUCTION Library does what a faculty does when offering a course Course proforma Course information Lecture notes Exercises Quiz Exam questions Various course committees Meets MQA course accreditation requirements (COPIA=Code of Practice for Institutional Accreditation)

INTRODUCTION Facilitators = librarians Over and above the duty assigned by their division Honorarium Meet students during or after office hours Marks exercises and assignments in-between jobs and after office hours Responsible for their own class – input marks into the online system, attendance, mentoring Run courses for facilitators

THEN Lab with minimal PCs – students share Taught using powerpoint slides Printed guidebooks Printed exercises Hands-on via PCs No honorarium

NOW Lab with 80 PCs with 1 PC per student Modify course contents Abundance of electronic resources in the Library Presence of Web 2.0 applications Mode of delivery Blended learning Web-based learning management system = Spectrum Facilitators = face-to-face instructor-led

NOW Local and international students = need to teach in English Special division Information Skills Division 1 Head assisted by 4 librarians Manage the GXEX1401 course Manage similar optional information skills sessions for postgraduates

OUTCOMES End of 2010/2011 academic session = 66,155 graduands have gone through the course Able to apply skills in their day-to-day activities Lifelong learning Librarians who are facilitators = acquire teaching and communication skills Course = benchmarked by other universities Run workshops Wrote papers for journals and conferences Less queries at the Reference Desk

WHAT THEN? Academicians – do they integrate the information skills in their courses? Undergraduates – do they apply the skills they have acquired? Librarians – have they studied the effectiveness of the course?

OUR DIRECTION Will continue running the course Will continue to review and improve the course in terms of Delivery Contents Will continue training facilitators aka librarians = changing role of librarians Will continue to position librarians as intermediaries in the information cycle