ACIL Meeting Minutes - 11th July 2003

Present: Hilary Johnson (Chair); Janet Peters,
Helen Hathaway, Martin Jenkins, Wendy White,
Deborah Bragan Turner, Liz Hart, Peter Godwin (late arrival)

In attendance: Kathy Wiles, Jane Core

Apologies: Jo Parker, Stephen Town

1 Notes of Previous Meeting

Accuracy matters noted:
Jo Needham should have read Gill Needham

ACIL Action Checklist Update (other than items on the agenda):

1. Subject art and design. JaP to contact ARLIS for best practice recommendations
- No action
2. LTSN Generic Centre. HJ to contact re institutional learning and teaching strategies.
- Jane Core and Kathy Wiles attending this meeting
3. ACIL Flyer. Electronic copy to Stuart Boon
- ACIL flyer now on Website
4. UNESCO forum. HJ to contact John Lindsay for update
- HJ to forward notes of meeting with John Lindsay to Committee.
By Whom: HJ Action No.: 04/01
- HJ recommended a watching brief on the UNESCO developments
5. JISC Regional Centres. Update on work of ACIL
- HJ recommended the Committee undertake more consideration of communication and links with these centres
By Whom: All Committee Action No.: 04/02
6. EduSERV. JaP to contact with new suggestions and to clarify timescales
- JaP reported that EduSERV will consider a broader range of topics for funding next year following her note to them
7. SCONUL strategy meeting June 10th. JaP to take forward the badging of the MOSAIC project and the issue of ILit certification
- Agenda item
8. SCONUL briefing paper / staff briefings. All to have ideas for these
- Agenda item (linked to discussion with Kathy Wiles / Jane Core)
9. ALT contact HJ to invite to a meeting
- No action. HJ suggested initial contact should be made to establish suggestions for longer term links
10. Scottish post-16 project. HJ to contact Jean Henderson for more information
- No action
11. Information Literacy learning outcomes best practice guidelines. All to have ideas/examples for next meeting
- Agenda item
12. UCISA TLIG/ACIL joint event. WW to draft summary of ideas to go to TLIP colleagues. HJ to contact potential chair of event committee. All to note suggestions for speakers
- Agenda item
13. US National Forum. HJ to update on ACIL progress
- HJ to delegate to HH who will draft a response
By Whom: HH Action No.: 04/03


2 Matters arising

Item 3: JISC National Colloquium on Student e-literacy. 9/10th June. Meeting cancelled due to lack of response. Committee felt this was likely to be due to short timescale. HJ reported that the idea for this national meeting had emerged from the “Big Blue” work and the JISC Monitoring and Evaluation framework
NB Event now re-scheduled for 2/3rd September

Item 6: Joint SCONUL ACIL / UCISA TLIG event. This has been progressed by WW and DBT. Chair to be Susan Armitage from UCISA. Venue to be University of Birmingham (with Warwick as a back-up). Proposed dates would be 20/ 22 / 27 / 29th January 2004.

UCISA to undertake administration JAP noted (as a member of SCONUL Executive) that a joint approach might be taken to share costs and any profits. MJ agreed to raise this with UCISA / TTLIG.
By Whom: MJ Action No.: 04/04

Committee discussed potential speakers:
JaP suggested Dan Noyes (University of Wales, Newport); Andrew Rothery and Anne Hannaford (University College Worcester). Key note speaker recommended to be Diane. Informal contacts via LH to follow this up and then pass on to WW / DBT
By Whom: LH Action No.: 04/05

KW/JC noted the excellent timing of this event in the context of the HE Academy, launch of the e-learning strategy from HEFCE and the apparent lack of any mention in that document of support staff.
KW suggested that the LTSN/HE Academy write a short paragraph of support for the event which would be helpful on any event flyers. In the interests of speed this could be agreed on email by ACIL members
By Whom: KW/WW/DBT E-mail input from all committee Action No.: 04/06


3
Item 2: CILIP sponsored meeting on IL (27th June). HJ referred the meeting to the report by Sheila Webber on Weblog which captured the essence of the meeting. The meeting should also note the paper distributed in advance of the event from Sheila Corrall on Information Capability. It was considered that this paper would assist in widening understanding of the area generally. Formal outcomes of the meeting were that a small group, to be covered by Sally Brown, CILIP, to progress a definition/s of IL. ST will be a member of this group. A National Forum for IL was mentioned at the event but this initiative was felt to be too early. Members felt this was something which must remain on the ACIL agenda

Item 3: SCONUL ACHS
HJ reported that ACHS were planning an event on November 3rd 2003 on IL and wished to receive input from ACIL. This initiative was led by Steve Pritchard (University of Wales Newport) and Linda Dorrington (Imperial) and was targeted at sharing good practice. HJ indicated she was interested in progressing and invited anyone else from the Committee to contribute if they wished
By Whom: HJ/ All Committee Action No.: 04/07

HJ also brought the following paper to the attention of the Committee: NHS Consultancy Report: “Users first: removing barriers to knowledge access across HE and the NHS”. It was currently unclear how this report was being progressed but the 3rd November meeting might be an opportunity.

4 Report on Glasgow Conference

DBT reported that the majority of the conference was dedicated to a debate on what was e-literacy. A number of controversial and thought provoking ideas and views were presented, concluding with a plenary session posing the following questions:

Where is the research into the tools we are providing?
How are we coping with the massification of undergraduate learning?
Is University teaching in chaos worldwide?
What will HE look like in the future?

The conference is to be published in a new online journal: International Journal of e-literacy

5 SCONUL Strategic Planning Meeting

HJ tabled a summary of the meeting for the Committee. Subsequent discussion focussed on why SCONUL felt the need to be more heavily engaged in e-pedagogy. Meeting felt there was a greater need to articulate the big picture which needs to be directly linked to learning and teaching

SCONUL needs to position itself as an advocate in relation to learning and teaching as there tended to be a perception that Universities and e-learning are represented by JISC.

The clear recommendation from the meeting was that e-pedagogy was too narrow and needed a wider vision and remit

6 Learning and teaching issues and link to LTSM Centre. (Note this item was taken out of order)

Jane Core offered a number of key issues for ACIL consideration:

Within the “big picture” how do we progress ACIL? Should ACIL become the Learning and Teaching Committee for SCONUL? Jane argued strongly that it should. Jane believed that libraries and support staff are key to learning and must therefore be embedded in the Learning and Teaching process / Strategy of Universities. The new HE Academy must forge strong links with SCONUL just as it was key that subject librarians actively participate in Subject Centres.

Jane noted that libraries and support staff were not included in the HEFCE DfES e-learning strategy document and that the sector only has until January 2004 to lobby for this situation to be rectified. A HEFCE Strategy Document is awaited.

Jane believed that a number of ideas in relation to these views:

• SCONUL to take the lead in producing draft / sample service based learning and teaching strategy framework
• ACIL take the lead in producing / collating a series of illustrative case studies
• SCONUL to assist with the ILT membership by creating a framework portfolio
• SCONUL to undertake joint publishing with the HE Academy
• SCONUL needs to “repackage” itself to be a real influence in learning and teaching

Kathy Wiles gave a brief overview of HE Academy developments which would cover the whole of the UK and be funded by all 4 funding bodies. She stressed that the Academy would inform / support / advocate for everyone involved in all aspects of learning and teaching in HEI’s. She indicated that the Academy would work in partnership with academic support staff in particular. She encouraged ACIL to have a learning and teaching focus and to partner with the HE Academy in a number of ways commencing with joint publications and active website links. Meeting agreed to pursue partnership and work in relation to publications and case studies in IL, (covering both generic and subject related IL). Members to bring examples to next meeting
By Whom: All Committee Action No.: 04/08

Following the views and comments from Jane Core and Kathy Wiles, the meeting entered into discussion:
key points raised were:

• Concerns were expressed from the older University members that a focus on learning and teaching might limit the research dimension
• A common language was important in facilitating links between bodies hence the power of a Learning and Teaching
• Committee in terms of positioning and advocacy for SCONUL.
• Changing ACIL would mean an expansion of Terms of Reference and direct links to other SCONUL Advisory Committees on Disability and Distance Learning
• Concerns were expressed that changing the emphasis of ACIL to learning and teaching might mean a lack of practitioner involvement. JaP pointed out SCONUL was very keen to emphasise practitioner input so this eventuality was unlikely

The meeting decided it should move to have a wider brief and that this proposal should be put to the SCONUL Executive meeting in October. To facilitate this LH would produce a draft recommendation and briefing paper which would be circulated to members. HJ to attend Executive meeting in October
By Whom: LH/HJ Action No.: 04/09

It was further agreed that the briefing paper be circulated to Toby Bainton and Andrew Green in advance of the October meeting
By Whom: HJ/LH Action No.: 04/10

It was agreed the next ACIL meeting would be either 23rd or 25th September to facilitate more discussion and to ensure a proposal would reach the SCONUL Executive in early October. LH to circulate members once HJ had established her diary requirements
By Whom: HJ/LH Action No.: 04/11

7 SCONUL Website developments
16th July. Training session at SCONUL.

ST had volunteered a member of his staff to attend. Subsequently details to be circulated to all members
By Whom: ST Action No.: 04/12

LH offered to facilitate use of more flexible CMS options if website did not meet all ACIL requirements

Content for website to be an agenda item for next meeting
By Whom: HJ/LH Action No.: 04/13

8 Learning Outcomes approved for IL programmes.

Members were asked to bring materials in relation to local practice for the next meeting. This section of the meeting would then be treated as a workshop with JaP to lead
By Whom: JaP Action No.: 04/14

9 HEFCE 2003/23

An email discussion had already taken place in advance of the meeting. HJ to circulate a final version to members for comment. It was important comments were received prior to the September deadline
By Whom: All Committee Action No.: 04/15

10 DfES Meeting – 3rd July

This was initiated by Suzanne Enright and Lynne Wells,(DfES HE Performance Fees and ICT team).

HJ was committed to producing a Briefing document for DfES which would include a statement of the areas of interest of ACIL. HJ to circulate this and notes of meeting on email
By Whom: HJ Action No.: 04/16

11 Meeting dates

Speculative schedule:
end of November 2003
Beginning of February 2004
End of September / beginning of May 2004
LH to circulate and confirm on email
By Whom: LH Action No.: 04/17

12 Any other business

HJ wished to meeting to note the work of Ruth Stubbings and Alan Brine at Loughborough
“Reviewing electronic information literacy training packages”.
Innovations in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computing Services. Vol 2 no. 1
RS to be invited to an ACIL meeting
By Whom: HJ/LH Action No.: 04/18

HH reported a version of MOSAIC was now available with a planned October start. An EduSERV evaluation to be set up

HJ reported on the supporting statement made for Jenny McCarthy which had been circulated to members. HJ was thanked for her efforts.

WW raised the issue of e-University concepts in relation to IL. The paper by P. Sykes and J. Sykes was recommended as background information. LH to trace and email to members
By Whom: LH Action No.: 04/19

PG queried if changes to the 7 pillars of wisdom framework were to be considered. HJ indicated it would be useful to have this on the agenda and to discuss who was using the model. Finding this information would be difficult but the website might be one method. To be considered at a future meeting
By Whom: HJ Action No.: 04/20

LH queried if the members would prefer to begin a little earlier and end at an earlier time, particularly as a number of members had had to leave in advance of the end of this meeting. LH to email members on this issue
By Whom: LH Action No.: 04/21

Date of Next Meeting: 23rd or 25th September. To be confirmed

Meeting ended at 4.00 p.m.

Updated November 2003 by Selena Lock S.A.Lock@Cranfield.ac.uk.