Professional course Information and Digital Literacy

Entry year
2024/25
Course code
Z41000089
Application
University
Level
Professional/Short Course
School
School of Computing and Creative Technologies
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Twelve sessions, scheduled over fourteen weeks
Delivery
Through weekly lectures
Course Director
Virginia Power

Page last updated 12 October 2023

Introduction

This course can count towards one of our postgraduate qualifications within our Information Management Awards.

Accreditations and partnerships:

Learners and knowledge workers in a range of roles need to develop information and digital literacy (IDL) in order to search, sift and understand the wealth of information now available. This needs to go hand in hand with fluency in the digital tools available for efficient information capture, storage and dissemination.

This module is informed by literacy models and theory and will help you develop your own information literacy and expertise with digital tools in addition to your ability to teach IDL to others.

Entry requirements

Participants are expected to have a first degree at 2.2 level or above (or equivalent), or alternatively have six-months of relevant industrial experience.

If you are a non-UK student you will need to show your passport on entry to the UK. Please check your eligibility to visit and study in the UK here. If you are a non-Irish EU national currently resident in Ireland please contact us directly for further advice.

If English is not your country's first language, you will be required to provide evidence to show you meet the UK Border Agency and the University's minimum English Language requirements. Further details are available on our English Language Requirements webpage

We strongly recommend that you speak to the course tutor prior to the course if you are unsure about your suitability to complete the assessment.

Careers / Further study

This module can be taken as a standalone module, or used to build up credit towards a named postgraduate qualification (PG Certificate, PG Diploma or Masters) within our Information Management award.

Structure

Content

What does it cover?

Introduction to information and digital literacy: How information literacy supports learners and daily life; Information Literacy models and tools; Types and sources of information/the information cycle; Information and digital literacy skills and concepts;

Theoretical foundations: Personal and social epistemology, testimony, credibility and persuasion. Cognition and cognitive biases.

Using Information literacy skills: Keywords and search strategies; Evaluating information and websites; Reading and recording, organising, using and presenting information; the reflective practitioner.

Supporting information literacy in others: Supporting students, researchers, generalist and specialist library users; Mobile information literacy.

Digital literacy: Use of digital tools to undertake academic research, writing and critical thinking; digital professionalism; the use of specialist digital tools and data sets; communicating ideas effectively in a range of media; collaborating in virtual networks; using digital technologies to support reflection and PDP; managing digital reputation and showcasing achievements.

Teaching information and digital literacy skills: Learning theories and factors affecting learning; Information/digital literacy programmes; Teaching methods for information literacy; Accessibility and inclusiveness; Presentation skills for information literacy teachers; Embedding information literacy; Assessing information literacy.

Tools and collaboration: Sources of information and collaboration; Developing and using Learning Objects; Information and creative Commons; Using and sharing Open Educational Resources (OERS); Using Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs); Advocacy.

The international context: Education and global development; information literacy around the world.

Learning and Teaching

The module is delivered through weekly lectures, discussions and exercises/case studies, which take place on consecutive weeks.

The teaching material is available from Blackboard (our online learning environment). Essential readings will be indicated clearly, along with links to items available electronically, in advance of each teaching session.

Study time

This module (course) will involve 2 hours direct contact time per week for one semester.

This 15 credit module is expected to take 150 hours to complete:

  • 24 hrs lectures and face to face discussion
  • 30 hrs online learning via VLE teaching materials and online discussion groups/contributions to wikis etc.
  • 66 hrs independent learning via essential reading
  • 30 hours assignment preparation and completion.

Assessment

The module is assessed by a written piece of coursework and a short related viva (one-to-one interview).

For more details, see our full glossary of assessment terms.

Features

Professional accreditation

This module is accredited by the Chartered Institute for Library, Information and Knowledge Professionals.

Study facilities

The University has excellent facilities, accessible to all students, as required; however, it is expected that much of the work will be carried within the work environment.

Find out more about the facilities and resources UWE has to offer.

Get a feel for the Computer Science and Creative Technologies facilities we have on offer here from wherever you are.

Prices and dates

Supplementary fee information

Course dates

Cohort January 2024 TBCTimeLocation
Tuesdays 30 January, 06, 13, 20, 27 February, 05, 12, 19, 26 March, 16, 23, 30 April 202412:00-14:00Frenchay Campus

Course fees

All prices are VAT exempt.

CohortJanuary 2024
UK participants£792
International participants£1,333

For information on fees, managing your money and determining your fee status, please go to our fees and funding pages.

Course location

UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY

How to find UWE Bristol

How to apply

How to apply

As this module carries university accreditation, please note that once you have submitted your booking form, you will be required to provide the following supporting information for the Tutor to be able to review and formally accept your application as required by the university:

  • An up-to-date copy of your Curriculum Vitae (including contact details of a work or academic reference)
  • A brief personal statement to support your application
  • A copy of your highest qualification certificate and transcript of modules studied
  • A copy of photographic proof of ID (i.e. driver's licence/passport). For non UK students, this must be a copy of your passport
Cohort  
January 2024 TBCEnquire Now

For further information

  • Email: For specific questions in relation to the course, i.e. content, suitability, assessments, etc. please contact the Programme Leader, Virginia Power (Virginia.Power@uwe.ac.uk). For queries regarding administration aspects of registration, i.e. dates, fees, etc. please contact us using the online enquiry form link or telephone number below.
  • Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 81043 (option 1, then option 3)