Dear colleagues,
I now post question number 5 from the conference in Reykjavik about Bologna related topics.
Group no. 5
The Bologna agreement talks about progression. How do we apply a progressive approach
to information literacy education for our music students?
Our group started the discussion by defining the term “progression” as “kunskapsutveckling”
(development of knowledge). We had an idea that it might be easier to measure progression
in other subject fields than music.
According to the Bologna agreement progression should take place between the three levels
Bachelor, Master and Doctorate as well as within each level. Johan Söderberg,
Musikhögskolan Piteå, the only person in our group, who had experience of “formalized”
teaching meant that the needs of the students at bachelor and master level do not differ.
Therefore his library offers information literacy education only to the bachelor students. The
education includes an introduction to the library catalogue, the library homepage, evaluation
of sources etc. The teaching has the individual degree projects as the reference point. The
library staff meets the students again at the doctoral level. The teaching now focuses on
specific databases, handling reference tools (for example Endnote), the publication process
etc.
Another approach to information literacy education is a more personal contact, based on the
students individual needs and interests during different stages in their education. Inger-Mari
Malm from Tromsö shared her positive experiences of inspiring the students to use the
library for finding information. She mentioned a few examples:
• Collecting groups of instrumentalists with their teachers and showing them relevant
resources, sometimes with themes such as early music, folk music and old
recordings.
• Collecting students from the rock/pop/jazz department (“rytmisk linje”) with the
resource “American Memory”, available at the web site of Library of Congress, as the
theme.
• Exhibitions, with bibliographies and listed subject terms, on themes like jazz, female
vocalists, bluegrass etc.
Finally we all agreed that the conditions for information literacy education for our music
students vary a lot. One important factor is of course the size of the school. An institution like
the Sibelius Academy with 1.700 students probably needs to work in a more formal manner
than many other smaller schools. We also agreed that different programmes need different
approaches. Our experience tells us that the needs, interests and attitudes of the persons
studying classical music versus rock/jazz are quite different. We have to take this into
consideration.
Pia Shekhter
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3 comments:
Dear Pia et al.
I apologize that I am not as familiar with the European standards and systems. I ask if the AEC publication "Higher Music Education: Characteristics, Learning Outcomes and Competences (2007) addresses some of this question? In the appendices it appears to describe certain theoretical and practical outcomes in 3 cycles (corresponding to different levels of education).
I apologize that I do not fully understand if you are attempting to create new guidelines, or if you are clarifying something that already exist. Are there parallels between your question and the AEC document?
As John Shepard pointed out in an earlier blog, MLA in the USA has produced an article about information literacy that outlines objectives for undergraduates, but I do not think this document is perfect or complete and it does not address the question of progression.
Is this the only context or use of the term progression, to imply progression at different levels of educations or different degrees and diplomas?
Dear David,
Thank you very much for your valuable comments on the blog!
I am afraid that many of us working as librarians in higher music education in Europe are still a little newly awakened when it comes to the Bologna reform and its implications. At least this is true for myself, but I am quite excited about the new possibilities opening up. I am aware of all the fantastic work done by MLA - it seems to me that you are way ahead of us. The conference in Reykjavik had by no means the ambition to create any guidelines - it was just a one-hour introductory discussion on the topic.
I have tried to find some policy document about information literacy on the AEC web site without success. This was confirmed by the office manager, Gabriela Rojková when I contacted her.
I think it would be a good idea if the relationship between AEC (Association of Conservatoires) and IAML:s "Libraries in Music Teaching Institutions" would be closer in the future. Therefore I contacted the president Johannes Johansson
(also Director of the Royal College of Music in Stockholm) last autumn and invited him to the IAML conference in Moscow 2010. The preliminary programme for the session will be:
1. "What will happen to Bologna after 2010?"
2. "Artistic research and research education"
3. "Quality assurance and accreditation"
Come to think of it - I should, of course, ask that "information literacy" would be included!
Kind regards,
~Pia~
PS: All policy papers related to Bologna by AEC is published at the following address:
www.bologna-and-music.org/policypapers
Good work Pia, I applaud your efforts to bring about better coordination with AEC.
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