copyright © the university of sheffield 2008 our department of...

Our MA InInformationLiteracy.

Department Of Information Studies.

ContactThe Graduate Admissions Secretary Department of Information Studies University of Sheffield Regent Court211 Portobello Street Sheffield S1 4DPUK

T: +44 (0)114 222 2660F: +44 (0)114 278 0300E: [email protected]

www.sheffield.ac.uk/is

This publication is available in alternative formats. To request a different format telephone 0114 222 1303.

The information in this brochure is accurate at time of going topress, but the University reserves the right to amend ordiscontinue courses, modules and entry requirements. For the latest information, contact the department direct.

Copyright © The University of Sheffield 2008 TUOS

Department NameOr Other Title.5th LineSub-heading/explanatory text if required

School Name AcronymVertically.5th LineDepartment Name Acronym Vertically.5th Line

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About the course

Flexible qualifications

Our MA in Information Literacy gives you theknowledge, understanding and skills to succeed inan exciting and fast-moving field. We have aflexible approach to teaching and learning, so youcan study part time or full time, and take theprogramme as a Postgraduate Diploma orPostgraduate Certificate as alternatives to the fullMA. You can also choose to study individualmodules, accumulating credits towards aqualification to be completed later.

We can tailor a course to suit you, whether you’renew to the field or an experienced professionallooking to develop your career.

Essential skills

The course aims to develop specialistpractitioners, who understand the theory andpractice of information literacy, and who arequalified and motivated to educate members ofthe public in their lifelong development ofinformation literacy skills.

It provides an in-depth understanding ofinformation literacy and information behaviour indifferent contexts, as well as preparingparticipants for roles as information literacyteachers.

A world-class place to study

Our department has an international reputationfor teaching and research. In every ResearchAssessment Exercise we’ve been awarded thehighest possible rating. We’re the only InformationStudies department in the country to achieve this.

That means that our teaching is based on the verylatest ideas in the subject, and the way that weteach it is innovative and effective. It also meansthere are good opportunities to extend your studyto PhD level if you wish.

To find out more about the course, see pages 3–4.For details on how to apply, see page 11.


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2 Information Literacy.

An exciting new field

Everyone needs to be information literate and this isincreasingly recognised internationally. A Unescomeeting of international experts identified thatInformation Literacy

‘encompasses knowledge of one’s informationconcerns and needs, and the ability to identify,locate, evaluate, organise and effectively create, useand communicate information to address issues orproblems at hand; it is a prerequisite for participatingeffectively in the Information Society, and is part ofthe basic human right of life long learning’.

Information literate students can better realise theirpotential, information literate workers can add value totheir organisations, and information literate people areempowered to judge the value of informationpresented by government, media and corporations.

Employers need people who can provideeducation in Information Literacy

There is a demand for practitioners who understandthe theory and practice of information literacy and thedifferent approaches that can be used to developinformation literacy. Employers need effective teachers,people with confidence in using information andlearning technologies, who can support and enhancelearning in formal and informal settings – includingschools, further and higher education, the workplaceand public. This MA can give you the knowledge andskills needed to make a difference in this vitallyimportant area.

Find out what some of our graduates are doing nowon page 12.

Why take the MA now?

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Course structure:three levels ofqualificationWhatever your career stage, your course will be madeup of core (compulsory) and optional modules.

MA ProgrammeYou’ll take modules worth a total of 180 credits. Thecore and dissertation modules are compulsory. Youthen choose modules from the list of options to makeup the rest of your credits.

Core modules (150 credits): Dissertation (45 credits)

Education for Information Literacy (30 credits)

Educational Informatics (15 credits)

Information Literacy Research (15 credits)

Information Resources and Information Literacy (15 credits)

Information Retrieval: Search Engines andDigital Libraries (15 credits)

Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation (15 credits)

Then choose 30 credits from the following:

Academic and Research Libraries (15 credits)

Archive Use and Methodology (30 credits)

Business Intelligence (15 credits)

Content Management Systems (15 credits)

E-Business and E-Commerce (15 credits)

E-Government Information (15 credits)

Electronic Publishing (15 credits)

Healthcare Information (15 credits)

Human Computer Interaction and User Interface Design (15 credits)

Information Storage and Retrieval Research (15 credits)

Library Services for Children and Young People(15 credits)

Public Libraries (15 credits)

With an optional non-credit rated module: Practical Computing (0 credits, autumn)


PG Diploma (PGDip)

You’ll take modules worth a total of 120 credits. Thecore modules are compulsory. You then choosemodules from the list of options to make up the rest ofyour credits.

Core modules (90 credits):





Information Retrieval: Search Engines andDigital Libraries (15 credits)

Then choose 30 credits from the following:

Academic and Research Libraries (15 credits)

Archive Use and Methodology(30 credits)

Business Intelligence (15 credits)

Content Management Systems (15 credits)

E-Business and E-Commerce (15 credits)

E-Government Information (15 credits)

Electronic Publishing (15 credits)

Healthcare Information (15 credits)

Human Computer Interaction and User Interface Design (15 credits)

Information Storage and Retrieval Research (15 credits)

Library Services for Children and Young People (15 credits)

Public Libraries (15 credits)

With an optional non-credit rated module:

Practical Computing (0 credits, autumn)

PG Certificate (PGCert)

You’ll take modules worth a total of 60 credits fromthe following:





Information Retrieval: Search Engines and Digital Libraries (15 credits)

With an optional non-credit rated module:

Practical Computing (0 credits, autumn)

For details on the modules available, see page 5.➳

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Business IntelligenceProvides an understanding of the way in whichbusiness people use information and why. You’ll studythe key channels and sources of business informationplus key issues concerning the value of information andlibrary services within business.

Content Management SystemsThis module aims to make students aware of therequirements for a content management system(CMS) for intra- and internet delivery and to givestudents the practical skills to design and implement afull content management system.

ModulesAcademic and Research LibrariesIntroduction to the purposes, functions and practicesof specialist library and information/knowledgeservices in the public and private sectors. It considersthe challenges of delivering and developing services ina demanding, fast-moving and complex environment.

Archive Use and MethodologyFacilitates understanding of the use of archival andother primary materials in research. Provides greaterawareness of the link between original source materialand academic research, and allows you to utilise thismaterial first-hand and to consider the methodologybehind cataloguing.

E-Business and E-CommerceThis module addresses both theoretical and practicalaspects of e-business and e-commerce through anexploration of the digital economy. The module aims toequip students with knowledge and skills tounderstand and manage new ways of doing business inthe digital economy.

Education for Information LiteracyProvides critical understanding of approaches toteaching information literacy through reflection onexisting experience and competence. You will examinedifferent approaches to education for informationliteracy, reflect on the different contexts (educational,national, social and disciplinary) in which informationliteracy is taught and learnt, and apply theory topractice.

Educational Informatics Introduction to current practice and research ineducational informatics. Addresses theoretical andpractical issues associated with the use of informationand communication technologies (ICTs) to supportlearning in the information society. Aims to help youengage critically with issues and debates in the field.

E-Government InformationIntroduces you to the policy context of e-government,for example in relation to questions of social inclusionand freedom of information, then examines currentissues and practice in the management of governmentinformation.


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Electronic Publishing Introduction to electronic publication, including: textencoding and markup languages; the production,retrieval and analysis of electronic multimedia and thecommercial and scholarly impact of the electronicmode of delivery.

Healthcare InformationProvides an understanding of healthcare informationand its importance to different health-related groupsincluding: the public, patients, healthcare professionalsand managers. Introduces you to the climate withinwhich health information services are delivered andexamines the provision and use of information by thesedifferent health-related groups.

Human Computer Interaction and User InterfaceDesign Introduces usability principles and the design processfor user interfaces in interactive systems. The focus ison the underlying principles of human computerinteraction and user-centered design approaches.

Information Literacy ResearchDeepen your understanding of the key researchproblems in information literacy and appropriateresearch methods for investigating those problems.Learn about the research contexts and problems.Increase your capability in information literacy andrelevant research approaches.

Information Resources and Information LiteracyA theoretical and practical introduction to informationneeds and their satisfaction, the different types ofinformation sources and resources available. Alsoprovides practical experience of basic informationsearching and evaluation skills using printed and online,internet-based sources.

Information Retrieval: Search Engines and DigitalLibrariesIntroduces you to a wide range of predominantlycomputerised techniques for the organisation,searching and processing of textual information. Focuson keyword searching; subject analysis; networkedretrieval; record description and user interface issues.


Information Storage and Retrieval ResearchIntroduces you to current research into computationalmethods for the storage and retrieval of textual andmultimedia information. Looks at both semantically andstatistically-based approaches to retrieval.

Library Services for Children and Young PeopleIntroduction to the principles, functions and practicesof library services for children and young people. You’lldevelop a general understanding of the roles of suchservices and consider their value and impact.

Public LibrariesIntroduction to the principles, politics, value andimpact of the public library service. Considers thechallenge of delivering such a service and examines keyissues and best practice in the field.

Research Methods and Dissertation PreparationDesigned to help you identify and prepare adissertation proposal. You will also take lectures insocial research methods and statistics for informationmanagement.

DissertationEveryone registered for the MA has to complete aresearch-based dissertation from the middle of June toSeptember (full-time attendance), after finishing thetaught part of the course. The topic is chosen inconsultation with members of teaching staff.

There are opportunities to carry out dissertationstudies with external organizations. CPD students maywish to undertake a dissertation project directlyrelevant to their own work situation. Students whohave carried out such dissertations have welcomed theopportunity to tackle real-life problems.

The dissertation is a major part of your degree, andyou are allocated an academic supervisor to provideadvice and guidance throughout the period of study.

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What suits you best? Full-time studyThe full-time course lasts 12 months, starting in lateSeptember each year.

Part-time studyPart-time students also start in September each year.The MA takes two to three years to complete. Thetaught part of the degree is studied over the first twoyears. You can undertake your dissertation study eitherin the summer months of your second year tocomplete in two years, or over the whole of the thirdyear.

The Postgraduate Diploma and PostgraduateCertificate normally take a maximum of two years tocomplete.

The tuition fees payable are based on the number ofcredits taken, rather than the length of time taken tocomplete the programme.

FundingA small number of studentships for the MA programmeare available each year as part of the University’sallocation from the Arts and Humanities ResearchCouncil (AHRC) under their Professional PreparationMasters Scheme. If you intend to apply for this funding,we recommend you apply for a place on the MA asearly as possible, ideally by 31st December in the yearbefore the course starts. Competition for this fundingis strong. Demand far outweighs the number ofstudentships available. This funding is not available tooverseas students. www.ahrc.ac.uk

Career development Loans have often been used bythe Department’s British students as the means ofaffording the fees for its programmes. They are highlyrecommended and the link below explains how theywork. This funding is not available to EU orCommonwealth students. For the latter there arefunding schemes administered by British Council andthe Association of Commonwealth Universities thatmay apply.www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/CareerDevelopmentLoans/DG_10033237

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What qualifications do I need?At least a second-class honours degree, or itsequivalent, in any subject, plus one to two yearspractical work experience within the library andinformation or educational sector.

What if I haven’t got a degree?If you have no first degree but do have otherqualifications and substantial relevant work experienceyou may be considered for the Postgradute Diploma orpostgraduate Certificate in Information Literacy. Pleasecontact us for further information and to discuss yourparticular circumstances.

What if English is not my first language?You need IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 with atleast 6.0 in the writing and speaking components andat least 5.5 in the reading and listening components.Or TOEFL minimum score 575 (paper-based) 232(computer-based) with at least 5.0 in the writtenEnglish Test. If your application is successful but youdon’t have the necessary scores, you may be asked toattend an English Language course at the Universitybefore or during the MA programme.

How to applyOnlineThis is the quickest and easiest way to apply. For details:www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/apply

By mailIf you didn’t get a form with this brochure, you candownload one from the website (above). Return yourcompleted form and all supporting documents to theaddress shown on the back cover of this brochure.

Supporting documentsThis includes documents such as references andtranscripts. You can send these by mail or email themto: [email protected]


Your future career What our graduates will doHaving completed the programme you will be equippedto embark on a career in roles such as InformationLiteracy Coordinator, Instructional Services Manager,Lifelong Learning Manager, Learning SupportCoordinator, Learning Adviser, Training and OutreachLibrarian, Academic Liaison/Subject Librarian, Head ofLibrary Instruction, Director of Instructional Resources,Director of Educational Programmes,

Meet the team Sheila Webber (Programme Coordinator)Sheila’s work focuses on teaching and research in thefield of information literacy, including education forinformation literacy and the use of Web 2.0 tools.

Sheila Corrall Sheila has worked in public, special, national andacademic libraries. She has a particular interest instrategic management, information resources and thechanging roles and skills of information professionals.

Department NameOr Other Title.5th LineSub-heading/explanatory text if required

School Name AcronymVertically.5th LineDepartment Name Acronym Vertically.5th Line

Our MA InInformationLiteracy.

Department Of Information Studies.

ContactThe Graduate Admissions Secretary Department of Information Studies University of Sheffield Regent Court211 Portobello Street Sheffield S1 4DPUK

T: +44 (0)114 222 2660F: +44 (0)114 278 0300E: [email protected]


This publication is available in alternative formats. To request a different format telephone 0114 222 1303.

The information in this brochure is accurate at time of going topress, but the University reserves the right to amend ordiscontinue courses, modules and entry requirements. For the latest information, contact the department direct.

Copyright © The University of Sheffield 2008 TUOS

copyright © the university of sheffield 2008 our department of...

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