Promoting a better understanding between secondary schools and tertiary institutions through an information literacy project

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a project that used an information literacy program to create a better understanding between secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Through the project, secondary school teachers and students gained knowledge and skills in information literacy. Meanwhile, the project provided opportunities for interaction between teaching staff and students at tertiary educational institutions, especially those at Lingnan University, and their counterparts at secondary schools. Thus, the two groups gained a better understanding of each other’s curricula, teaching and learning environments, and expectations, resulting in a better transition for secondary school graduates to tertiary education. The information literacy project consists of two components: the secondary school teachers program and the secondary school students program. In the secondary school teachers program, university teaching staff developed and delivered information literacy workshops to secondary school teachers. Through this component, secondary school teachers gained not just knowledge and information literacy skills, but also a good understanding of tertiary institutions’ curriculum and expectations. The secondary students component of the project dealt with the interaction between university and secondary school students. One university student was paired with a secondary school student to work on an information literacy project. Through one-on-one interactions, secondary school students gained a better understanding of tertiary institutions’ learning environment and expectations from a person who was young enough for a secondary school student to relate and communicate with.