Developing digital and information literacies in LSE undergraduate students

A New Curriculum for Information Literacy (ANCIL) was developed as a broad approach to supporting student learning in higher education. It defined information literacy as the skills, behaviour and attitudes that make up the informed scholar and the judicious citizen. In 2012, London School of Economics (LSE) used ANCIL as an audit tool, to examine undergraduate support for digital and information literacies. The study highlighted pockets of good practice and gaps in provision at LSE. The team made a number of recommendations and consequently developed a digital and information literacy framework. They also recruited two departments to take part in pilot projects to embed information and digital literacy into undergraduate programmes. In a related study they are also exploring the role of students as ambassadors for digital literacy. This paper will report on both the theory of ANCIL and how it is influencing teaching at LSE.