Exploring the effectiveness of information literacy programs on Canadian and Indian science and technology graduate students: A global context

Abstract

Library instructional sessions offer graduate students the ability to not only critically evaluate, synthesize and analyze resources but also provide them with life-long learning opportunities and skills desirable in the workplace. At most Canadian universities, librarians have been teaching information literacy (IL) competency skills to students from all disciplines including science and technology. Several studies suggest that although agricultural universities in India have introduced IL programs, there has been no broad implementation of such programs at science and technology institutions including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). In order to explore the effectiveness of IL programs on science and technology graduate students, the researchers conducted a mixed methods study on graduate students at the University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada and IIT, Gandhinagar, India. This poster will includes the objectives as well as highlight some of the benefits of IL programs to graduate students. The feasibility study outlined in the poster addresses challenges and barriers faced by librarians in India in offering IL programs and applicability of the findings to International students at Canadian institutions.