U120 MOSAIC: Making Sense of Information in the Connected Age
I've decided to take U120 MOSAIC: Making Sense of Information in the Connected Age, in preparation for U316 next year. Although I'm
already familiar with the Internet and OU study, I'm hoping that U120 will consolidate and improve the techniques for handling information that I already use.
The course web site (registered students only) and FirstClass conferences opened on the 9th October - three weeks before the course start date. The web site seems well organised and easy to follow, and all the sections of the course are available, so you can get a feel for the whole course. Also the assessment template is available so you can get an idea of what's required.
On another OU conference a fellow student suggested that unless you particularly need the 10 CATS points, you may as well do the course for free on the Library's SAFARI site. However, now that I've seen the assessment and support that's available on U120, my own view is that far more can be learnt by doing the full MOSAIC course.
The course material arrived on the 14th October, which consisted of a binder, course guide, hard copy of the assessment, and course readings. It's suggested that library passwords are sorted out prior to the course start date, so I paid my first visit to the OU online library - there are a huge amount of resources available, and the password system takes some organising. The library seems a bit daunting, so I intend to spend time before the course starts, getting used to the course web site and exploring some of the library resources we are likely to be using.
In section one I thought about what information meant to me as an individual, and put my own situation in the context of the Information age we live in. I had never considered 'Information Literacy' prior to this course - I took it for granted that I could find what I wanted. However, U120 is starting to show me that as my OU studies progress and I make more use of the Internet, I will need a more methodical approach to handling information. An Important skill was introduced:
"Identify and articulate your Information needs"
Ask yourself:
• Why information is needed?
• What do I know already?
• Identify specific questions.
The course uses a quote from Lewis Carroll's 'Through the looking glass':
'When I use a word' Humpty-Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more or less.'
'The question is', said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'
'The question is', said Humpty-Dumpty, 'which is to be master, that is all.'
Two readings were introduced in this section 'Challenge of the Information Society', which introduced the Information society from the perspective of Tagish - a company dealing with public sector applications. And 'How the Internet induces stress' - an article by Larry Rosen, the co-author of a book called Technostress. Rosen suggests three ways to cope with information overload:
• Set yourself time limits and have frequent breaks when searching for information
• Don't use the Internet before you go to bed
• Realise that you're not alone - everyone gets frustrated
I found the concept of 'technostress' interesting, and something to bear in mind when spending long periods of time on a computer.
Section two took a general look at how information is generated, and the process it goes through to reach the end user. The importance of categorising information into types, and where to find these types.
There were three readings in this section. An article about the Petersburn library in Scotland and it's innovative approach to using the library as a meeting place and cultural centre. An article from Bookends - a journal of the Reading public library in Pennsylvania. And a fictional account of the experiences of a University undergraduate student using her library, (The account follows on from the Follet Report - on University libraries).
There seemed to be an emphasis on library science and how University undergraduate students use libraries in this section. But I also spent some time following my own interests and explored categorising information from an Information Architecture (library science applied to I.T. systems) point of view.
Section three introduced a methodical way of planning a search. Several databases were discussed, such as:
• Printed indexes
• Bibliographic database
• Full text database
• Library catalogues
• Web search tools
My personal interest is in web search tools - I mainly use Copernic, Google, and The Open Directory Project. I also found the library catalogues and databases useful, and I intend to explore these further in my local library as well as online via the OU library. A framework was introduced to help plan a search, which I found useful, but I tend to do most of it already, and I like to have a flexible approach to creating search terms.
Planning framework
• What do I need to know?
• Break down into broad areas or concepts
• Is there a very specific word or phrase that you are looking for?
• Alternative words for the words you have chosen
Plurals
Abbreviations
International variations in spelling
International variations in terminology
• Remove vague or ambiguous words
• Write out your request in full
• Consider any constraints such as geographical or dates?
• Does it make sense?
Two readings were introduced in this section: An extract from Susan Gash's book - 'Effective literature searching for research', that outlines the development of online searching. And an article from the Christian Science monitor, about a web surfer who turns to the library when overwhelmed with the number of hits for his project.
Week four was set aside to complete stage one of the assignment - planning a search. The assignment scenario is focused on finding some information on healthy and unhealthy drinking habits, to settle an argument between two friends. The assignment is designed to be completed at various stages of the course rather than at the end, and is also an iterative process, in that the sections can be reviewed and changed as necessary. Stage one of the assessment is in four parts:
In Section four each of the databases were looked at in detail, with practical experience of searching. Common database principles were examined, using the OU ROUTES database, and a checklist was introduced:
Database Checklist
• Is there any on-line help?
• Can I do a simple search?
• Can I look at the information in both short and detailed form?
• Can I choose where in the record I want my search terms to be found?
Week six was set aside to complete stage two of the assignment - carrying out a search. This is where we practiced carrying out searches based on the assessment scenario, using skills learnt in Mosaic section 4.
I found this section quite difficult, but I learnt a lot about optimising keywords and search terms to suit a particular resource. It's important to check any helpsheets, online help or advanced search options, to get the best results from a resource.
Presentation
(Is the information clearly communicated?) Look at language, layout, structure, etc.
Relevance
(Does the information match the needs of the searcher?) Look at the introduction or overview - what is it mainly about?
Objectivity
(Is the information balanced?) Look for an introduction or overview - do the writers state their position on the issue? Is the language emotive? Are there hidden or vested interests?
Method
(research reports only) (Is it clear how the data was collected?) Were the methods appropriate? Do you trust it?
Provenance
(Is it clear where the information has come from?) Can you identify the authors or organizations? How was it published?
Timeliness
(Is it clear when the information was produced?) Does the date of the information meet your requirements? Is it obsolete?
Week eight was set aside to complete stage three of the assignment - evaluating information. This is where we practiced evaluating information based on the assessment scenario, using skills learnt in Mosaic section 5. We had to evaluate a web page from the Alcohol Alert web site entitled Health benefits of alcohol debunked... and also an article from New Scientist magazine, by Geoff Watts entitled 'Just one glass', both were written in 1999.
I also found this section quite difficult, but evaluating information is an important skill and it seems useful to have a methodical approach. Personally, I would also add one other item to the list - popularity. This seems particularly true of web based information accessed via search engines.
Section six covers ways of organising information and the importance of accurately recording sources of information so they can be returned to. Manual methods, and bibliographic software was discussed. Bibliographic software is dedicated software that can be used for finding, creating, sorting and storing references. Some people may prefer copying and pasting references manually, or even keeping results in a note book, but this type of software could make things easier, and seems worth a look. I've tried a couple of freeware programs:
BiblioExpress 2.0
This is a small and useful program, but with limited features. (file size 530kb)
Scribe 2.5
This program emulates 3x5 index cards and you can also store images on each card as well as bibliographic data. (file size 3.63Mb)
I've also tried EndNote 6.0 which is impressive and seems to be one of the top bibliographic software programs. It's available as a fully functional 30 day trial:
(file size 17.2Mb - downloads in just over an hour on a 56K modem)
EndNote will connect to about 250 databases from around the world, download bibliographic data, and then compile it into a reference in various formats. It seems easy to use, and full of useful features.
The 30 day free trial is enough to try out EndNote on this course, but if anyone is considering buying it for future courses / research, we can get student discount. The normal price for the full version is £175.00, but the OU has a site license, so as student's we can purchase it for either £68.00 without a manual or £83.00 with a manual, from the UK distributor: Adept Scientific.
Four readings were introduced in this section - three focus on plagiarism, and one on organising data.
An article from the Sun newspaper about the claims of American author Nancy Stouffer, who claims J.K. Rowling copied some of her ideas in the Harry Potter series of books. (The, Sun 2001) There's a similar article in the washington post.
An article from 'Science' magazine about plagiarism in the Polish scientific community uncovered by the Internet.(Science, 1998)
An anonymous(to protect those involved) article about the experiences of a Law librarian who found his work had been plagiarised and published on the Internet. (Law Library Journal, 2001)
An article on 'How to organise data' by the Cahners Business Information magazine, 2001.
Section six also examined copyright and the legal and ethical issues around information. The need for citing references was explained, and the OU citation style introduced:
The Open University's citation style
A citation in the text
We put the author's surname, and the year, followed by the page number in brackets: e.g. (Gamble, 1988, p.9).
References at the end of a piece of writing
A book:
Author's last name and initial, followed by the year of publication in brackets. Then the title in italics, place of publication, publisher.
e.g. Gamble, A. (1988) The Free Economy and the Strong State, London, Macmillan.
e.g. Clark, P. and Slack, P. (1976), English Towns in Transition, 1500-1700,Oxford, Oxford University Press.
A journal article:
Author's last name and initial, followed by the year of publication in brackets. Title of the article in inverted commas, journal title in italics, volume number, issue number, page numbers.
e.g. Tunstall, J. (1984) ' Media policy dilemmas and indecisions', Parliamentary Affairs, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 310-26.
A web page:
Author, year of publication, if given, in brackets, title of the web page in italics followed by [online] and the publisher, if there is one. Available from: and the URL, and the date you accessed it in brackets.
e.g. Open University Library (1999), Open Libr@ry, Services at a distance [online], Open University Library. Available from:
http://oulib1.open.ac.uk/openlibrary/index.htm (Accessed 25th July 2001)
Week ten was set aside to complete stage four of the assignment - producing a bibliography. This is where we practiced citing information researched for the assessment scenario, using skills learnt in Mosaic section 6.
Section 7 focused on electronic communication and, sharing and developing our information literacy skills. Newsgroups, mailing lists and the OU FirstClass conferencing system were discussed. Two readings were introduced: An article by Barbara Hull about undergraduate information literacy, and an article by Sheila Webber who wants information literacy taught as a subject in it's own right.
Week twelve was used to summarise and reflect on the course and submit the assessment portfolio.
I've really enjoyed the Mosaic course I've learnt a great deal about the process of searching, evaluating and citing information. Although I had some previous experience of using search engines and the Internet, the course, via the OU library has opened up a wealth of resources in the form of academic databases and library catalogues that I hadn't considered using prior to the course.
I've learnt that to get the best results a well thought out and methodical approach needs to be adopted in the search for information, whatever the context.
Searching for information is a skill in its own right and one I intend to continue to gain knowledge of as my OU studies progress. Information literacy is also a cyclical process that requires us to update our skills and knowledge regularly.
I've decided to take U120 MOSAIC: Making Sense of Information in the Connected Age, in preparation for 
In section one I thought about what information meant to me as an individual, and put my own situation in the context of the Information age we live in. I had never considered 'Information Literacy' prior to this course - I took it for granted that I could find what I wanted. However, U120 is starting to show me that as my OU studies progress and I make more use of the Internet, I will need a more methodical approach to handling information. An Important skill was introduced:
Two readings were introduced in this section 'Challenge of the Information Society', which introduced the Information society from the perspective of 
I found the concept of 'technostress' interesting, and something to bear in mind when spending long periods of time on a computer.
Section two took a general look at how information is generated, and the process it goes through to reach the end user. The importance of categorising information into types, and where to find these types.
Section three introduced a methodical way of planning a search. Several databases were discussed, such as:
