Creating confidence: developing academic skills and information literacy behaviours to support the precepts of tertiary academic performance

Abstract

Fostering the skills required for students to access and utilise information in a manner consistent with the expectations of tertiary assessment has been the drive for collaboration between the Faculty Librarian and the Academic Learning Skills Lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland. Mapping key areas of convergence in information literacy and academic skills has led to a model of integrated instruction and academic support based on the belief that creating a foundation of skills in these areas leads to a commensurate level of self-efficacy. By building skill and confidence levels, especially in students making a transition to university in their first year, staff can influence learning behaviours including those which may to lead to breaches of academic integrity. This model can be accessed by all students which is especially important to ensure parity of program experience for off-campus cohorts who are often expected to undertake study with a greater degree of autonomy than their on-campus peers, yet who, just like their on-campus peers, often need an opportunity to develop their academic skill base.