Stewart -Part 3
Higher Education Reform -Continued
While SAQA lays out a framework for basic post graduate skills (Stoffberg and Blignaut, 2008) de Jager and Nassimbeni found that few South African colleges and universities do not do enough to prioritize information literacy into the institution's educational charge and integrate information literacy into the curriculum. Studies looking further into the experience of today's South African student indicate that large numbers of students continue to find information technology challenging. Swanepoel's (2003) investigation of information technology and information literacy skills of students at a satellite campus of Technikon Pretoria, for example, found that while students could perform basic library skills such as finding a book on the shelves well enough, the majority found electronic discovery of resources to be difficult. Over half of the respondents to Swanepoel's survey had never used the library's online catalog. Stoffberg and Blignaut (2008) conclude their information literacy study at the University of Tshwane (a recent merger of three technikons) by arguing that student information literacy levels will differ at each institution. No matter the institution, however, information literacy programs will succeed in proportion to levels of overall institutional support, budgets, and staffing levels.
Other information literacy studies have looked inward to assess the ability of the library organization to incorporate information literacy as a core value and, moreover, strengthen that value through effective instructional programs. Results have been mixed. Assessment has generally occurred by focusing on two factors: staff commitment and user success. One early study of the dissemination of scholarly information at the then separate Universities of Natal and Zululand found that electronic journals, though available, were widely unused. Faculty at these institutions relied far more heavily on print((Mgobozi and Ocholla, 2002). Another study at the University of Fort Hare found that students who attended library orientation did not have their information-seeking skills necessarily improved. While students at Fort Hare used the Internet frequently, the researchers found that most of this use was non-academic in nature. Browsing the open shelves was still the most common first step taken by students when beginning a research assignment. Two-thirds of the students in this study also reported knowing how to critically evaluate information found on the Internet, although most answered basic questions on how to evaluate Web-based resources incorrectly (Somi and de Jager, 2005)). Darries' (2004) investigation of the use of the Internet in delivering reference services at 36 universities and technikons found that a lack of technological resources prevented more widespread use of the Internet as a reference tool. Much of the use of the Internet for reference services is mediated, further suggesting a lack of computing resources and facilities for library users. Darries also notes, however, that many academic librarians have not yet incorporated Web and e-mail-based services into the core reference portfolio. Hoskins' (2005) study of subject librarians at university libraries in KwaZulu-Natal found that, while most used computers in their daily work, many lacked the training to use the technology to its full potential.
Organizational Change
The introduction of democracy and an open society have affected organizational structures in South African higher education on many levels. Agencies such as the South African Department of Education, the CHE's Size and Shape Committee, CHELSA, and other organizations advocate for and actively promote the transformative agenda's emphasis on quality and assessment, which in turn creates pressure for organizational change. In addition, major issues such as redress and equity, the changing focus of professional organizations, mergers and consolidations, and multiculturalism challenge the higher education workforce in ways unthinkable before 1994.