Outcomes-based education and non-English mother tongue speakers from disadvantaged environments: a double-edged handicap to acquiring information literacy
Abstract
Information literacy is the ability to access and critically engage
with information, and to communicate new understandings
which lead to knowledge and wisdom. Information literacy skills
are incorporated in our outcomes-based educations critical,
cross-curricular outcomes. Our new learner-centred, resource-
based curriculum places a premium on acquiring information
literacy skills. Access to a resource rich learning
environment favours the development of information literacy
and the success of outcomes-based education. Most schools in
South Africa lack basic learning resources and in African languages
there exists the greatest dearth. Using an informal study
of 65 historically disadvantaged schools in Cape Town, the author explores issues of language and cognition, learning resources
in the mother tongue, and new teaching methodologies, in particular resource-based learning's learner-centred approach.