Information literacy at the Universtity of the Western Cape

The majority of incoming undergraduate Arts students at the University of the Western Cape come from South African historically disadvantaged black schools. Because of enormous varying secondary school experiences and competencies as well as a lack of exposure to computers as well as school or public libraries students are deprived of the basic information skills. A study as part of a PhD was done to assess the exposure to information literacy training at school level, computer and library skills as well as the level of information literacy of 483 respondents before and after they completed an information literacy module. Data was used to create a profile of an incoming undergraduate UWC Arts student, to determine baseline information literacy competence and to identify deficiciencies in information literacy levels.