The literate engineer :

Abstract

The Policy Guidelines on Teaching Information Literacy to Engineering Students at Busitema University called "The Literate Engineer" have been compiled by the Library Staff at the Engineering Library in liaison with the teaching staff of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at Busitema University. This was made possible with funding support from the Engineering Information Foundation (EiF) of New York, United States. The goal is to incorporate information seeking in the teaching of engineering courses as essential component in delivering engineering education at Busitema. This novel approach to teaching and learning gives shared responsibility to lecturers and librarians to teach engineering courses. Lecturers will be facilitators who empower students to become more autonomous; librarians will be the coaches who develop within students a capacity to evaluate and choose information; and in turn, engineering students will experience a more engaging, interesting, and rewarding education experience. Engineering librarians will have as one of their main goals to facilitate engineering students to acquire information competencies. Information skills are vital to the success of lifelong learning, employment, and daily interpersonal communication of engineers, such as when managing complex engineering projects. We are certain that learning for engineering students will receive higher approvals. The policy guideline details the processes for infusing information literacy into the courses. The policy guides the curriculum developer on what to include in the courses; what engineering students should know and be able to do and the kind of support that the lecturers need to deliver the course. Accordingly, the policy guideline is an exemplary curriculum review guide - a tool that will assist in planning and implementing a rich-high-quality information skilling instructional programme. The policy guides on the mandate of the lecturers and librarians in course development, defines information literacy concepts, assesses learning theories to information literacy, discusses lifelong learning paradigm, the adaptation of information literacy international standards to educating a literate engineering, the management of learning and facilitation of instruction throughout the study programme, and stakeholder capacity development to enhance their facilitation skills.