Abstract
The article describes the rationale and processes for the development of a bachelor's level course to educate a generic information professional offered by Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education, Sydney, Australia, with an emphasis on the theoretically based sequence of study in information science which forms a major component of the core of the course. The processes involved identification of beliefs about the work of information professionals; a set of functions common to a substantial grouping of information professionals and the reaffirmation of an educational philosophy which emphasizes the need to both distinguish and emphasize theoretical study in the area of information studies.
Several approaches to identification of the theoretical knowledge base in information provision were considered, and ultimately one previously used in the field of accountancy adopted. The net result included a corpus of theoretical material considered unique to the practice of information provision which was moulded into a sequence of study. Criteria for determining whether or not the sequence might be described as “disciplinary” were applied with a positive outcome.
The article includes a description of the subject matter of the sequence of disciplinary study and teaching methods which will be used by instructors, highlighting the approaches required for disciplinary study.
The article concludes with an overview of the structure of the bachelor's degree course as a whole, the objectives of various components of the course, and a learning strategy designed to provide an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and skills in relation to what is called a “marketing philosophy”.
[French, German, and Spanish translations of this abstract can be found on pp. 352–353.]
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