Abstract:

According to a survey conducted on October 9, 2021, undergraduates of USTL (University of Science and Technology Liaoning) are inquired into the question: “In which aspect (or aspects) do you need further courses or tutorials of English?”. Among 314 responses, 277 have chosen English for social communication, 226 - preparation for CET4 (College English Test Band 4) and CET6 (College English Test Band 6), 219 - cross-cultural communication, 206 - ESP (English for Special Purposes), and 175 - Research Literature in English. The aspects of English knowledge in need are excluded in the conventional curriculum of College English in the majority of universities in China. However, social English, academic English, scientific English literature readings, cross-cultural communication with English are key competencies contributing to the global competency of a graduate. Confronting the global competition, undergraduates of engineering specialties need to be cultivated with the abilities of processing data and information of scientific research in the common-used foreign language, English.

This research aims to develop an information literacy curriculum that answers students’ study needs and cultivates candidates’ global competencies. Firstly, according to study need surveys, College English is refined and optimized into academic English content. Secondly, Four courses are drawn from the general-shared liberal education curriculum for international students in English-taught programmes. These are An Overview on China and Chinese Culture, Readings of Scientific Literature, Cultures and Translations, and Literature Search. The courses are re-designed into FOUR English-delivered selective courses available for Chinese undergraduates to participate. Hence, the Information Literacy Curriculum contains reformed College English and FOUR selective English courses, leading students onto a route to identifying one’s individual study needs and motivating life-long autonomic learning. Except for Literature Search, which requires practical operation drills in the computer lab in the library, the Information Literacy Curriculum is delivered with a blending learning method, combining offline classroom with online resources.

This research is relevant with studies in the fields of reforms in College English, development in blending teaching methods under 5G circumstances, and cultivation of global competency.

Research methods include literature analysis, questionnaires, interviews, comparison analysis, and experimental training.

The research questions are derived from the students’ needs. Such needs are converted into study motivation when being woven as key aspects into specific courses. The practice is conducted in the academic years of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, in two experimental classes, one in the major of Energy and Power Engineering (School of Materials and Metallurgy), the other in the major of Mechatronic Engineering (School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation). The academic achievements of experimental classes and their peer classes are compared.

In conclusion, the Information Literacy Curriculum holds considerable practical values. Finally, it is argued that the outcome of the reformed curriculum appears in five years after graduation. It is a provoking message to researchers and reformers in higher education institutions that the aims of pedagogical and educational researches should be at students’ future.

Keywords:

Global competency, information literacy curriculum, higher education, English teaching, English for Special Purposes (ESP).