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Introduction: This paper focuses on the information culture of higher education institutions in Estonia. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between information culture, information management and job satisfaction, leadership style, and self-reported individual performance. Method: A total of 160 faculty members from twelve institutions of higher education completed an online survey. The aim of the online survey was to identify the behaviour and values that characterise the information culture of Estonian higher education institutions. Analysis: Factor analysis and multivariate analysis were performed to analyse online survey data. Results: Taking into account six components of information culture identified by earlier researchers, analysis revealed three types of information culture characterised by their dominant components: integrated, proactive, and informal. A significant correlation was found between information culture with integrated information culture and job satisfaction, leadership style, and self-reported individual performance. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the construct of information culture is valuable in analysing information environments and their relations with job satisfaction, leadership style, and self-reported individual performance. In addition, integrated information culture seems to be (at least in the sample of academic staff) the most sensitive one, having significant correlations with several indicators of subjective well-being within the academic staff.

This paper discusses the planning and implementation of Open Badges in library and information science education at Tallinn University in order to foster and personalise student learning. The first part of the paper gives an overview of the concept and nature of Open Badges through a review of literature, the second describes the use of Open Badges in the Study Area of Information Sciences of the School of Digital Technologies at Tallinn University. The course used four types of open badges in the assessment process: basic knowledge badges, advanced knowledge badges, skill based badges and level based badges. Open Badges were directly linked to the learning outcomes and formal grading system of the course. Based on recent experience, it can be said that Open Badges are valuable tools in the assessment process which will give a more holistic picture of educational achievement of the learner. Multiple learning pathways within the course provided learners opportunities to choose their personal learning path according to their personal learning goals, learning style, interests and other preferences. Open Badges also allowed to recognize 'soft skills' or literacies. Open Badges could be also a useful tool to assess students' information literacies in different contexts.

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to introduce the outcomes of a study analyzing the relationships between willingness to use technology for health purposes, health information behavior (HIB), health behavior (HB) choices, readiness for COVID-19 vaccination, socioeconomic indicators and self-reported health among older adults aged = 50 years living in Estonia. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 501 people aged = 50 in Estonia in 2020, a month after the end of lockdown. Findings: The results of the study indicate that the more recurrent the need for HI was (rho = 0.11, p < 0.05) and the more regularly one searched for it (rho = 0.14, p < 0.01), the more willing a person was to get vaccinated. Also, interest in digital applications corresponded to vaccination readiness (rho = 0.25, p < 0.001). However, this relationship did not emerge in the case of other HBs such as healthy eating and exercise. Differences in HIB should be taken into account when developing effective means of health communication designed especially for crisis situations. Originality/value: Estonia is known as one of the digital front runners in the world. However, social welfare and the well-being of disadvantaged groups among the population (e.g. older people) have not yet caught up with the more developed Western countries. Thus, learning more about the health-related information behavior of older adults, e.g. the kind of health information they are seeking and using in Estonia, allows policymakers, health information providers and libraries in Estonia to plan and carry out more effective interventions and help them to improve the existing systems so as to furnish older adults with relevant information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of the Institute of Information Studies of Tallinn University in introducing ICT, including Web 2.0 technologies, in library and information science education, and to explore the role that these can play in new models of learning and teaching. Design/methodology/approach: Web 2.0 applications are reviewed in this paper and the role that these can play in new models of learning and teaching. The introduction of new technologies into library and information science (LIS) education is examined through a case study at the Tallinn University. Findings: Web 2.0 is influencing the way in which people learn, access information and communicate with one another. The Institute of Information Studies of Tallinn University has a long history in using ICT in its teaching and learning. Experiences with open and distance learning and e-learning have transformed teaching and learning, provided new alternative delivery modes, and helped to reach new target groups. Recently the staff have been experimenting with Web 2.0 technologies and a few have successfully adopted them in teaching and learning. Practical implications: The paper suggests that in order to be successful in our modern society LIS educators should take advantage of new ICT and consider the learning preferences of digital natives as well as digital immigrants. Web 2.0 supports constructivist approaches to learning and has great potential to socialise online learning to a greater extent than we have previously seen. Web 2.0 technologies should be implemented taking into account pedagogical perspectives. Originality/value: This paper supports the idea that integration of information and communication technologies, including Web 2.0 technologies, into LIS education is an important challenge for LIS educators.

Twenty nine European ministers have signed the Bologna declaration in June 1999 and committed their governments and their countries to create the European Higher Education Area by 2010. The European Commission is actively supporting the Bologna Process and has set out their own Action plan "From Prague to Berlin--the European contribution." In Europe interest in accreditation is a direct consequence of the increased interest in accountability of those people who are employed in the public sector. Globalization and the increased internationalization of the higher education market has led to attempts to compare the systems in place in different countries. For many European universities, however, accreditation is mainly seen as an opportunity to strengthen their image by demonstrating their quality. Therefore, it is also an opportunity to improve their market position internationally. The idea for this paper came from the authors' recent experiences of accreditation and quality assurance. Both their Departments have recently been through extensive external assessments so they have both experienced the process from the perspective of the assessed and one of them was one of the assessors of the Department in Tallinn Pedagogical University. Aware of the burgeoning interest in compatibility between the higher education systems within Europe, these experiences led them to attempt a comparison of the processes used in the two countries (Estonia and United Kingdom) and to seek to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches. For the purposes of this paper they take quality assurance to include any processes which are adopted to ensure and to continuously improve the quality of the educational provision which is offered. Therefore accreditation/validation is seen as a part of the quality assurance process which can also include mechanisms internal to a university. In order to share with the readers their views of the strengths and weaknesses of the differing approaches adopted by their countries it is necessary for them to outline the processes which are in use in each country. Having done that firstly for the United Kingdom and secondly for Estonia, the authors have then set out the strengths and weaknesses which the two approaches have in common and the specific strengths and weaknesses of the approaches adopted by their countries. (Contains 1 footnote.)

Purpose: This paper focuses on the links between information culture and the perception of the information overload on the example of higher education institutions in Estonia. The aim of this study is to understand how different types of information culture affect coping with information overload. Design/methodology/approach: Two focus-group interviews with 14 participants and 17 semi-structured interviews with representatives of four HEIs were conducted. First, the questions on the values, norms and assumptions as well as information related practices were discussed to assess the dominant components of the information culture. Second, the perception of information overload was explored. Further, the strategies for coping with information overload were examined. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyse the interview data. Findings: The results of the study suggest that the construct of information culture is valuable in understanding information environments and their relation to the perception of information overload. The participants representing the open information culture prefer informal information sharing and are more vulnerable to perceive information overload than the participants representing the integrated information culture. Organisational information management is the key to effective coping with information overload. Originality/value: The current study sheds light on the perception of information overload in connection with information culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the proven effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing severe illness, many individuals, including older adults who are most susceptible to the virus, have opted against vaccination. Various factors could shape vaccination decisions, including seeking health information (HI). The internet is the primary source of HI today; however, older adults are often referred to as those missing out on digital benefits. The study explores the correlations between information and communication technology (ICT) use, online HI seeking, socioeconomic factors, and COVID-19 vaccination readiness among individuals aged 50 and above in Estonia. The survey data were gathered from 501 people aged 50 and older after the first lockdown in 2020. The outcomes revealed that vaccination readiness positively correlated with factors such as higher educational attainment, greater income, male gender, access to ICT, a readiness to employ digital technologies for health-related purposes, a greater demand for HI, and a higher frequency of seeking it online. There was some discrepancy in the preference of HI sources; for example, vaccination consenters preferred online versions of professional press publications and specific health portals. Based on the findings, it is advisable to encourage older adults to utilize the internet and new technology for health-related purposes. This practice expands the range of information sources available to them, ultimately enabling better decision-making regarding their health behaviors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.