What is Information Literacy?

Slideshow Summary prepared by pre-service students atUniversity of PEI

Definition of Information Literacy

Information Literacy: Knowing when you need to find more information

on a subject Knowing where to look for that information, how

to organize and use that information, and also how to evaluate that information.

An Information Literate person can: Make Decisions Think Critically Think Creatively

Information Literacy is all about using information to create new meaning.

An Information Literate Person Will Be Able To:

Understand when more information is necessary Understand how to access information effectively Critically evaluate information and sources Integrate information into his/her prior knowledge

by creating new understanding Use the information to accomplish a task Understand social issues regarding information

and how to access information legally and ethically

Stages of the Information Process

The InformationProcess

#2Gathering

Information #1Planning

#3 Interactingwith the

Information

#4 Organizing

#5 Creating NewInformation

#7 Evaluating the Process

#6 SharingInformation

Characteristics of the Information Process

1. It is a Process – each step develops from the previous step.

2. It is Developmental – the skills necessary grow over time and cannot be taught with a single lesson.

3. It is Pervasive – Information literacy is important in all aspects of life and all subjects in school.

4. It is Dynamic – Students must be actively involved to learn the process.

5. It has a Metacognitive Component – Students must get the “big picture.” They have to see where they are and where they are going as they conduct research.

(Adapted from: Doiron and Davies 1998)

Why is Information Literacy Important?

Knowing how to use The Information Process is an important part of academic achievement and lifelong learning.

Where do students have difficulty? Retrieving relevant information: students are unable to find

enough (or any) information and waste time wading through irrelevant information.

Students who struggle with finding information have less time to read, interact with, and understand the new information. These students are at high risk for plagiarism.

Students focus on the internet and ignore other research options.

What skills to students need to learn?

How to perform an effective Search Key words Types of searches to perform (i.e. a Boolean search) How to use the Library Most students sit down at a computer and Google the subject

they’re looking for. The Library is an important part of the information process that they’re missing out on completely, mostly because students don’t know how to use the library.

How to use the Internet Not all websites are reputable. Students must learn how

evaluate a website. How to cite References Plagiarism is a huge problem in high school classes. Students

need to understand why they must give credit to the author and be held accountable when they break the rules. (Mittermeyer and Quirion 2003)