Information Literacy: A Key Competency to Students’ Learning

Information seeking approaches have changed worldwide today with the evolution of the Internet and on-line resources. This has resulted in the evolution of new learning methods and information literacy strategies. A growing number of students in schools everywhere are using the large number of information sources available on the Internet for conducting research and for communication purposes. In this article we will analyse some of the skills the students need to use to retrieve and transform the information they gather to acquire valuable knowledge. Many factors mediate this learning equation. Some models of information literacy will be revisited and analysed for comparisons and contrasts to understand how students need to be equipped to understand the complexity of information gathering and the various cognitive processes involved in evaluating, processing and extracting the available information. Generally there seems to be blind acceptance of Internet information amongst many students which is one of the critical reasons why students need to be taught critical information-literacy skills. This paper will emphasise the need for such information literacy skills to be formally taught within school systems through the examination of some of the widely used information literacy models. Emphasis will also be placed on how information literacy has transformed the way in which teachers and students seek information. INTRODUCTION Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information (ALA, 2001). It provides students with the knowledge and skills to efficiently and effectively access information, while accurately evaluating and assessing the information they receive from any source, particularly the Internet. In what might be termed the ‘digital age’, information literacy has been influenced extensively by the pervasive presence of technology. The 1993 Australian document, learning for the future, prepared for the Australian School Library Association says that the ability to process and use information effectively is more than a basic tool for school students, it is in fact a basic survival skill for those who wish to be successful. This also stresses the need for good thinking processes that are integral to learning. The ability to evaluate the credibility and relevance of the vast information base in the Internet is essential. It is a well-known fact that not all sites are completely factual or provide good quality information. Information Literacy is about training students to recognise reliable resources, extract information from them, modify and paraphrase them to report their work. The students actually need to focus on meaningful research strategies in order to produce quality learning artifacts that come forth from making informed judgments. Information literacy focuses on information problem solving strategies, the research process and the MOJIT Information Literacy: A Key Competency related skills that make up these information seeking processes. According to Doyle (1992) an information literate person is one who: • recognises that accurate and complete information is the basis for intelligent decision making • recognises the need for information • formulates questions based on information needs • identifies potential sources of information • develops successful search strategies • accesses sources of information including computer-based and other technologies • evaluates information • organises information for practical application • uses information in critical thinking and problem solving Doyle’s research was the starting point for research on information literacy. After him several theories and models on information literacy emerged. Most of these models have many similarities and drive on almost the same principles but emphasise on different aspects of the information seeking process. INFORMATION LITERACY In this section we will review definitions of what constitutes information literacy and examine attributes expected of in an information literate person. Information literacy as a phenomenon encompasses the two main skill elements of information seeking and critical thinking. The former refers to the ability to navigate through an information space, locate and retrieve relevant information resources through systematic and thorough investigation; employ thoughtful study and rational reflection on the information found and apply the information in useful contexts (Stern, 2002). The latter involves critical thinking through evaluation of the quality and authenticity of the information sources found in the Internet. DEFINING INFORMATION LITERACY Many researchers (Jackson, 1989; Mosley, 1998) have attempted to define the term information literacy in different ways though I prefer Doyle’s (1992) succinct definition of information literacy as the ability to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources in meaningful ways. However some researchers have disagreed with such a simple and allencompassing characterisation of information literacy since from early times of its conceptualisation, information literacy has been recognised to be complex and multi-faceted (Bawden, 2001). True information literacy is multi-faceted in that as a discipline it calls upon the combination of a rich variety of skills and knowledge (Taylor, 1986; McClure, 1994). Tuckett (1989) breaks down this multi-faceted dimension of information literacy into a hierarchy of three levels of skills in the following ascending order of complexity: • Simple information skills Using a single information tool e.g. a library catalogue • Compound information skills