What are the big ideas and unspoken assumptions of information literacy? Look beyond the skills - how are we conceptualizing information literacy (you may want to break it down). What are the unstated biases guiding the way we discuss information literacy - in terms of standards. If you were teaching a course that focused on information literacy what are the overarching understandings you would want students to have at the end of the course?
While the focus is on the ACRL standards you may feel free to address the AASL Student Learning Standards published in 2008.
The big ideas of information literacy are not about acquiring skills to use technology, but about learning different ways to use information to learn. Technology does not equal information literacy. In Informed Learning, Bruce (2008) states that the skills we need in order to attain information literacy came before technology existed and “transcend technology” (p. 11). The AASL Student Learning Standards (2008) state the same when discussing the thinking skills necessary to learn, “The amount of information available to our learners necessitates that each individual acquire the skills to select, evaluate, and use information appropriately and effectively” (p. 3). One of the assumptions about information literacy that is false is that technology makes it easier to access and gain information literacy. The ACRL Standards state, “Information Literacy initiates, sustains, and extends lifelong learning through abilities which may use technologies but are ultimately independent of them” (p. 3). The database example that Bruce discusses is a good one. You need to understand and have skills to search a database if you want to be successful. You also have to understand how the database works. Without this knowledge it is very difficult to get the results that you need in a search-you will probably spend time sifting through a lot of information that is not relevant to your inquiry.
Another example is a student using Google in order to do research for a paper instead of going directly to a database that contains scholarly publications and accredited sources. Most searches on Google come back with hundreds and sometimes thousands of results. Students have to understand the difference between these sources and also have to learn how to search a database. These are skills that are necessary to have in order to access and use information successfully. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that sometimes while helping students do research for their assignments that their teachers have told them that they cannot use the internet for their research-only books. This is because there are teachers who are afraid to allow their students to use the internet for sources, since they don’t want them accessing in accurate information through Google or on Wikipedia. Students miss out on a wealth of information that is available via the internet from scholarly journals and other such publications when they are not taught the skills to differentiate between sources. Without the necessary skills, technology is not going to help one attain information literacy.
I think that another one of the unspoken assumptions of information literacy is that everyone has access to information. There are unstated biases within the standards. One such standard that reflects this is Standard Two in ACRL, “the information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently” (p. 9), and #3 under Standard Two states, “The information literate student retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods” (p. 10). There are assumptions made that all students have opportunities to access and achieve information literacy, and not all students do.
If I was teaching a course that focused on information literacy, the basic concepts and understandings that I would want my students to have would be that in order to truly attain information literacy, one must think about their thinking, use inquiry in their study, and take charge of their own learning. These are the basic concepts that both the ACRL standards and the AASL Student Learning Standards agree upon. After reading Chapter 1 of Informed Learning and reviewing and thinking about both the AASL and ACRL Standards, I understand that the basic idea is that Information Literacy=Informed Learning=improving students’ use of information as they learn (Bruce, p. 5).
I really struggled with these questions on Information Literacy, and I’m not sure if I really answered all of the questions that were asked. I’m hoping that feedback and response from my group will help bring me to a better understanding and application of these concepts.
American Association of School Librarians (2007). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards.
Association of College & Research Libraries (2000). Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Retrieved from Angel, San Jose State University.
Bruce, C. S. (2008). Informed Learning. Chicago: American Library Association.
Information literacy isn't a particular easy concept when you start to break it down - probably why we tend to break it into skills and then not examine if those skills are truly generalizable within different contexts. I think you brought up an interesting point, and one that is in line with Informed Learning (and constructionism), and that is "take charge of their own learning". What makes me an information literate person isn't that I am literate in all fields but that I know how to become literate (or semi-literate, you should see me try to play softball) in different contexts.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! I was glad to be reminded, "information literacy came before technology". Sometimes it is hard to remember that Google was not always the first place to get general information; and maybe that is what some of the teachers you mentioned were trying to do when they tell students that they can’t use Internet sources. Maybe it isn’t that they are trying to limit students but to teach them how to search for information in places other then the Internet and thereby giving them more options to becoming informed. I do find it interesting that how much information is available to you, would determine how informed you are; but that also makes a great deal of sense: if I live in a fishing town, I am going to have a great deal of information about fishing available to me, whereas if I live in a farming town, there isn’t going to be as much information about fishing available.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is the goal of the teacher to have their students find information without using technology. I guess my experience with helping students do research is that many of them don't know the difference between Google/Wikipedia and the use of EBSCO or ERIC to access information. My concern is with students understanding the validity and reliability of the information they are using, and I think that in many cases, they aren't taught the difference. It was always a no brainer for me, since the only available computer research that I could use when I was working on my undergraduate degree were databases such as ERIC and EBSCO. Google and Wikipedia didn't exist so when they came into being, I immediately was able to recognize the difference because of my direct use of database information. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteI find it frustrating when students come to the reference seek to resources for a project and their teachers have told them that they cannot not use a computer. Fortunately this happens less than it did in the past but as you say in your blog students “miss out on a wealth of information” when they are unable to use electronic resources. They also miss the opportunity to review and analyze the credibility, accuracy, and relevancy of their sources. They miss out on a lesson in information literacy. Certainly, I understand a teacher’s concerns about students using random Google results to research their work, but it is essential to help children develop their information literacy skills and it should be a key objective of every research project to develop these skills.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that you raise the subject of access to information as one of the unspoken assumptions. This is such big assumption and it is very astute of you to point it out.
This is Tracey's comment that for some reason will not post, although she has tried multiple times since Sunday!!! So I'm posting it instead:
ReplyDeleteJulie, there were a couple of statements in your post that really struck me.
Technology does not equal information literacy.
I have to agree with you on this. I find it more and more disconcerting just how far we are getting away from the more traditional ways of seeking information.
The ACRL standards state that the information literate person:
Identifies the value and differences of potential resources in a variety of formats (e.g., multimedia, database, website, data set, audio/visual, book).
One thing that really stands out for me here is that “book” is very last on the list. Everything before it has something to do with technology. I bet this same standard would have looked very different 20 years ago. To me, if the information literate person should be able to identify all varieties and types of information, then they should know more than just technology. Many students today turn to the Internet for information, whether it’s a reputable database or simply a search engine. Most students today probably wouldn’t know what to do if you handed them an index or periodical guide, or presented them with a card catalog. There is still information out there that hasn’t been scanned into a computer database or created digitally, information that many students (and others) don’t even know exists.
And it’s not just in school. This issue can be seen in practical, everyday experiences. Take the cash register, instance. Many people cannot count back change unless the register display tells them exactly how much to give. Have you ever tried watching a cashier try to count back change without a digital readout on the cash register? It’s agonizing to watch.
I also have to agree with your statement:
another one of the unspoken assumptions of information literacy is that everyone has access to information.
There is still a digital divide, no matter what anyone says. There are still those who do not have the access to technology in their homes, and therefore do not have much experience using it. This is a disservice to them when they are seeking information. Sure they can go to the library or computer lab at school (in the case of students), but they still only have limited access and experience in using the equipment, and they won’t really have much experience on accessing the reputable information. And since many are not taught how to use non-technical means to access information, where does that leave them? You know, we are overly reliant on technology these days and before long there won’t be anyone around who remembers how to do it any other way. It’s important to know more than one way to access information, both old and new ways, because even the technology we use today will be considered obsolete some day in the future and no one will remember how to use it.