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An Overview of Prominent Information Literacy Strategies: Definition and Models
Cyberspace has doubled in size every year since 1990. The World Wide Web has become an infinitely large semi-chaotic collection of information in a profusion of texts, graphics, images and multimedia material. Anyone can put anything on the web, making it essential that users have the ability to discriminate between high quality, reliable information and misleading, inaccurate information and everything in between.
Faced with such a rich technological environment and evidence that children, teenagers and college students lack sufficient skills to use available media and technology effectively, many people have proposed new learning goals. The knowledge skills and values essential for intelligent use of media and technology have usually been termed a new literacy - information literacy, media literacy, visual literacy, multicultural literacy, computer literacy, and others.
From the coining of the term in 1974 by Paul Zurkowski, information literacy has erupted in the educational and information arenas as a vital literacy for individuals in this new century. Today, a number of similar definitions exist but simply, "to be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." (American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy)
Information
Literacy Models
K-16 educators and information professionals have grappled with devising sound
approaches for teaching information literacy skills and processes. In the last
two decades, a group of pioneers' research in this area has resulted in a sound
theoretical foundation of information literacy for helping students learn how
to learn through lifelong learning skills.
One of the most popular among the
prominent information literacy models is Big6 Skills,
an information problem-solving process developed by Eisenberg and Berkowitz
and used widely in K-12 education. Another model, the Pitts/Stripling Research
Process looks at information literacy from the perspective of the library school
media field and is used to enhance acquisition of research and information competencies
in K-12 as well. K-16 educational environments have benefited from the ground
breaking studies on information seeking behavior conducted by Carol Kulthau
in the 80's and 90's.
More recently, the Seeds/University
Elementary School on the campus of UCLA, developed an information management
model and curriculum that presents the process and essential skills for embedding
information literacy strategies across all areas of the curriculum in project/inquiry-based
learning. The curriculum seeks to promote the skills, knowledge and attitudes
to help students develop effective lifelong information awareness, seeking,
management and presentation strategies. The Seeds/UES Model also adds an important
element that is often lacking in some of the other models: reflection and refining.
Kulthau, Eisenberg and Berkowitz, Pitts and Stripling, Seeds/UES and others contain many common themes that embody the basic ALA definition. In particular, most models highlight an identifying phase, where the person needs to define their information need. This can include asking questions and articulating the focus of their information need. All point to the need to locate information. Determining appropriate research and information seeking strategies and collecting of information sources incorporate this stage. Most models provide evaluation and synthesis components so that the student can critically evaluate information retrieved. Finally, most include both an assessment of the process to determine potential needs for additional information gathering and presentation or communication of results. In a nutshell, these are the elements that comprise the underpinnings of the leading information literacy models.
Teaching Methods & Pedagogical Strategies for Information Literacy
Information literacy strategies and processes may be taught using traditional methods and those that seek to engage the learner in the learning process. Information literacy, like technology skills, while an independent process, is best taught in close integration with content or subject areas. It is not an end, but a means to an end. The following are teaching methodologies and learning approaches that facilitate the acquisition and retention of lifelong information literacy competencies:
Inquiry-based learning http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/month6/
Resource-based learning http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/tutorials/rbl/
Problem-based learning http://www.imsa.edu/team/cpbl/problem.html
Project based learning http://ericps.crc.uiuc.edu/eece/pubs/digests/1994/lk-pro94.html
Innovations in technology have facilitated the use of these methods and learning approaches and often revitalize students' interest in learning. Engaging students in the learning process - encouraging them to ask and answer questions, having them use a rich variety of resources, providing real-life situations to help them grasp content, and creating learning environments where they can work collaboratively with others to further their understanding of curriculum - is what helps them gain lifelong learning information skills.
From Library Skills to Information Literacy: A Handbook for the 21st century provides an outstanding overview of valuable instructional strategies for developing information literacy, among them, journal writing, using graphic organizers, brainstorming and quickwrites. These approaches, used by many educators, can be used in classroom situations to facilitate information literacy.
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This page was last
updated July 9, 2002 This resource were created by Stephanie Brasley to support the AT&T/UCLA Initiative for the 21st Century Literacies. © 2008 Copyright AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. This site contains links to public sites whose content and language do not fall under the jurisdiction of AT&T. The views and opinions expressed at these sites are not those of AT&T. Please read our Disclaimer. 21st Century Literacies. © 2008 Copyright AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. This site contains links to public sites whose content and language do not fall under the jurisdiction of AT&T. The views and opinions expressed at these sites are not those of AT&T. Please read our Disclaimer. |