Information Literacy:
Moving Forward
Expanding Horizons:
David W. Wilson
Information Literacy Librarian

Trinity University
May 19-20, 2009
What is Information Literacy?
Round up the usual suspects...
set of skills
critical thinking
learning how to learn
competencies
abilities
asking questions
solving a problem
synthesis
seeking context
evaluating
survival skill
lifelong learning
signs and symptoms
Overflow & Overload
information
Students are "challenged, confused, and frustrated by the research process despite the convenience, relative ease, or ubiquity of the internet."
Project Information Literacy Progress Report (2009)
Paradoxically speaking...
"Research seems to be far more difficult to conduct in the digital age than it did in previous times."
Project Information Literacy Progress Report (2009)
evolution of a term
"information literacy"
timeline
..........................................................................................................
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
information science
Boyer Commission Report
Defining "information literacy"
American Library Association
"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."
 
"Information Literacy"
1989
ACRL Standards
The Information Literacy Competency Standards
for Higher Education
framework for higher education
progression from lower order to higher order skills
emphasis on lifelong learning


standards
outcomes
indicators
5
Information Literacy at Trinity
Expanding Horizons
"Information literacy may be defined as the ability to gather, critically evaluate, and use information creatively and ethically."
2008
Expanding Horizons:
Trinity's Information Literacy Goals

Five Goals
Understand
Access
Use Ethically
Evaluate
Create
Understand
the nature and varieties of information sources available
Access
information efficiently and effectively
Use Ethically
Understand the concept of intellectual property and the economic, legal, and social contexts of information, and use information ethically.
Evaluate
information and its sources
Create
Incorporate and synthesize information to create individual and group products
Goals for Year 2
Access
Use Ethically
Evaluate
Courses in the Majors & Common Curriculum
Access
Use Ethically
Evaluate
Access information efficiently and effectively
Students will use and reinforce such ideas as:
advanced searching
accessing appropriate web-based resources
becoming familiar with specialized collections
locating and requesting materials from other institutions
Access:
a few questions to consider...
what information resources should students consult in the discipline?

How do these resources work? What advanced skills do students need to search them effectively?

Which web resources are appropriate and vital?

Can different resource types represent unique steps in a larger process

Use Ethically:
a few questions to consider...
What citation and document styles are appropriate to the discipline?

How does one summarize, expand upon, and synthesize the work of others without plagiarizing?

Are there intellectual property issues unique to this project or discipilne (art, images, music, video)?
Use Ethically:


Students will understand the concepts of:

plagiarism
copyright
attribution in academic writing
citation and documentation styles



Evaluate information and its sources
 
judging the relative merits and authority of resources
understanding how research is conducted, evaluated, and published in their major field
Credibility
Bias
Relevance
Timeliness
peer review
Authority
Context
popular
scholarly
Evaluate:
a few questions to consider...
what criteria are essential for determining authority, reliability, or context in your field?

what role do primary, secondary sources have in your field?

how will students be able to judge the limitations of a source or resource type?

are we speaking the same language? do they understand what you mean by "scholarly."


The Road Ahead
Concerns and Opportunities
time
new ideas
insights
Majors & Common Curriculum
lifelong learning starts early...
The Onion April 20, 2005 | Issue 41•16
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30988
year 2
year 2
year 2
22
Source: MSNBC.com | may 12, 2009 | Shawn Pogatchnik
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30699302/wid/11915829?GT1=40006