Information Literacy - what is it, who is it for and what does it mean to you?

The Scottish Information Literacy Project:working with partners to create an information literate Scotland

Information Literacy

What is it, who is it for and what does it mean to

you?  

Christine Irving, Researcher / Project Officer, Scottish Information Literacy Project, Glasgow Caledonian University

What is Information?

What does information look like?

•Text•Journal articles•Websites•?

What is Information Literacy?

Definitions

• Should there just be one definition?

but

• which definition should you choose?

Who is Information Literacy for?

• Librarians?

• Education?Students - Higher Education or Further Education?Pupils – Secondary Schools, Primary Schools and or

Nursery?

• Workplace?

• Society?

What does Information look like to you?What does Information Literacy mean to you?

Information looks like this

Information looks like this

Information looks like this

Information looks like this

Information looks like this

Curriculum for ExcellenceTexts are defined as ‘the medium through which ideas, experiences, opinions and

information can be communicated’ which covers all different formats:

• novels, short stories, plays, poems• reference texts• the spoken word• charts, maps, graphs and timetables• advertisements, promotional leaflets• comics, newspapers and magazines• CVs, letters and emails• films, games and TV programmes• labels, signs and posters• recipes, manuals and instructions• reports and reviews• text messages, blogs and social networking sites• web pages, catalogues and directories

Information Literacy?

"Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner."

This definition implies several skills … (or competencies) that are required to be information literate … an understanding of:

• A need for information • The resources available • How to find information • The need to evaluate results • How to work with or exploit results • Ethics and responsibility of use • How to communicate or share your findings • How to manage your findings

CILIP (2004) www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/advocacy/learning/information-literacy/pages/definition.aspx

Information Literacy is for everyone

“In an era of lifelong learning, this effectively means that information literacy has relevance for all ages from primary school to senior citizens. Information literate people understand more than how to find information, they understand its limitations and the need to examine how they use information, and they understand how to manage and communicate information. Information literacy is an essential and discrete dexterity – everyone relies on information everyday.” CILIP

www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/advocacy/learning/information-literacy/pages/introduction.aspx

Curriculum for Excellence (2009) Literacy across learning

“Children and young people not only need to be able to read for information; they also need to be able to work out what trust they should place on the information and to identify when and how people are aiming to persuade or influence them.”

Curriculum for Excellence (2009) Literacy across learning Principles and practice, available at: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/literacy_across_learning_principles_practice_tcm4-540108.pdf

Curriculum for Excellence (2009)Information Literacy

information literacy can be found in Curriculum for Excellence Literacy across learning experiences and outcomes:

• finding and using information in the listening and talking, and reading sections

• understanding, analysing and evaluating in listening and talking, and reading sections "to encourage progression in understanding of texts, developing not only literal understanding but also the higher order skills"

• organising and using information in the writing section

www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/responsibilityofall/literacy/index.asp

Information literacy looks like this in Nursery

Blooming Blooms - Kilmacolm Nurseryhttp://caledonianblogs.net/nilfs/2010/02/25/questioning-kilmacolms-innovative-

blooming-blooms-approach/

An Information Literate Society

“For all societies, Information Literacy is becoming an increasingly important

component of not only literacy policies and strategies, but also of global policies to

promote human development.”

UNESCO (2003) Towards an Information Literate Society http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13272&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

planning

locating

organising

representing

evaluating

EXPLORE

Schools (P3 - P7)

defining the topic

identification of key words

planning and organising

identification of suitable informationsources

effective searching

evaluating information

understanding ethics andresponsibility of use

understanding how to communicate orshare your findings

CILIP Information LiteracyDefinition

reviewing

Information Handling Skills

SCQF Levels 1 - 7

Further Education & Schools

recognise a need for information

distinguish ways in which theinformation 'gap' may be addressed

construct strategies for locatinginformation

locate and access information

compare and evaluate informationobtained from different sources

synthesise and build upon existinginformation, contributing to the

creation of new knowledge

SCONUL

SCQF Level 8 - 12

Higher Education & FurtherEducation

understanding a need

understanding availability

understanding how to find information

understanding the need to evaluateresults

understanding how to work with orexploit results

understanding ethics andresponsibility of use

understanding how to communicate orshare your findings

understand how to manage yourfindings

CILIP Information LiteracyDefinition

Lifelong learning including allinformation using communitities e.g.

community learning and in theworkplace

Information Literacy Framework

HOME ABOUT

Appendicies

Appendix A:Examples ofinformation literacy material

Appendix B: Existing skillsdefinitions, frameworks andmodels used to inform the

development of the draft nationalframework

Appendix D: University of AbertayDundee: Information Literacy

Framework

Appendix E: LoughboroughUniversity Library Information

Literacy: IL competences

OVERVIEW

Information Literacy and LifeLong learning

Information Literacy andEducation

INFORMATION LITERACY USE OF THE FRAMEWORK

CASE STUDIES - NHS ILCOMPETENCY FRAMEWORK;

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT: - SKILLSSTRATEGY CASE STUDY / LIS IL

STRATEGY & IL WORK

CILIP Information LiteracyDefinition

Lifelong learning including allinformation using communitities e.g.

community learning and in theworkplace

CASE STUDIES - UNIVERSITY OFABERTAY

SCONUL 7 PILLARS

Further Education & HigherEducation

Information Handling Skills

CILIP Information LiteracyDefinition

CASE STUDIES - COLLEGE (ILDIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT),

GOVAN HIGH SCHOOL (STAFFINDUCTION, FUTURE SKILLS), S1ENGLISH RESEARCH, SCIENCEDRAFT CfE OUTCOMES, HIGHER

HISTORY,

SCQF Levels 1 - 7

Secondary Schools & FurtherEducation

EXPLORE MODEL

CASE STUDIES - EXPLOREMODEL, NORTH AYRSHIRETOOLKIT, ABERDEENSHIRE

SCHOOLSKIT, TRANSITION WORK

Schools (P3 - P7)

FRAMEWORK LEVELS ASSESSMENTS

National Information LiteracyFramework (Scotland)

http://caledonianblogs.net/nilfs/

Contact details Christine IrvingResearcher / Project OfficerMilton Street BuildingMS005 (ground floor) Glasgow Caledonian UniversityCowcaddens RoadGlasgow, G4 0BATel: 0141-273 -1249

Email [email protected]

Project website www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/Project blog http://caledonianblogs.net/information-

literacy/ Framework http://caledonianblogs.net/nilfs/