Information Literacy
Futurists and other social scientists tell us that we're living in a new age – the age of information. Success in this new era will be measured not by what we know, but on how efficiently we can access information from a plethora of sources, from traditional print materials to new electronic media.
Background
The UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies produced a video called E-Literate that serves as a good introduction to information literacy. Consider these questions as you view the video:
- How has the nature of information changed in the past 500 years?
- What's important for people in the 21st century to know and be able to do in regard to information literacy?
Information Literacy Scope and Sequence
Materials assembled by the 21st Century Literacies Project, a joint venture of UCLA and Pacific Bell, provide a comprehensive reference for developing a 21st Century information literacy curriculum for grades K-12. They have assembled a wealth of resources to help schools plan and design information literacy activities for K-12 students. You'll find important skills for each grade, along with suggested teaching activities.
Questions for Evaluating Resources
Looking more generally at skills for evaluating electronic materials (websites, videos, podcasts, etc.), librarians have suggested that teachers work to help students analyze media from the following perspectives:
- Purpose: Determine what the main purpose of the media is – to inform or persuade (advocate for a cause)?
- Author: The best media resources are produced by those who have appropriate education, training, or experience to write with authority on the topic. Check media documents or external sources to find out more about the author or producer. Is the author or publisher qualified on the topic or theme?
- Content: Consider whether content seems biased. Does the author have a "vested interest" in the topic? Look for documentation of claims and a balanced point of view.
- Coverage: Look around for different perspectives on the same topic. You can compare resources on the same topic to see which provides the best coverage.
- Currency: If you are looking for the most current information on a topic, be sure to determine when information was added.
- Recognition: Also try to determine whether the media has been recognized as exemplary by others linking to it, tagging it, or citing it.
Online Resources
Material that supports critical thinking and evaluation of information can be found at the following websites.
All About Explorers
All About Explorers is an excellent website for promoting thinking and evaluation of Internet websites. Student researchers are encouraged to look at websites and consider inconsistent facts and information.
Kathy Schrock’s Information Literacy Primer
Kathy Schrock, an information technology specialist, identifies the skills that comprise information literacy in an excellent article from the George Lucas Educational Foundation’s newsletter, Edutopia.
Questioning.org
This site by Jamie McKenzie focuses on questions and school research – nothing else. Topics and resources include: An Overview of the Research Cycle; The Questioning Toolkit; and Deep Reading and Deep Thinking in an Age of Info-Glut, Info-Garbage, Info-Glitz, and Info-Glitter.
Seven Antidotes to Prevent Highway Robbery in an Electronic Age
Here are some more ideas from Jamie McKenzie on dealing with the problem of “The New Plagiarism.”
Contact
- Rick Phelan, Curriculum/Technology Specialist
(707) 524-2847,