3. 1
INTRODUCTION
Information Literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to
“recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate,
evaluate and use effectively the needed information”. Information
literacy also is increasingly important in the contemporary environment
of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources.
Because of the escalating complexity of this environment, individuals
are faced with diverse, abundant information choices in their academic
studies, in the work place and in their personal lives. Information is
available through libraries, community resources, special interest,
organizations, media and the internet and increasingly, information
comes to individuals in unfiltered formats raising questions about its
authenticity, validity and reliability .
4. 2
Information Literacy
The United States National Forum on Information Literacy
defines information literacy as “.. the ability to know when
there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate,
evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or
problems at hand “. Although this definition seems to be most
commonly used, there are other definitions that are widely
recognized as well. For example, it is also explained in terms of
a set of competencies that an informed citizen of an
information society ought to possess to participate intelligently
and actively in that society. This includes “skepticism,
judgement, free thinking , questioning and understanding.
A number of efforts have been made to better define the
concept and its relationship to other skills and forms of literacy.
Although other educational goals, including traditional literacy,
computer literacy, library skills, and critical thinking skills, are
related to information literacy and important foundations for
its development, information literacy itself is emerging as a
distinct skill set and a necessary key to one’s social and
economic well-being in an increasingly complex information
society. According to Mc Tavish (2009), in order to increase
and maximize people’s contributions to a healthy, democratic
and pluralistic society in order to main a prosperous and
sustainable economy, governments and industries around the
5. 3
world are challenging education systems to focus people’s
attention on literacy. In Canada, because of the great focus on
a supposed literacy crisis, it has caused some alarm in some
educational sectors. Brink (2006 researched that government
organizations, such as Human Resources and Skill Development
Canada,claim that almost half of working-age Canadiansdo not
have the literacy skills they need to meet the ever-increasing
demands of modern life.
What people often seem to lack, is the way to analyze
online content for information that is often inaccurate called
“crap detection”. This process allows viewers to make sure that
the information they are hoping to use is accurate and comes
form a source that is both credible and peer-reviewed by
experts in the field, There is information online that becomes
problematic as inexperienced viewers tend to rely and utilize
that information.
The Boyer Commission Report , Reinventing undergraduate
Education , recommends strategies that require the student to
engage actively in “framing of a significant question or set of
questions, that research or creative exploration to find answers
6. and the communications skills to convey the results….” Courses
structured in such a way create student – centered learning
4
environments where inquiry is the norm , problem solving
becomes the focus , and thinkingcritically is part of the process.
Such learning environments require information literacy
competencies .
Gaining skills in information literacy multiplies the
opportunities for students Self – directed learning , as they
become engaged in using a wide variety of information sources
to expand their knowledge , ask informed questions , and
sharpen their critical thinking for still further self – directed
learning . Achieving competency in information literacy
requires an understanding that this cluster of abilities not
extraneous to the curriculum but is woven into the curriculum’s
content , structure and sequence . This curriculum integration
also affords many possibilities for furthering the influence and
impact of such student – centered teaching methods as
problem – based learning, evidence – based learning and
inquiry learning . Guided by faculty and others in problem –
based approaches ,students reason about course content at a
deeper level than is possible through the exclusive use of
lecture and text books . To take fullest advantage of problem –
7. based learning , students must often use thinking skills
requiring them become skilled users of information sources in
many locations and formats , thereby increasing their
responsibility for their own learning .
5
CONCLUSION
To be conclude the information literacy we must
recognize the need for information, identify what
information needed, find that information, Evaluate
information critically for relevance credibility and also
use information to solve a problem or answer a question.
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