INS1502-Summary

DEVELOPING INFORMATION SKILLS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING 6 It is important to know the different concepts1 that are related to information literacy to identify a clear direction for an information literacy program. This section contains a brief definition of relevant terms followed by the key concepts of information literacy2 . What is information? Information is a resource that has varied definitions according to the format, and media used to package or transfer it, as well as the discipline that defines it. Case (2002) provides a broader definition. Here the term is synonymous with: • Encapsulated knowledge • Packaged human experience • A source that can provide a myriad of data • A resource that takes different formats, packaging, transfer media, and varied methods of delivery • People: family, friends, tutors, fellow students • Institutions, i.e., national health service professionals or help facilities The need for effective use of information. Information has become a vital source for world economies and is certainly the basic component of education. Information is a vital element to technological and scientific change. It poses several challenges to individuals of all walks of life: students, workers, and citizens of all types. The current information overload requires people to validate and assess information to verify its reliability. Information by itself does not make people information literate. Information is certainly a: • A vital element for creativity and innovation • A basic resource for learning and human thought • A key resource in creating more knowledgeable citizens • A factor that enables citizens to achieve better results in their academic lives, with regard to health, and at work • An important resource for national socio-economic development What is literacy? The basic definition of literacy is “the condition of being literate” according to the Chambers English Dictionary (2003). This reference work, on the other hand, defines literate as “…learned; able to read and write; having a competence in or with” (p. 1856). In education parlance, “Basic Literacy” means the classic or traditional literacies of learning how to read, to write, and to perform numeric calculations and operations; basic literacies in almost all societies are learned in basic and secondary formal education 7 settings, primarily public or private schools, but sometimes basic literacies are learned at home or in community centers. Other “Literacy” concepts related to information literacy. Information literacy is linked with other types of related literacies, but it should be differentiated from them, especially from information technology, media literacy, network literacy, digital literacy, network or Internet literacy, “Computer Literacy” and “Media Literacy” (Bawden, 2001). These last two literacies are clearly defined by Horton (F. Horton, Jr., personal communication, December, 2004) in the following terms: • Computer Literacy. The knowledge and skills necessary to understand information and communication technologies (ICTs), including the hardware, the software, systems, networks (both local area networks and the Internet), and all of the other components of computer and telecommunications systems. • Media Literacy. The knowledge and skills necessary to understand all of the mediums and formats in which data, information and knowledge are created, stored, communicated, and presented, i.e., print newspapers and journals, magazines, radio, television broadcasts, cable, CD-ROM, DVD, mobile telephones, PDF text formats, and JPEG format for photos and graphics. The information literacy concept. There are several definitions assumed by associations and authors. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a precursor in the IL field, and the Association for Educational Communications and Technologies state that “information literacy is - the ability to find and use information – is the keystone of lifelong learning” (Byerly/Brodie, 1999) . Under the component of information literacy, AASL states that: “information literate student accesses information efficiently and effectively, evaluates information critically and competently, and uses information accurately and creatively” (Byerly/Brodie, 1999). Users “should have both information-gathering strategies and the critical thinking skills to select, discard, synthesize, and present information in new ways to solve real- life problems” (Byerly/Brodie, 1999). This information literacy definition extends beyond library skills and beyond the use of discrete skills and strategies to the ability to use complex information from a variety of sources to develop meaning or solve problems (Kuhlthau, as cited in Stripling, 1999). A generally used definition. Attempts to define “Information Literacy” have been made for several years, mostly by librarians or professionals related to library science, and there are more similarities than dissimilarities in these definitions (Owusu -Ansah, 2003). The most commonly cited and used IL definition is the one adopted by the American Library Association (ALA), 1998: “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. The information literate individuals are those who have learned how to learn” (pp. 55-56). They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, know how to find information, and know how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them (Byerly/Brodie, 1999). “Whatever semantics we assume for the IL term, the ALA definition, itself, is broad enough to encompass the entire