ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards

for Higher Education

Why, Who, What?

A Brief OverviewCelita DeArmond, UTSA Library

cdearmond@utsa.edu

ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards: Why?

Information literacy = requires individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”

Higher education move towards developing lifelong self-directed learners– Boyer Commission Report (1998): Reinventing

Undergraduate Education = student centered, inquiry based

Framework needed for assessing the information literate individual

ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards: Who?

ACRL Task Force on Information Literacy Competency Standards (1998-1999)– Reviewed by ACRL Standards Committee– Approved, ACRL Board of Directors, Jan. 18, 2000

ACRL seeks endorsement and promulgation of standards from professional and accreditation associations in higher education

Extension of work from AASL Task Force on Information Literacy Standards (K-12)– Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning

ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards: What?

5 standards: The information literate student…1) determines the nature and extent of the information needed.2) accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.3) evaluates information and its sources critically and

incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

4) uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.5) understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues

surrounding the use of information and access and uses information ethically and legally.

22 performance indicators Includes outcomes for each performance indicator

ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards: example

Standard Two– The information literate student accesses needed information effectively

and efficiently Performance Indicator 2.

– The information literate student constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies

Outcomes Include:– a. Develops a research plan appropriate to the investigative method– b. Identifies keywords, synonyms and related terms for the information

needed– c. Selects controlled vocabulary specific to the discipline or information

retrieval source– d., e., f. (cont.)

Booklet available from ACRL or @ http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html

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