information literacy - concept and importance

Information Literacy&Life Long Learning:Concept and Importance

Albert K. BoekhorstUniversiteit van AmsterdamUniversity of PretoriaTallinn University

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To survive and develop …themselves people and

organisations need knowledge on:

ThemselvesTheir physical environmentTheir social environment

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‘Survival of the Fittest’Those who are better than others capable to

satisfy their information needs in an effective and efficient way, are more capable to survive and develop themselves than … those with less advantageous traits ...

After Charles Darwin

"...it is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change...“

Therefore a need to be ‘Information Literate’

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Informatisation:Effects for people

Exponential growth of information, information media, information channels and information services

Growth of technology, tools and applications to retrieve, process and disseminate information

Changes in communication patterns and behaviour24/7

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Information Needs

Environment

Social role

Personal

characteristics

Informationneeds

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Degree of information needs

uncertainty

importance

low high

low 1Low need ofinformation

2Moderate need of

information

high 3Moderate need of

information

4High need of information

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Information Space

Observation: objects & processesConversation: personsConsultation: recorded information

‘memory institutions’

Both real and virtualobjects

processes

peoplerecorded

information

real

virtual

EGO

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Information literacy

Increasing complexity of environment leads to need for more skills to select, retrieve and process informationExternal factors create backlog

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Information inequality

Participating majority Information elite

Excluded

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American Library Association(1989)

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

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2003 Prague Declaration "Towards an Information Literate Society" and Information Society

2005 Alexandria DeclarationBeacons of the Information Society

2009? India First World Conference on Information Literacy and Life Long Learning

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Aspects

1. Recognition information need2. Translation information need into query3. Identification suitable information source4. Application knowledge of relevant ICT5. Selection, integration, dissemination of

found information. 6. Continuous evaluation

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recognizeinformationneed

formulateinformation

query

knowledgeinformation

sources

knowledgeof ICT

appliations

selectionintergration

dissemination

K K’

E1 E2 E3 E4

E5

1 2 3 4 5

1 E1 = evaluation moment= knowledge product

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Iterating process

2. formulateinformation

query

3. knowledgeinformation

sources

4. knowledge of ICT applications

5. selectionintergration

dissemination

evaluation moment

1. recognizeinformation

need

1’. recognizeinformation

need

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SCONUL 7 pillars of information literacy

Recognise information need

Distinguish ways of addressing gap

Construct strategies for locating

Synthesise and create

Organise, apply and communicate

Compare and evaluate

Locate and access

Info

rmatio

n L

itera

cy

Basic Library Skills

&

IT Skills

http://www.sconul.ac.uk/

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Harris & Hodges (1995)

Adult literacyAdvanced literacyBasic literacyBiliteracyCommunity literacyComputer literacy Critical literacy Cultural literacyEmergent literacyFamily literacy

Functional literacyInformational literacyMarginal literacyMedia literacyMinimal literacyRestricted literacySurvival literacyVisual literacyWorkplace literacy

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IL and Media Literacy

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3 concepts

The ICT concept:Information literacy refers to the competence to use ICT to retrieve and disseminate information.

The information (re)sources concept:Information literacy refers to the competence to find and use information independently or with the aid of intermediaries.

The information process concept:Information literacy refers to the process of recognizing information need, the retrieving, evaluating, use and dissemination of information to acquire or extend knowledge.

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Information Rich - Poorperson

rich

poor

environment

richpoor

A = Information Rich person in Information Rich environment

A

C = Information Rich person in Information Poor environment

C

D = Information Poor person in Information Rich environment

D

B = Information Poor person in Information Poor environment

B

C’ A’

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How: by learning

In the socialisation process: ‘By doing’ Formal educationInformal education

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Governments

National governments have a specific responsibility:

They determine the form and content of the educational system in which pupils are prepared for their future lives as responsible and participative citizens

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Becoming information literate

Cannot be learned in a distinct subjectIntegrated in any subjectCoordination between ‘teachers’ & ‘librarians’

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Information Literacy Continum

Catts&Lau 2008

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Catts&Lau 2008

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Learning Line & Moments

Educational level A

Educational level B

Educational level C

Life Long Learning

curr

icul

um

time

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Aim

From

Unconscious IncompetentVia

Conscious IncompetentTo

Conscious Competent

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Stakeholders

Management institute/schoolTeachers‘Librarians’

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So far ‘Information literacy’

Is a container concept It’s a dynamic conceptBeing ‘Information Literate’ is a competence:

a critical Attitude about: What am I doing? What for am I doing this? With what am I doing this?

Knowledge about: the organization and quality of information resources and -channelsacquiring access to information

Skills: being able to use required skills and technologyPart of Life Long Learning

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Questions?

boekhorst@uva.nl