INFORMATION LITERACY AND COMPETENCY STANDARDS FOR

HIGHER EDUCATION

Seminar Presentation

Presented by :-

Sarita Rani

Assistant Librarian

Bhai Gurdas Library

G.N.D. University, Amritsar

Information Literacy and Competency Standards for Higher Education

Progress in all the walks of life depends on information generated in concerned spheres. Availability of efficient information system and services and proper utilization of information by people can improve the activities of citizens and also the quality of country’s development. Information adds something new to our awareness and removes the vagueness of our ideas.

Information Literacy

Information literacy is a survival skill in the information Age. Instead of drowning in the abundance of information that floods their lives, information literate people know how to find, evaluate, and use information effectively to solve a particular problem or make a decision-whether the information they select comes from a computer, a book, library, a government agency, a film, a web site or any other possible resources.

The American library Association’s definition of the term is,

‘To be information literate, an individual must recognize when information is needed and have an ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information’ In this view information literacy is the basis for life long learning and an information literate person is one who :

Recognizes that accurate and compete information is the basis for intelligent decision making.

Recognizes the need for information.

Knows how to locate needed information. 

Formulates questions based on information needs.

  Identifies sources of information.

   Develops successful search strategies.

  Accesses sources of information including computer-based and other technologies.

  Organizes information for practical application.

Integrates new information into an existing body of knowledge.

        Uses information ethically and legally.

‘To be information literate, an individual must recognize when information is needed and have an ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information’

(ACRL 2000)

DEFINITION OF INFORMATION LITERACY

Recognizes that accurate and compete information is the basis for intelligent decision making.

Recognizes the need for information.

Knows how to locate needed information.

Formulates questions based on information needs.

Identifies sources of information.

Develops successful search strategies.

INFORMATION LITERATE PERSON

Accesses sources of information including computer-based and other technologies.

Organizes information for practical application.

       Integrates new information into an existing body of knowledge.

         Uses information ethically and legally.

NEED FOR INFORMATION LITERACY

• For Students

• For Employees

• For ordinary citizen

Information Literacy and Higher Education :-

Developing lifelong learners is central to the mission of higher education institution. By ensuring that individuals have the intellectual abilities of reasoning and critical thinking, and by helping them construct a frame work for learning, colleges and universities should provide the foundation for continued growth throughout their careers, as well as in their roles as informed citizens and members of communities. So information literacy is a key component of, and contributor to, lifelong learning. Information literacy competency extends learning beyond formal classroom settings and provide practice with self directed investigations as individuals move into internships, first professional positions and increasing responsibilities in all arenas of life.

IL Competency Standards for Higher Education

Standard One

The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

Outcomes include

Describes the difference between general and subject-specific information sources.

      Collect terms that may be useful for locating information on a topic.

  Uses relevant subject-and discipline-related terminology in the information research process.

  Identifies various formats in which information is available.

   Identifies a research topic that may require revision, based on the amount of information found (or not found)

Competency Standard Two: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Outcome includes

Selects appropriate tools (e.g. indexes, online data bases) for research on a particular topic.

Identifies the differences between freely available Internet search tools and

subscription or fee-based databases.

       Identifies the types of sources that are indexed in a particular database or

index (e.g., an index that covers newspaper or popular periodicals versus a more specialized index to find scholarly

literature).

  Distinguishes between full-text and bibliographic databases.

    Selects appropriate information sources (i.e. primary, secondary or tertiary

sources) and determines their relevance for the current information need.

       Locates major print bibliographic and references sources appropriate to the discipline of a research topic.

      Locates and uses a specialized dictionary, encyclopedia, bibliography, or other common references tool in print format for a given topic.

Competency Standard Three : The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

Out come include

  Investigates an author’s qualifications and reputation through reviews or

biographical sources.

    Determines if the information retrieved is sufficiently current for the

information need.

    Describes how the reputation of the publishers effects the quality of the information sources.

       Follows, retrieves and evaluates relevant online links to additional sources.

Incorporates new knowledge as elements of revised search strategy to gather additional information.

Competency Standard Four : The information literate student, individually or as a member of group uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Out come include

   Organizes the content in manner that supports the purposes and format of the

product or performance (e.g. outlines, drafts, storyboards)

       Uses a range of information technology applications in creating the product or performance.

     Incorporates principles of design and communication.

  Communicates clearly and with a style that supports the purposes of the

intended audience.

Competency Standard Five : The Information literate student acknowledges the use of information sources in communicating the product or performance.

Out come include

Describes how to use a documentation style to record bibliographic

information from an item retrieved through research.

Demonstrate an understanding that the appropriate documentation style may vary by discipline (e.g., MLA for English, University of Chicago for history, APA for psychology)

Uses correctly the citation style appropriate to a specific discipline.

Locates information about documentation styles either in print or electronically, e.g., through the library’s Web site.

Role of LIS professionals in Information Literacy programme

Library professional with their expertise, knowledge and techniques of where to look up and how to find out information for given query can help the users in their search for information by extending personal help and assistance. LIS professionals have to play a significant role to promote information literacy in society. There exists gap between librarians and users’ information needs. To bridge this gap they need to educate and re-educate themselves to acquire new skills and competencies for new role and they need to cultivate the concept of life long learning of information literacy skills.

Information Literacy Programmes for LIS Professionals

The academic staff colleges established in the universities organize regular orientation/refresher courses for teachers and librarians to imbibe the skills for locating and accessing information in the changing environment.

The national documentation centres like National Institution of Sciences Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) (erstwhile INSDOC) and National Social Science Documentation Center (NASSDOC) play a significant role in orienting library and information science professionals of the country to acquire the skills of access to information.

Role of Library Associations in India

Some library associations at national level are now proactive in spreading the information literacy competency for the librarians and library users. In December 2005, Indian Library Association (ILA) organized 51st All India Conference with the focus on “libraries, information literacy and lifelong learning”, where many librarians felt the importance of information literacy in lifelong learning and optimizing the usage of information in the libraries.

In conference, ILA also recommended to form a National Information Literacy Mission and the National Information Literacy Task Force to implement information literacy competency development programmes throughout the country without further delay.

THANKS