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Source: HLWIKI

Information Literacy

What is Information Literacy?
Drawing upon Bloom's updated Taxonomy and Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy, here are six central facets of the research process.  Students: 
  • embark on inquiry and so determine a need for knowledge/understanding; 
  • find/generate needed information/data using appropriate methodology; 
  • critically evaluate information/data and the process to find/generate them; 
  • organise information collected/generated; 
  • synthesise and analyse new knowledge; 
  • communicate knowledge and understanding and the processes used to generate them.

from University of Adelaide's Research Skill Development

Why is Information Literacy important?
To overcome the data smog, the barrier of too much information (David Schenk). Information literacy gives us the skills to locate and evaluate information, including the use of technology. It gives us the ability to make decisions, participate effectively in a democratic society, understand our own health and well-being and to create new learning.

In Google We Trust, Just a Little Too Much. Nathan Hale High School Library blog.
Incompetent Research Skills Curb Users' Problem Solving by Jakob Nielsen, the guru of searching.

Listen to Professor Mike Eisenberg talk about the importance of information literacy (2009). This 33 minute sound slideshow is recommended for pre-service teachers and teacher professional development.

How do I learn more about Information literacy?
The detailed paper edited by Alan Bundy, Australia and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework 2nd ed. (ANZIIL and CAUL, 2004), gives a chronology of IL development, outlines six standards in detail and their assessment, and provides details on how Australian and New Zealand universities are using the standards.

The Australian School Library Association has two policies of interest here: Statement on Guided Inquiry and Curriculum (2009) and Statement on Information Literacy (2009). Also this commentary on Guided Inquiry is recommended by Pru Michell and Sue Spence, with grateful acknowlegement to Dr Ross J Todd 
ACCESS, Vol. 23, Issue 4, 2009, pp. 5-8.

South Australia Catholic Education statement on information literacy Developed by the South Australian Catholic Secondary Teacher Librarian group to provide a common understanding of information literacy and to explore the links with the SACSA Framework.

The Armidale [NSW] Diocese Catholic Education Office policy on Information Literacy for teachers and teacher librarians (rev. 2006).

Ass. Prof. Christine Bruce (QUT) explores the Seven Faces of Information Literacy for students and academics, with special reference to curriculum design and to ICT (with permission of the author).

IL skills in practice:
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Practical resources