Information Literacy Toolkit

Developing students' information literacy

It is important to design assessment and tasks where students (individually and in teams) are required to autonomously seek, analyse and synthesise information from a range of sources. Students require repeated opportunities in varying situations to seek and use information.

"Information literacy is a way of engaging with, and learning about, subject matter; it is about using information in a variety of meaningful ways....it becomes a way of working with information that can be encouraged or discouraged by particular learning activities."

Bruce, C. & Candy, P., (Eds.). (2000). Information literacy around the world. Advances in programs and research . Wagga Wagga, Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, p7.

The critical elements of information literacy curriculum are:

• experiencing information literacy (learning);
• reflection on experience (being aware of learning); and
• application of experience to novel contexts (transfer of learning).

Bruce, C. (2002). Information literacy as a catalyst for educational change: A background paper . White paper prepared for UNESCO, the US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and the National Forum on Information Literacy for use at the Information Literacy Meeting of Experts, Prague, The Czech Republic.
Retrieved from the World Wide Web 24 October, 2006:
http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/papers/bruce-fullpaper.pdf

Do you require students to go beyond the resources you give them?

You may provide an extensive reading list for students that offers a literature base of authoritative sources and a good coverage of subject matter. However, if you require students to go beyond this literature, you will be more likely to develop students' ability to discriminate, evaluate and make connections. When selecting readings, choose those that will challenge and inspire students to read further.

Do you discuss aspects of evidence and argument with students?

You may require students to present an argument supported by evidence in an essay, debate, report, seminar etc. Do you explicitly discuss what constitutes evidence in your discipline? Do you discuss what constitutes an 'argument'?

Lupton, M. (forthcoming). Evidence, argument and social responsibility: Using students' experiences of information literacy to design curriculum.

Do you provide the opportunity for students to choose their own topic?

Choice of topic not only allows students to pursue their own interests and passions, but it also means that they are not competing for the same resources.

Do you design information literacy activities to build on past experiences and support future study and independent learning?

Information literacy needs to be developed throughout programs. It's a good idea to look at how students are required to use information in other courses so that the experiences you design can build on these, and provide a foundation for what students will experience in the future.

Do you model referencing and citation practices?

It is important to demonstrate and model referencing and citation practices in the material you present to students such as lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, overheads and course guides.

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