Review of Information and IT Literacy

[1]Review of Information and IT Literacy

Information literacy includes the ability to recognize when information is needed and have ability to locate, evaluate, effectively use. (ACRL 2007). More specifically, information literacy can be defined as a set of ability to :

•      Determine the extent of information needed

We have to know what kind of information that we need  before we start to find about that information

•      Locate and evaluate information

We have to know where to find information that we need and after finds it, we evaluate if the information appropriate or not with the one that we want to find.

•      Incorporate  selected information into one’s knowledge base

We make that information become our personal knowledge, you can read it or write it down to your notes

•      Use information ethically, legally and with an understanding of economic and social issues

We have to use that informationwith ethically, don’t copy and paste if there’s no allowance

            Technological literacy is :

•      The ability to use technology and knowing components of the system

For example: before you want to use a handphone, you have to know what is the technology that you will use, what is benefit of technology to your life, then you must know how to use it and know what are the components which can help you to use it easily

•      The ability to manage technology

Don’t make the technology manage you, because of that you have to know how to use the technology and manage it so it can operate like you want

•      Understanding technology

Understanding technology in all part of it, hardware and software

1980’s	1990’s	21st  century
Library instruction	Information literacy	Information literacy
User education		Research based learning
Bibliographic instruction
Library orientation

Why information literacy is important?

            Because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats, not all information is created equal : same is authoritative, and current, but some is biased, out of date, misleading and false.

            What information literacy used for?

            Information skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papers or group presentation.

National standards for information literacy
a. Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)

b. ALA American Association of School Librarians(AASL) and Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT)

c. SCONUL 7 pillars model for information literacy

 

All of that standard born in America but nowdays not only America which use it but another countries like Germany, Sweden, UK, South Africa, New Zealand, etc use it too as their standar for information literacy. Because they have seen American success after used that standard to theirs people.

Information Literacy-a global Perspective

Information literacy includes :

•      library literacy, is ability to know how to find information in library, like how to use catogues, find right collection that appropriate, etc.

•      media literacy,as the ability of a citizen to “access, analyze, and produce information for specific outcomes”. (Example of the media are television, radio, music, newspaper, magazine).

•      computer literacy, is generally thought of  as familiarity with the personal computer and the ability to create and manipulate documents and data via wordprocessing, spreadsheets, database, and other software tools.

•      internet literacy,  is ability to understand how to find information in internet, understand about the system and can manipulate appropriate information.

•      research literacy,known as ability to do research and observation well, and know how to manage that information until become a good research paper

•      critical thinking skills, is ability to think critically with everything that happens around us, not just accept that another people give or do. That is also ability to give contribution to all aspect of your life, not just accept it but with analyze that is right or wrong

•      Visual literacy,is defined as the ability to understand and use images, including the ability to think, learn and express oneself in the terms of images.

Visual literacy divided to :

-visual learning refers to the acquisition and constraction of knowledge as result of interaction with    visual phenomenon 
 -  visual thinking involves the ability to organize mental images around shapes, lines, colours, textures and composition.

 - visual communication is defined as using visual symbols to express ideas and convey meaning

Libraries and the Digital Environment

            In the past many people have begun to consider libraries less important than internet because they thought if internet is the world’s library. Likewise books and other printed information are now often considered less valuable and less important than electronic information. Yet libraries are one of the most important components of the information age and librarians are dealing successfully with new technological advances. So Library become learning-oriented information centre.

Expected outcomes of teaching information skills

•      During the past 3 decades has been documented through workshops and publications that the teaching of information skills to students ensures that:

Ø  Students become lifelong learners

Ø  Students acquire critical thinking skills

Ø  Students become effective and efficient users of all tipes of information

Ø  Student use information responsibly

Ø  Student become effective in doing research

Ø  Student become productive members of the workforce

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1based on books : Allan Martin and Hannelore Rader (Ed.).Information and IT Literacy :Enabling learning in 21^st  century. London : Focus Publishing. 2003