Information Literacy

Essential Skills for the

Information Age

Dr. Mike Eisenberg

University of Washington

M. Eisenberg 2009
Everything You Want to
Know About Information
Literacy

M. Eisenberg 2009
Everything You Want to
Know About Information
Literacy
in 30 Minutes!

M. Eisenberg 2009
Why This is Important

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Agenda
1. Setting the Scene: The
Challenges of Information Age
2. Essential Skills for the
Information Age: Information
Literacy
3. Implementation: Context,
Context, Context!

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Agenda
1. Setting the Scene: The
Challenges of Information Age
2. Essential Skills for the
Information Age: Information
Literacy
3. Implementation: Context,
Context, Context!

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Problems
Everyone information access, overload,
quality
Students gaining essential information
knowledge & skills
Schools providing meaningful learning
opportunities
Society providing opportunity for our
children to succeed at the highest possible
levels.
M. Eisenberg 2009
 Information Problem #1:
Overload

More new information

has been produced in the
last 30 years than in the
previous 5,000.
Reuters Magazine (1997, March/April)

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Information Problem #1:
Overload

The amount of new

information stored on
paper, film, magnetic, and
optical media doubled in
three years..
How Much Information, 2003, http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-
2003/execsum.htm#summary

M. Eisenberg 2009
 The Solution?

Speed things up?

Pack in more and more
content?
Add more technology?

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Speeding Up The Solution?

M. Eisenberg 2009
Information Problem #2:
Quality

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 Quality

More than 2/3 of teens said

within the last year that they
use the Internet as their major
resource when doing a big
project for school..."
Lester, Will "High School Students Love Net for Research."
Syracuse Post Standard, 8/21/01 (from AP )

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Quality

In a study of 500 sites used by

Colorado high school students
to do research, only 27% of the
sites were judged to be reliable
for academic research!
Ebersol, Samuel, Uses and Gratifications of the Web among Students,
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 6(1): September 2000,
www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol6/issue1/ebersole.html

Colhoun, Alexander. "But - - I Found It on the Internet!" Christian

Science Monitor. 25 April 2000: 16.

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 The Solution?

Discourage Web Use?

Pre-select resources?
Filtering?

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Filtering The Solution?

bandeg0187r Illustration Works Royalty Free Photograph

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Alternative Solution

To have students use information and

technology effectively and efficiently
for success in school, work, and their
personal lives.
To focus on process as well as content.
For students to be lifelong learners and
independent thinkers.

M. Eisenberg 2009
INFORMATION LITERACY

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Agenda
1. Setting the Scene: The
Challenges of Information Age
2. Essential Skills for the
Information Age: Information
Literacy
3. Implementation: Context,
Context, Context!

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Survey of Valued Skills

6
5.5
5 Problem Solving
4.5
4
Information Use
3.5 Speaking
3
Independent Work
2.5
2
Technology
1.5 Group Work
1
Writing
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In Freshmen Transfers Seniors 1-Yr Grads 5-Yr Grads 10-Yr Grads

www.washington.edu/oea/ M. Eisenberg 2009

 Information Literacy

To be information literate, a person

must be able to recognize when
information is needed and have the
ability to locate, evaluate, and use
effectively the needed information.
American Library Association, 1989

M. Eisenberg 2009
Association of College and
Research Libraries
Information Literacy Competency
Standards for Higher Education

2001
www.ala.org/acrl/ilintro.html

M. Eisenberg 2009
 ACRL: Information Literacy Standards

1. The information literate student

determines the nature and extent of
the information needed.

2. The information literate student

accesses needed information
effectively and efficiently.

http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilintro.html
M. Eisenberg 2009
 ACRL: Information Literacy Standards

3. The information literate student evaluates

information and its sources critically and
incorporates selected information into his
or her knowledge base and value system.

4. The information literate student,

individually or as a member of a group,
uses information effectively to accomplish
a specific purpose.
http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilintro.html
M. Eisenberg 2009
 ACRL: Information Literacy Standards

5. The information literate student

understands many of the economic,
legal, and social issues surrounding
the use of information and accesses
and uses information ethically and
legally.

http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilintro.html
M. Eisenberg 2009
Talking about

Process

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 For the Youngest
The Super3
Beginning Plan

Middle Do
End Review
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 For Older Students
The Big6 Skills

1. Task Definition

2. Info Seeking Strategies

3. Location & Access

4. Use of Information

5. Synthesis

6. Evaluation

M. Eisenberg 2009
 M. Eisenberg 2009
 M. Eisenberg 2009
 Agenda
1. Setting the Scene: The
Challenges of Information Age
2. Essential Skills for the
Information Age: Information &
Technology Literacy
3. Implementation: Context,
Context, Context!

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Context
#1 - the process
information problem solving (the Big6)

#2 - technology in context
technology in the process

#3 - curriculum
real needs in real situations
assignments: papers, reports, projects
units and lessons

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 Context: The Process
Information problem-solving is not
always linear, step-by-step.

E
S
UI
L&A
ISS
TD

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Non-Linear
TD

E ISS

S L&A

UI

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 Not Linear
TD S
ISS
L&A
UI
S

UI
S
E
ISS

L&A
UI S E
M. Eisenberg 2009
 Not Linear
Task
Definition

Information
Seeking
Strategies

Location
and Access

Information
Use

Synthesis

Evaluation

M. Eisenberg 2009
Context #2: Technology
in Context

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Technology - Out of Context
Word processing Electronic spreadsheets
E-Mail Web browsing Spell/grammar check
Hyperstudio
Web page design
Instant Messaging Upload/download
Web searching
Statistical analysis presentation
Onlinecatalogs
Multimedia production (PowerPoint)
Database management systems
Video production Inspiration Chat
Group discussion
Electronic indexes CAD/CAM
Graphics Use of operating systems Copy/paste
Telnet Brainstorming software
Algorithms
PDAs ftp
Programming HTML
M. Eisenberg 2009
Better, But Still Out of Context
E-Mail Multimedia production
Word processing (PowerPoint, Hyperstudio)
Group discussion ftp
Online catalogs Chat
Electronic indexes Graphics
Web browsing Database management
Web searching Inspiration
Electronic spreadsheets Use of operating systems
Upload/download Web page design
HTML Copy/paste
Spell/grammar check Statistical analysis presentation
Brainstorming software CAD/CAM
PDAs Telnet
Video production Programming
Algorithms Instant Messaging

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Technology in Context
Students use e-mail, listservs, newsgroups, chat,
videoconferencing, and other online communication methods to
TASK DEFINITION clarify assignments and brainstorm problems. May also use
software to generate timelines, organizational charts, etc. to plan
and organize complex problems
INFO SEEKING Students identify and assess computerized resources as they
STRATEGIES develop information seeking strategies toward their problem.
Students use online catalogs, searchable periodical indexes,
LOCATION & ACCESS electronic encyclopedias, Web search engines, and other online
searching tools to locate useful information.
Students connect to and access online or locally stored electronic
USE OF INFORMATION information sources, view, download, and decompress files, and
use copy-and-paste features to extract relevant information.
Students organize and communicate their results using word
processing, database management, spreadsheet and graphics
SYNTHESIS
software, and distribute their projects via e-mail, Web publishing,
or other media.

Students evaluate the impact of the technology they used,

EVALUATION
including its effectiveness and efficiency

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Exercise
Word processing
Search engines, electronic
indexes, online library catalogs
Spell/grammar check

Brainstorming software

Blogs
Presentation software
(PowerPoint)
Email
 Technology in Context
Task Definition Brainstorming software; Email
Search engines, electronic
Info Seeking Strategies indexes, online library
catalogs; Blogs
Search engines, electronic
Location & Access indexes, online library
catalogs

Use of Information Presentation Software; Blogs

Synthesis Presentation Software

Evaluation Spell/grammar check; Email

 Context #3: Curriculum

Info & Tech

Content Area
Literacy
Curriculum

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 Context #3: Curriculum

Integrated Info & Tech

Course
Program Literacy
Curriculum

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In Closing

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Problems
Everyone information access, overload,
quality
Students gaining essential information
knowledge & skills
Schools providing meaningful learning
opportunities
Society providing opportunity for our
youth to succeed at the highest possible
levels.
M. Eisenberg 2009
 Solution
Information literacy.
Recognized as essential.
Infused through education and society at
all levels.

M. Eisenberg 2009
Thanks for
listening!

M. Eisenberg 2009
Questions
or
comments?

M. Eisenberg 2009
 Resources
AASL Information Literacy Standards (1998)
www.ala.org/aasl/ip_nine.html

AASL Learning Standards proposed (2007)

www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

ACRL Information Literacy Standards

www.ala.org/acrl/ilintro.html

The Big6
www.big6.com

Fluency in Information Technology

http://www.nap.edu/books/030906399X/html

ISTE/NETS-S
www.iste.org/inhouse/nets/cnets/students/pdf/NETS_for_Students_2007.pdf

Janet Murray matrix

http://janetsinfo.com/big6info.htm

M. Eisenberg 2009