Information literacy

Everyone, everywhere makes use of the ubiquitous search engines to find and locate a wide range of information via the internet. The algorithms driving the listing of web content and search routines are very powerful and, above all, quick.

In educational settings, searching and locating information is a pre-requisite of the personalised learning agenda but developing the capacity of learners does not seem to feature highly, especially for children and young people. Often, the learner searches with just a few key words which, in turn, lead to an overwhelming and, sometimes, frustrating list of possibilities.

Where effective learners use of information literacy strategies they display cognitive and transferable skills - problem solving, evaluation and communication skills. The key to effective use of search engines in educational settings is for learners to apply such skills and associated information expertise in a systematic way.

There would seem, therefore, a clear role for developing at the very least awareness of information literacy. In the UK, information literacy is defined by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals as:

"Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner."

For educators, a useful starting point on this topic is the Information Literacy Website which features a good range of valuable resources and associated links, materials and links to other websites. These include a small number of case studies about the use of information literacy in schools, public libraries and higher education.

Using search engines to "turn up" the most useful information in the most accurate and efficient way via information literacy strategies is essential in our fast moving world. As educators, do we pay sufficient attention to sharing and using information literacy strategies with our anytime, anywhere learners?