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From Allan's Educational Blog.
    Well, that's a very good question. The concept of information literacy has changed over the years but I think that one of the best known definitions I have found still belongs to ACRL. In Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, information literacy is defined as "a set of abilities requiring individuals to 'recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information'" (ACRL, 2000, p. 2). 

    Part of the reason I like this definition is that it is general enough to encompass the changing digital environment. However, much of the literature in the field makes the point that information literacy encompasses a wide array of literacies including numeracy, language acquisition, and, yes, technology. So, let's consider some other terms that have begun to be used with, or in relation to, the concepts of information literacy.

   Terms such as 21st century learning, digital literacy, media literacy, data literacy, transliteracy, technology literacy, and critical thinking are common.  Simply, information literacy has become a term that encompasses a wide spectrum of specific skills and concepts.  AASL (2005) in Standards for the 21st century learner, states, “Information literacy has progressed from the simple definition of using reference resources to find information. Multiple literacies, including digital, visual, textual, and technological, have now joined information literacy as crucial skills for this century” (AASL, 2005).


Dorothy
2/27/2013 09:25:28 am

I think we should remember that information literacy is a bigger concept than just learning to use computers or learning how to search. ICT Across the Curriculum fits into the information literacy umbrella - not the other way round.

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