Information Literacy : Instruction for Your Classes   Tags: 21st century skills, critical thinking, inquiry, instruction, lifelong learning, research skills  

Information literacy is the set of critical thinking skills necessary to locate and use information effectively. 

Information literacy means knowing when you need information, knowing where to look for it, how to find it, and how to evaluate it.

 Information literacy skills are required not only for class assignments but also for lifelong learning, which goes far beyond the classroom. Information literacy skills are not learned in one class session but are cumulative and are refined through practice. To learn more about information literacy, see the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

1. Students will be able to define an information need in order to construct an effective research strategy. 

2. Students will be able to construct an effective research strategy in order to identify a variety of relevant information sources. 

3. Students will be able to identify and select relevant information sources in order to analyze and interpret the information. 

4. Students will be able to analyze and interpret information in order to evaluate, synthesize and draw conclusions.

An ongoing project in the University of Washington Information School reveals that students need and want help in sorting through and evaluating the vast amount of information available to them today.