3/1/2006Mary George, Leslie Murtha, and Luisa Paster1 Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education ACRL 2000

2 Information Literacy is The ability to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." - American Library Association, 1989.

3 Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education Task Force on Information Literacy Competency Standards ( ):  Chair Patricia Iannuzzi, Associate University Librarian, University of California-Berkeley;  Mike Eisenberg, Dean, School of Information, University of Washington;  Donald W. Farmer, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Kings College;  Craig Gibson, Associate University Librarian for Public Services, George Mason University;  Lori A. Goetsch, Director of Public Services, University of Maryland;  Barton Lessin, Director, Science and Engineering Library, Wayne State University;  Bonnie Gratch Lindauer, Coordinator, Library Instructional Services, City College of San Francisco;  Hannelore B. Rader, Dean of Libraries, University of Louisville;  Oswald Ratteray, Middle State Commission of Higher Education and  Althea H. Jenkins, ex-officio, Executive Director, ACRL. Endorsed by the American Association for Higher Education (October 1999). Approved by ACRL (Jan 2000). Endorsed by the Council of Independent Colleges (February 2004).

4 Affiliated Documents Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians (2001) Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries (2003) Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices: A Guideline (2003)

5 Standards and Accreditation All 6 U. S. regional accreditation agencies include some language pertaining to information literacy in their current criteria for institutional evaluation. Middle States has explicitly defined information literacy as an essential educational outcome.  Criteria for accreditation include “collaboration between professional library staff and faculty in teaching and fostering information literacy skills relevant to the curriculum” [p. 34] “programs that promote student use of information and learning resources” [p. 34] “evidence of information literacy incorporated in the curriculum with syllabi, or other material appropriate to the mode of teaching and learning, describing expectations for students’ demonstration of information literacy skills” [p. 36] “assessment of information literacy outcomes, including assessment of related learner abilities” [p. 36] - Middle States commission on Higher Education, 2002  Developing Research & Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum (MSCHE, 2003) Many academic disciplines are working to incorporate information literacy- related concepts into their guidelines and standards.  For more information on these initiatives, check out ALA/ACRL Instruction Section: Information Literacy in the Disciplines.ALA/ACRL Instruction Section: Information Literacy in the Disciplines

6 Expectations and Accountability ETS Information and Communication Technology Literacy (ICT) Literacy Assessment  2 levels 1. Core Assessment  Targets high school, 1 st and 2 nd year college students 2. Advanced Assessment  Targets 3 rd year college students  Both tests expected to be available for Fall 2006

7 Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

8 Standard One The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed. Performance Indicators: 1. The information literate student defines and articulates the need for information. 2. The information literate student identifies a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information. 3. The information literate student considers the costs and benefits of acquiring the needed information. 4. The information literate student reevaluates the nature and extent of the information need.

9 Standard Two The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. Performance Indicators: 1. The information literate student selects the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information. 2. The information literate student constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies. 3. The information literate student retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods. 4. The information literate student refines the search strategy if necessary. 5. The information literate student extracts, records, and manages the information and its sources.

10 Standard Three The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system. Performance Indicators: 1. The information literate student summarizes the main ideas to be extracted from the information gathered. 2. The information literate student articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources. 3. The information literate student synthesizes main ideas to construct new concepts. 4. The information literate student compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information. 5. The information literate student determines whether the new knowledge has an impact on the individual’s value system and takes steps to reconcile differences. 6. The information literate student validates understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or practitioners. 7. The information literate student determines whether the initial query should be revised.

11 Standard Four The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. Performance Indicators: 1. The information literate student applies new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product or performance. 2. The information literate student revises the development process for the product or performance. 3. The information literate student communicates the product or performance effectively to others.

12 Standard Five 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. Performance Indicators: 1. The information literate student understands many of the ethical, legal and socio-economic issues surrounding information and information technology. 2. The information literate student follows laws, regulations, institutional policies, and etiquette related to the access and use of information resources. 3. The information literate student acknowledges the use of information sources in communicating the product or performance.

13 Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians A support structure for planning lessons, teaching tools, and curricula.  Intended to generate discussion and creativity.  Not exclusionary. A practical tool for librarians.  Breaks performance indicators into manageable components.  Provides concrete examples of learning outcomes.  Intended for adaptation to local circumstances.  Addresses Standards and performance indicators selectively.

14 CS 1: Determines the extent of the information needed. PI 1: Defines and articulates the need for information. 1.1.c. Explores general information sources to increase familiarity with the topic. 1.1.d. Defines or modifies the information need to achieve a manageable focus. 1.1.e. Identifies key concepts and terms that describe the information need.  Lists terms that may be useful for locating information on a topic.  Identifies and uses appropriate general or subject-specific sources to discover terminology related to an information need.  Decides when a research topic has multiple facets or may need to be put into a broader context.  Identifies more specific concepts that comprise a research topic.

15 CS 1: Determines the extent of the information needed. PI 2: Identifies a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information. 1.2.a. Knows how information is formally and informally produced, organized, and disseminated. 1.2.b. Recognizes that knowledge can be organized into disciplines that influence the way information is accessed.  Names the three major disciplines of knowledge (humanities, social sciences, sciences) and some subject fields that comprise each discipline.  Finds sources that provide relevant subject field- and discipline-related terminology.  Uses relevant subject- and discipline-related terminology in the information research process.  Describes how the publication cycle in a particular discipline or subject field affects the researcher's access to information. 1.2.c. Identifies the value and differences of potential resources in a variety of formats (e.g., multimedia, database, website, data set, audio/visual, book). 1.2.d. Identifies the purpose and audience of potential resources (e.g., popular vs. scholarly, current vs. historical). 1.2.e. Differentiates between primary and secondary sources, recognizing how their use and importance vary with each discipline.

16 CS 1: Determines the extent of the information needed. PI 3: Considers the costs and benefits of acquiring the needed information. 1.3.a. Determines the availability of needed information and makes decisions on broadening the information seeking process beyond local resources (e.g., interlibrary loan; using resources at other locations; obtaining images, videos, text, or sound). 1.3.c. Defines a realistic overall plan and timeline to acquire the needed information.

17 CS 1: Determines the extent of the information needed. PI 4: Reevaluates the nature and extent of the information need. 1.4.a. Reviews the initial information need to clarify, revise, or refine the question. 1.4.b. Describes criteria used to make information decisions and choices.  Demonstrates how the intended audience influences information choices.  Demonstrates how the desired end product influences information choices (e.g., that visual aids or audio/visual material may be needed for an oral presentation).  Lists various criteria, such as currency, which influence information choices. (See also 2.4. and 3.2.)

18 CS 2: Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. PI 1: Selects the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information. 2.1.c. Investigates the scope, content, and organization of information retrieval systems. 2.1.d. Selects efficient and effective approaches for accessing the information needed from the investigative method or information retrieval system.

19 CS 2: Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. PI 2: Constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies. 2.2.a. Develops a research plan appropriate to the investigative method. 2.2.b. Identifies keywords, synonyms and related terms for the information needed. 2.2.d. Constructs a search strategy using appropriate commands for the information retrieval system selected (e.g., Boolean operators, truncation, and proximity for search engines; internal organizers such as indexes for books). 2.2.e. Implements the search strategy in various information retrieval systems using different user interfaces and search engines, with different command languages, protocols, and search parameters. 2.2.f. Implements the search using investigative protocols appropriate to the discipline.

20 CS 2: Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. PI 3: Retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods. 2.3.a. Uses various search systems to retrieve information in a variety of formats. 2.3.b. Uses various classification schemes and other systems (e.g., call number systems or indexes) to locate information resources within the library or to identify specific sites for physical exploration. 2.3.c. Uses specialized online or in person services available at the institution to retrieve information needed (e.g., interlibrary loan/document delivery, professional associations, institutional research offices, community resources, experts and practitioners).

21 CS 2: Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. PI 4 Refines the search strategy if necessary. 2.4.a. Assesses the quantity, quality, and relevance of the search results to determine whether alternative information retrieval systems or investigative methods should be utilized.

22 CS 2: Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. PI 5: Extracts, records, and manages the information and its sources. 2.5.c. Differentiates between the types of sources cited and understands the elements and correct syntax of a citation for a wide range of sources.

23 CS3: Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system. PI 2: Articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources. 3.2.a. Examines and compares information from various sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias. 3.2.c. Recognizes prejudice, deception, or manipulation. 3.2.d. Recognizes the cultural, physical, or other context within which the information was created and understands the impact of context on interpreting the information.

24 CS3: Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system. PI 4: Compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information. 3.4.e. Determines probable accuracy by questioning the source of the data, the limitations of the information gathering tools or strategies, and the reasonableness of the conclusions. 3.4.g. Selects information that provides evidence for the topic.

25 CS3: Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system. PI 7: Determines whether the initial query should be revised. 3.7.b. Reviews search strategy and incorporates additional concepts as necessary. 3.7.c. Reviews information retrieval sources used and expands to include others as needed.

26 CS5: Understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally. PI 1: Understands many of the ethical, legal and socio- economic issues surrounding information and information technology. 5.1.b. Identifies and discusses issues related to free vs. fee-based access to information.

27 CS5: Understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally. PI 3: Acknowledges the use of information sources in communicating the product or performance. 5.3.a. Selects an appropriate documentation style and uses it consistently to cite sources. Example

28 Questions to Consider What information literacy skills do students bring with them when they enter Princeton? What information literacy skills do they have by the time that they graduate?

29 Questions to Consider In the course of receiving an education at Princeton, to what extent do students meet these standards and achieve these objectives? What is left for the University and the Library to do to ensure that students graduate with the information skills they need for the future?

30 Questions to Consider Are there additional standards or objectives that should be added to these? Is anything missing? What topics do we want to discuss further?

31 References Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education: Eligibility Requirements and Standards of Accreditation. (2002). Philadelphia: Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Characteristics of Programs of Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices: A Guideline. (2003). Chicago: American Library Association. Developing Research & Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum. (2003). Philadelphia: Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries. (2003). American Library Association. Information and Communication Technology Literacy Assessment. (2006). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. (2000). American Library Association. Instruction Section. (2005). Information Literacy in the Disciplines. Chicago: American Library Association and Association of College and Research Libraries. Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction: A Model Statement for Academic Librarians. (2001). American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. (1989). Chicago: American Library Association.