A1.4 Information Literacy for Lifelong Learning

Linsey Cushing
August 21, 2007

Hancock, V.E. (1993). Information literacy for lifelong learning. ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED358870)

TAP:
This article discusses the definition of information literacy and the advantages of adopting this practice as applied to students, citizens, and workers. The author’s purpose is to inform the reader about information literacy and to persuade the reader to take part in this shift of information giving and receiving.

Claim:
Information literacy is an innovative method of teaching and learning, both in a classroom setting and in everyday life. Information literacy is beneficial to society as a whole due to its involvement with multiple modern technologies. People who become information-literate take control over their learning while becoming more independent, critical thinkers. They become passionate about learning because it has a personal purpose.

Evidence:
Once a person becomes information-literate and incorporates the use of multiple resources into his or her learning, the individual’s comprehension and critical thinking skills improve. As a student, the information-literate individual becomes more of an active learner and less of an inactive sponge. The teacher must adapt by becoming a mediator as the students discuss their views and knowledge with one another, teaching and learning all at the same time. Students tend to be more passionate about the information because they actively participate in discovering the knowledge instead of listening to a lecture or reading a textbook. Students must learn to think on their own while also appreciating the opinions of others. Citizens benefit from being information-literate because they can recognize quality information from false claims and therefore are constantly analyzing their surroundings and improving their critical thinking. “They are equipped to be lifelong learners because they know how to learn” (Hancock, 1993). Finally, workers benefit from information literacy because it enables people to multi-task using critical thinking skills when given information. A worker who is information-literate is able to take on a task without being overwhelmed because he or she views “learning as a process, not as an end product” (Hancock, 1993).

Connections:
In my most recent classes, I’ve noticed a transition in teaching methods from a lecture and test style to a classroom based upon group work and projects. Teachers are now making projects and group work worth as much as tests in the final grade for the classes. This all plays a part in making us, as students, more independent thinkers. For group work and projects, we are required to utilize multiple technologies, especially the Internet (reliable sources, of course), in order to obtain the needed information. As I was reading this article, I realized I am very much a part of the generation that will begin the information-literate trend. I always remember teachers in junior high and high school telling us to “think out of the box,” and now I know why. We, as students, are no longer expected to sit listening to lectures day after day but instead are learning the information ourselves, which in turn remains with us longer and makes it more rewarding. Another advantage of information literacy is that people realize that learning is never-ending. I must take all of the information that I learn in every Communication Disorders class and apply it to my career as a whole rather than memorizing information for a final and then forgetting it. I was reminded of this today in CD 424 when Mrs. Dixon asked us what we had learned about diagnostics and evaluation in each of our CD classes. At first, I could not put into words how Speech Science directly related to an evaluation. However, once I thought it through, I realized that without basic information about how the ear functions and how sound waves work, I could not diagnose a patient as having normal or abnormal hearing. Everything that I’m learning will be added to in my graduate classes and as my years as a clinician add up. This information relates a lot to the information I’ve learned in education classes recently. In my Children with Exceptionalities class and textbook, this type of thinking was especially emphasized because this class included both gifted and special needs children. Gifted children need to become information-literate because it provides a challenge for them and they can personally expand their knowledge rather than being bored in a classroom. Special needs children also need to be information-literate because these skills are very useful in the working world. As I strive to become more information-literate, I will positively impact my future career as a speech-language pathologist. The skills acquired by being information-literate will help me to problem-solve when I am unsure of a diagnosis, research many resources when I know little about a particular disorder, and develop creative treatment methods tailored to individual clients.