"Information literacy" can be defined in many ways. According to the Association of College and Research Libraries (2015), information literacy is:
“the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.”
At The Chicago School Library, the following related literacies, concepts, and theoretical frames inform our practice:
Taking the concept of information literacy a step further, “critical information literacy refutes the neutrality of traditional IL and asks library educators and students to engage with the social and political dimensions of information, including its production, dissemination, and reception.”
When applied in the classroom, critical information literacy can take on a critical pedagogical stance. As Swanson (2005) suggests, “a critical pedagogy directs us to understand information in a humanistic sense, as an extension of a person. This means that all information … contains the inherent biases and limited worldview of the author. From this point of view, [educators] and students would recognize that much–some would say all–of the information in our society flows from the points of power, economic and political” (pg.72). Critical information literacy makes explicit the impact of power--social, political, economic-- in shaping the creation, access, and use of information.
Metaliteracy is, “a unified construct that supports the acquisition, production, and sharing of knowledge in collaborative online communities. Metaliteracy challenges traditional skills-based approaches to information literacy by recognizing related literacy types and incorporating emerging technologies," according to Metaliteracy.org.
While there is no one commonly accepted definition for AI Literacy, Long & Magerko (2020) consider it as: "a set of competencies that enables individuals to critically evaluate AI technologies; communicate and collaborate effectively with AI; and use AI as a tool online, at home, and in the workplace." This includes understanding the social and ethical implications of AI (Yi, 2021), or ensuring that users are able to use and evaluate AI tools effectively with minimal risk of harming themselves or others in the process.
"Digital Literacy" refers to "the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet," according to a definition from Cornell University's Digital Literacy Resource.
Media Literacy, according to a definition by the Center for Media Literacy, is "a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms - from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy."
There are various definitions of "data literacy" -- those below capture the essence of its meaning:
There are multiple definitions to visual literacy. Some of these definitions have evolved over time and some of the definitions are discipline specific. One well known and highly respected definition for visual literacy comes from the Association of College and Research Libraries. In the 2011 Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, visual literacy is defined as,
"A set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media. Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials. A Visually literate individual is both a critical consumer of visual media and a competent contributor to a body of shared knowledge and culture".
To see the full list of standards, go to this link.
Cited Sources:
Association of College and Research Libraries. (2015). Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education . American Library Association.
Carlson, J., Fosmire, M., Miller, C. C., & Nelson, M. S. (2011). Determining Data Information Literacy Needs: A Study of Students and Research Faculty. Portal (Baltimore, Md.), 11(2), 629–657. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2011.0022
Long, D. & Magerko, B. (2020). What Is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–16. doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727 .
Tewell, Eamon. (2016). Putting Critical Information Literacy into Context: How and Why Librarians Adopt Critical Practices in Their Teaching . In the Library with the Lead Pipe.
Swanson, Troy A. (2005). Applying a Critical Pedagogical Perspective to Information Literacy Standards. Community & Junior College Libraries, 12(3), 65–77. https://doi:10.1300/j107v12n04_08.
Yi, Y. (2021). Establishing the concept of AI literacy: Focusing on competence and purpose . JAHR (Rijeka ), 12(2), 353–368. doi.org/10.21860/j.12.2.8
