Information literacy involves a general understanding of and competency in three integrally related processes:

• Information development and structure – an understanding of how information is created, disseminated and organized;
• Information access – an understanding of information communication processes and a facility with the tools required to tap into these processes;
• Information evaluation and integration – an ability to evaluate, synthesize and incorporate information into written, oral, or media presentations.

Introduction: The following guideline is provided to assist faculty to discriminate between basic and more advanced student competencies in information literacy. The guideline might be a helpful reference as faculty develop learning activities and evaluation methods for information literacy throughout the major.

ACRL Standard I: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

Basic Level

The student will:
– Identify the information need and develop a list of questions to be addressed.
– Consider the type or format of information required.
– Develop a strategy and timeline for identifying and accessing relevant information.

Advanced Level

The student will:
– Develop a research statement based on expressed information needs and course assignments.
– Discuss appropriate resources and provide a rationale for the format or type selected.
– Develop a strategy and timeline for identifying and accessing information from a wide variety of resources within and beyond
the University Libraries.
– ACRL Standard II: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Basic Level

The student will:
– Select appropriate resources for specific information needs and assignments in general academic courses.
– Determine the most effective and efficient search strategy for obtaining information relevant to a specific topic.
– Successfully retrieve the information from a variety of sources.
– Modify the search strategy as needed.

Advanced Level

The student will:
– Develop a knowledge base within his or her major field of study with regard to the organizational structure of information resources including print and electronic formats of books, journals, and electronic resources.
– Determine the most effective and efficient search strategy for obtaining relevant information resources appropriate for diverse course assignments such as term papers, presentations, fieldwork, research projects, experiments, and for life long learning.
– Assess the quantity, and appropriateness of information retrieved relevant to an advanced level research topic.
– Obtain expert opinion from within the major field of study.

ACRL Standard III: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his/her knowledge base and value system.

Basic Level

The student will:
– Evaluate the relevance and quality of the retrieved information comparatively to the identified need.
– Develop a competent understanding of relevant information.
– Incorporate the evaluated information into his/her knowledge base.

Advanced Level

The student will:
– Critically assess the validity, reliability, and bias of the retrieved information.
– Identify the common patterns, trends, contradictions, and gaps of the aggregate information.
– Summarize how he/she might apply the newly incorporated information.
– Validate his/her understanding and interpretability of the information.

ACRL Standard IV: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Basic Level

The student will:
– Create a product or performance in response to an initial information need.
– Review how and by what means he or she was able to fulfill the information need.
– Communicate in some forum an understanding of the new information.

Advanced Level

The student will:
-Create a product or performance in response to an initial information need in a formal discipline specific format.
– Critically analyze the method by which the final product was achieved.
– Communicate, perform, or display a final product which demonstrates an understanding and personal interpretation of synthesized information to a group of peers.

ACRL Standard V: 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.

Basic Level

The student will:
– Demonstrate an understanding of intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material.
– Comply with institutional policies on access to information resources.
– Avoid plagiarism and cite sources appropriately.

Advanced Level

The student will:
– Demonstrate facility with discipline specific citation styles.
– Understand and adhere to ethical and legal issues as they apply to the major field of study and institutional policies for human subjects research.

(ddm; 4/18/03)

Click here to view the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) report from Fall 2008.

Click here to view the Executive Summary of the Information Literacy Oversight Subcommittee of GEOC from Fall 2008.