Please read the following article, summary, and critical
analysis and post comments answering the discussion topics.
Eisenberg, M. B.
(2008). Information Literacy: Essential skills for the information age. DESIDOC Journal Of Library & Information
Technology, 28(2), 39-47.
Information and technological
literacy is one of the most important sets of skills in the 21st Century.
Everyone in every possible setting in society today is affected by both
information and technology. Because information is so important, everyone needs
to be educated on how to effectively seek and use information regardless of
what format it is presented. It is the responsibility of the librarian more
than any other individual to teach people how to find, evaluate, and make use
of information in the many different print, electronic, and digital contexts
that it is presented in. In this article, Eisenburg gives us three contexts that
he feels are key to the successful teaching and learning of information
literacy skills: the information process itself, technology in context, and
implementation through real needs in real situations. He then devotes three
sections of the article to further explaining each of these contexts and how
the proper teaching methods can create an opportunity to teach information
seekers information literacy skills in any of these three contexts. In the end,
librarians must embrace the fact that meeting the needs of information seekers
in not just a matter of providing the proper services, resources, and
facilities but also providing them with the opportunities to learn information
literacy skills and taking the time to actually teach them the skills.
This article displays the necessary
skills librarians need to recognize in order to assist users who do not know
how to use their computer skills in order to increase their information
literacy skills. Today’s generation is more
technologically advanced than its predecessors. Because more people are
familiar with computers and know the basics, such as sending and receiving
email and using a word processor; they believe they have the necessary
information literacy skills needed for today’s information world. This confusion
between computer and information literacy is discussed in Eisenburg’s article
and was one of the main reasons our group found this article useful for
teaching about information literacy in the 21st century. Additionally, the
computer skills needed to complete the Big6 process are discussed by Eisenburg,
which helps to highlight how librarians can transfer users’ computer skills
into information literacy skills. By breaking down one of the more commonly
accepted approaches to information literacy, the Big6; Eisenburg helps to
illustrate how technology can be used to complete the process. This information
similarly increases the importance of the article for readers interested in the
future of information literacy. Overall, this article is very beneficial to
librarians who want to help users transfer their computer skills into
information literacy skills.
Discussion:
1) How can Eisenburg's three contexts apply to a specific
situation you have seen at a library?
2) What do you think about the difference between computer
and information literacy, or do you think they go hand in hand?
I think that information literacy is the broad set of skills and knowledge that allow the user to find and use the needed information. Computer skills are just one component of information literacy. Computer literacy is essential in today's world, but information literacy encompasses much more.
ReplyDeleteGiven the evolution of technology, I don't think computer literacy is the end all be all of information literacy. There are so many other tools that can provide users access to the information they need. Therefore, information literacy is so much more than knowing how to use a computer.
ReplyDeleteWhile computer literacy is not the end all and be all of information literacy at this point in time it is the most common starting point. There are other tools that can provide access to users, but for many general computer knowledge is what leads to the use of other technology tools. I agree that information literacy is much more than computer knowledge, but in this technological age it seems that it all starts with computer literacy.
DeleteI feel that nowadays information literacy is dependent on computer literacy. On the other hand, I don't feel that they have to be taught all at once. When teaching IL in a public library, it seems that the audience is the key factor. If we are talking about teens, it seems likely that we don't need to teach them about what the internet is, for example. If we are talking about older adults, we might need to come at IL from another angle, and focus more on the internet and information that can be obtained there.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to work in a library, so I could best apply Eisenberg's three contexts to my own use of libraries. Last fall, I had an assignment for LIS 6120 to answer questions by using print reference sources. It was not real involved but still meant having a process, using technology, and satisfying an actual need. I knew I needed certain types of reference sources. After using the online catalog of a nearby academic library to see what it carried and noting the call numbers of promising sources, I went to the library, quickly found the sources, and answered the questions for the assignment. Actually, the assignment did not go as rapidly as it might seem to have here.
ReplyDeleteObviously enough, one can be computer literate without being information literate. Information literacy has to do with information, computer literacy mostly with technology. Thinking and process are important parts of an information literacy approach like the Big6, but it also means being computer literate. Someone could be fluent using things like mobile phones, Web browsers, and productivity software while being weak in how he thinks about information.
Frank (not Group 3)
I really appreciate your comments and how you stress that someone can be 'technology' literate and entirely illiterate when it comes to useful information! This is exactly what using the process of the Big 6 seeks to sort out for technology users who need to better understand the capabilities of the tools at their grasp!
DeleteWe just started using the phrase "hub of information literacy" as one of the catch phrases for the university library - for freshman orientation. One of the reasons is that is encompasses so much more than just being computer/technology literate. For me it means all the areas of information, adding knowledge in whatever format it takes.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Eisenburg’s three contexts to successful teaching and learning information literacy skills. Every day I help public library patrons. I am constantly assisting them with various stage of their research process and teaching them technology skills based on their questions. I personally think that information literacy is how information is found, used, and conveyed. Although, I think that it is a librarian’s job to help to facilitate the literacy process, I also think that it is people’s responsibility to become as information literate as they can regardless of the type of literacy (information or computer) because it is just necessary in today’s world in my opinion. --Tiffany
ReplyDeleteI think there is a definite difference between computer and information literacy. However, I also believe they go hand in hand. Just because one knows how to send an email, doesn't mean they can successfully find what they are searching for in a library. Conversely, just because you are good at searching,that doesn't mean that you are computer literate. We need to work to become well versed in both aspects as they are both essential to furthering knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed challenges to Eisenberg's "information process itself" context at the library I volunteer at. Many younger students do not want to prioritize sources, take the time to evaluate the best information. They just want the quickest source. I think this is a great example of the impact of computer's easier search ability on information literacy.
DeleteI agree with a couple of the other comments, in that information literacy and computer literacy are related, but there is a difference between the two. Computer literacy is the ability to use a computer, whereas information literacy is the ability to locate, identify, evaluate, and appropriately use information in research.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a large difference between computer literacy and information literacy. Computer literacy simply means that one knows how to work a computer: a user can turn on the computer, use the programs, etc. However, information literacy is about knowing how to not only find but also evaluate information. There is a very large difference between the two, and the two do not necessarily have to go hand in hand. However, computer literacy is required for information literacy. I believe that a great deal of people are computer literate, but a smaller population of those who are computer literate are actually fully information literate.
ReplyDelete