Teaching information literacy for in-depth knowledge and sustained learning

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mokhtar, Intan Azura | Majid, Shaheen

Affiliations: Division of Information Studies, School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718, Singapore. E-mails: iam@pmail.ntu.edu.sg; asmajid@ntu.edu.sg

Abstract: Information literacy has been a popular slogan in the education sector since it was first used in the 1970s. Despite extensive recognition of the importance of information literacy in education and learning, its importance in the school curriculum has not yet been fully recognized. This paper discusses the importance of information literacy and the major standards and guidelines that have shaped its implementation in the school curriculum. Traditional methods of teaching information literacy through directed instruction, and sporadic or discrete school library workshops, have not been very successful in entrenching the necessary skills. This paper proposes a dynamic information literacy pedagogy that identifies and harnesses learners' interests (in this case, with the use of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences). By identifying students' dominant intelligences and thus their abilities, it can help ignite their interest in learning something new and unfamiliar. This in turn, can bring about a more effective erudition and prolonged retention of information literacy skills amongst learners. An introduction to an on-going experimental-action study that utilises this approach within the context of secondary school students (aged 14–15 years old) is also presented.

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-2006-24102

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 31-49, 2006