2020 vision: An information literacy continuum for students primary school to post graduation
Date
2005
Authors
Willison, J.
O'Regan, K.
Editors
Brew, A.
Asmar, C.
Asmar, C.
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Conference paper
Citation
Higher education in a changing world / Angela Brew and Christine Asmar (eds.): pp.633-641
Statement of Responsibility
John Willison, Kerry O’Regan
Conference Name
Conference of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (2005 : Sydney, Australia)
Abstract
By the year 2020, those now commencing school will have emerged into a variety of contexts. Despite their years of education, these young people may lack the skills of information literacy that an information age demands. One reason for this could be a lack of information literacy vision on the part of their educators. Th e term Information Literacy was coined in the1970s and has, since then, developed a substantial academic literature. Despite the acknowledged need for information literacy, to date there has been little in the way of a comprehensive vision of information literacy development. Ideally, such a vision would accommodate both the vertical and lateral transitions students make as they proceed on their educational journey. One starting point is to perceive learning as a lifelong endeavour, the information literacy needed for that endeavour being the responsibility of all the participants in the learning process. A model which presents information literacy as a continuum off ers a framework which allows the whole information literacy journey to be conceptualised by the participants. Th e model presented here fulfi ls the challenge put by those developing information literacy standards to convert those standards into a useable continuum. It attempts to chart information literacy development form novice reader-writer to independent researcher. As well as having practical, pedagogical application, the information literacy continuum may provide a framework for future research.