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11.2: Practicing Information Literacy

Info Smarts: Developing the Information Literacy You Need for Effective and Ethical Participation in Information Ecosystems · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC-SA, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning

    InfoLitLifelongMed.pngLifelong learning has to do with continuing to develop knowledge for personal or professional reasons, either formally or informally, even when we are not in school pursuing a degree or certificate. Lifelong learning, like learning in school, involves participating in information communities and engaging in information apprenticeship.

    The information landscape is likely to change in ways we can't even imagine. But we can make a conscious choice to engage in the practice of lifelong learning in a way that continues to develop our information literacy, even as the nature of information and the ways we access it change.

    Reflect

    We can continue to reflect on the key topics and concepts explored in this book:

    • Information Literacy
    • Information Ecosystems, Algorithms, and Organization
    • Misinformation, Disinformation, and Fact-Checking
    • Information Social Justice
    • Information Value and Ethics
    • Research as a Process of Inquiry
    • Information Sources and Their Creation Processes
    • Strategic Searching
    • Authority and Credibility
    • Scholarly Communication and Knowledge-Building

    Practice

    We can apply the practical skills covered in this book to our use and creation of information in all areas of our lives, such as:

    • using a strategic approach and advanced search strategies, even when using internet search tools such as Google;
    • critically evaluating the sources we encounter, using a tool such as SIFT & PICK Fact Checking & Source Evaluation;
    • using information responsibly and ethically by giving credit to the creators of the information, words, and ideas we use;
    • making conscious, ethical choices about the information we create and/or share publicly; and
    • seeking guidance from those with more expertise.

    Cultivate

    We can cultivate habits of mind and approaches to information that continue to develop our critical thinking and information literacy, such as:

    • maintaining curiosity, mental flexibility, an open mind, and a skeptical stance;
    • checking our own biases and worldview;
    • questioning traditional notions of granting authority, and recognizing the value of diverse ideas and worldviews;
    • investigating the power dynamics at play and seeking out multiple perspectives, including the voices and perspectives that may not be immediately apparent;
    • understanding how and why some individuals or groups of individuals may be underrepresented or systematically marginalized within the systems that produce and disseminate information;
    • recognizing that we often join ongoing information "conversations" in the middle, and exploring the larger context of the information;
    • analyzing evidence before making assumptions or drawing conclusions; and
    • recognizing issues of access or lack of access to information sources.

    11.2: Practicing Information Literacy is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ellen Carey.