---

University of Massachusetts
Information Literacy Project: Competencies
/libraryinfo/infolit/ILprop.html
Please direct comments to Shaleen Barnes
10 June 1997

The following information literacy competencies have been drawn up by a committee consisting of librarians from all of the University of Massachusetts campuses. They are organized around a widely cited American Library Association definition of information literacy. The Committee's goal was to develop base-line information literacy competencies that all UMass graduates should possess when they graduate, regardless of the campus. The competencies are intended to be guidelines rather than prescriptions. Teaching and learning these competencies would necessitate accompanying infrastructure requirements, staff and faculty development, and a commitment on the part of the faculty, staff, and administrations of the five campuses. These competencies are an attempt to incorporate both the cognitive and the mechanical aspects of computers that students should master; they also imply a resource based learning environment that uses technology to accommodate different learning styles. Regardless of who does information literacy instruction and the manner in which it is introduced into the curriculum, there is no doubt that these competencies are something that must be reinforced, practiced, and valued. This project was funded by a Professional Development Grant in Instructional Technology for Academic Development from the UMass President's Office.

The introduction of computer technology into libraries has provided a new access tool in the research process. The research process has always involved accessing information resources. With computers in the mix now, the ability to evaluate and discriminate has become more important than ever, and mechanical skills associated with the technology have been added to an already long list of competencies to be mastered.

Any kind of university level competencies such as these imply a certain expectation of skills acquired in K-12. As a result of that realization, the UMass Literacy Project participants have begun to work with the Massachusetts School Library Media Association to develop K-12 competencies that show a logical progression to the University.

Definition of information literacy

The Committee adopted the widely cited American Library Association definition of information literacy as a set of abilities. "[I]formation literate people are those who have learned how to learn . . . they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning." Such students are able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information.

Source: American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. (Chicago: ALA), 1989.

Competencies

In their book Brainstorms and Blueprints: Teaching research as a thinking process, Barbara Stripling and Judy Pitts (1988) develop a research taxonomy in which different levels of the cognitive aspects of information literacy are delineated. They stress that these skills build on each other and that the higher level skills cannot be learned without mastery of the lower level skills. This is an important consideration for the University of Massachusetts. Entering students' information literacy competencies need to be assessed before determining the level at which to begin instruction. A summary of the taxonomy is as follows:

Level 1 Fact finding
Level 2 Asking questions
Level 3 Organizing information
Level 4 Evaluating/deliberating
Level 5 Integrating/concluding
Level 6 Conceptualizing

The following competencies incorporate virtually every level of this taxonomy, but care should be taken to make no assumptions regarding the students' levels of accomplishment prior to entrance to the University. Stripling and Pitts recommend that students not move on into the higher levels until the first three have been mastered, i.e., until they can find basic facts, ask questions about an information problem, and organize the information that they find.

University of Massachusetts students will . . .

1. Recognize the need for information

by articulating the assignment, project or information need
by stating the purpose of the information need
by initiating a search strategy
by relating the information needed to what is already known
by identifying appropriate and using general reference sources (including people, multimedia, WWW, and print) by restating concepts in own words

2. Formulate questions based on information needs

by using different types of questions (e.g., seeking information, analysis, opinion)
by developing a central question that is the foundation of a thesis statement
by noting key words, concepts, and phrases

3. Identify potential sources of information

by identifying and using types of resources relevant to the research topic (including multimedia, people, WWW, and print, etc)
by developing an awareness of the structure of databases
by understanding the limitations of databases and print resources (dates, errors, self-imposed subject matter limits, timeliness, updates)
by differentiating between primary and secondary sources
by identifying possible databases to be searched

4. Develop and use successful search strategies

by accessing print and technology based sources of information
by using electronic resources to locate, retrieve and transfer information
by knowing when and how to obtain assistance from a reference librarian, particularly when accessing library resources
by systematically organizing information
by understanding the advantages and disadvantages of different database search techniques (truncation, free text, fixed vocabulary, combined free text/fixed vocabulary, Boolean)
by being able to broaden and narrow searches as necessary
by recognizing that information is organized in one or a combination of ways (e.g., by date, by author, by geographic location, by type of product, etc)
by interpreting information found in reference sources, including electronic sources
by revising or expanding the thesis statement as necessary
by using subject headings or cross references to find additional resources
by crediting sources
by using electronic resources to locate, retrieve and transfer information
by following established etiquette and local guidelines for using electronic resources
by determining availability of resources and knowing how to obtain those not available locally
by knowing how to print, photocopy, download, etc.

Evaluate information

by differentiating between fact and opinion
by identifying currency, authority (motive, point of view, bias, scholarship, intended audience, objectivity, consistency)
by eliminating irrelevant pieces of information
by distinguishing between popular and scholarly resources

Use information

by communicating clearly
by paraphrasing accurately
by determining the most effective means of presentation (decide purpose, audience, process)
by preparing an accurate bibliography
by integrating information from a variety of sources

UMD home page

UMD Library Home Page
Documents written & edited by: Shaleen Barnes

Please send comments to sbarnes@umassd.edu