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This guide is meant to be a resource for RCC faculty, students, and staff who have questions about information literacy and the new Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, developed by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). This guide contains information about the Framework, as well as links to books, databases, videos, and a wide range of websites that can be used to learn more about information literacy concepts, ideas, and standards.
Image from The Open University guide to Digital and Information Literacy.
The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education augments the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education which was first published in 2000. It is organized around 6 frames (see the tabbed box below), which are based around threshold concepts. It also draws on the concepts of metaliteracy and metacognition. Each frame contains a list of related knowledge practices and dispositions.
Threshold concepts are "those ideas in any discipline that are passageways or portals to enlarged understanding or ways of thinking and practicing within that discipline."
Metaliteracy is a concept that views information literacy as a set of abilities which allow students to be consumers and creators of information and to participate in collaborative spaces.
Metacognition is a related concept that refers to critical self-reflection, an awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.
Knowledge practices are demonstrations of ways in which learners can increase their understanding of the information literacy concepts contained in each frame.
Dispositions "describe ways in which to address the affective, attitudinal, or valuing dimension of learning."
The Framework encompasses information literacy as well as other types of literacy, such as digital literacy and visual literacy.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is based on a set of 6 frames, each with a list of related Knowledge Practices and Dispositions. The first frame is Authority Is Constructed and Contextual:
"Information resources reflect their creators' expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required."
To read more about this frame and what it means, see the section of the Framework on Authority Is Constructed and Contextual.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is based on a set of 6 frames, each with a list of related Knowledge Practices and Dispositions. The second frame is Information Creation as a Process:
"Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences."
To read more about this frame and what it means, see the section of the Framework on Information Creation as a Process.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is based on a set of 6 frames, each with a list of related Knowledge Practices and Dispositions. The third frame is Information Has Value:
"Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination."
To read more about this frame and what it means, see the section of the Framework on Information Has Value.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is based on a set of 6 frames, each with a list of related Knowledge Practices and Dispositions. The fourth frame is Research as Inquiry:
"Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field."
To read more about this frame and what it means, see the section of the Framework on Research as Inquiry.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is based on a set of 6 frames, each with a list of related Knowledge Practices and Dispositions. The fifth frame is Scholarship as Conversation:
"Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations."
To read more about this frame and what it means, see the section of the Framework on Scholarship as Conversation.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is based on a set of 6 frames, each with a list of related Knowledge Practices and Dispositions. The sixth frame is Searching as Strategic Exploration:
"Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops."
To read more about this frame and what it means, see the section of the Framework on Searching as Strategic Exploration.
