Achieving Information Literacy

Proposal to the University for an Information Literacy Program

July 2000 (amended February 2001)

Indicative IT and Information Literacy Standards

Information Literacy standards are used by many universities, in Australia and elsewhere, to identify the skills students need to critically engage with content and extend their investigations, become more self directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. These are also skills which students will require when they move into employment. Information Literacy standards are useful in the development of "graduate attributes" (for both undergraduate and postgraduate students). Staff within universities also need to be 'information literate'. However, the assessment of competency of staff is a more complex issue than for students and is one which will need to be discussed within the University community.

Information Technology (IT) literacy standards, or computer literacy standards, complement information literacy standards. Increasingly people need to be able to use information technologies (eg. computers, networks) to access information. Computer skills are essential for many day-to-day tasks.

In respect of students, every standard is not relevant to every subject, discipline or role within the University community. This needs to be looked at in the context of the course of study being undertaken and the expectations of employers or professional bodies.

Information and IT literacy standards provide a framework for assessing the information literate individual. The Standards outline the process by which teaching staff, librarians and others pinpoint specific indicators that identify a student as information literate.

The Council of Australian University Librarians (CAul) is developing Australian Information Literacy Standards, based on the American Association of College and Research Library Standards. Members of the ILP team, with the support of the University Librarian, Colin Steele, have participated in that process. When the Australian Standards are endorsed by CAul, the ILP team will use them, rather than the American standards, as the basis for developing ANU information literacy standards and programs to provide our students, and staff, with the necessary skills and attributes.

{Note: Australian Information Literacy Standards have now been endorsed by CAul.}(Jan 2001)

Draft IT Literacy Standards

Students and staff who are IT competent can make efficient use of basic computer and web applications, and where appropriate to their work, can use University administrative systems.

ANU staff and students who are IT literate can:

ANU IT 1: Make efficient use of standard computer applications

ANU IT Element 1a: Understand the basics of their desktop computer and follow ANU policies and procedures for use of information technology services

ANU IT Element 1b: Create and use word-processed documents

ANU IT Element 1c: Create and use tables and spreadsheets

ANU IT Element 1d: Extract, import and present data

ANU IT Element 1e: Use electronic mail

ANU IT Element 1f: Use the ANU web pages effectively as a source of information

ANU IT 2: Make effective use of University administrative systems relevant to job requirements.

ANU IT 3: Create Web pages and publish on the Web for the ANU.