Foundation learning outcomes are intended to help develop the skills that underpin other types of learning and are necessary to succeed personally, academically, and professionally.

By studying Information Literacy, we can recognize what information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use that information effectively and ethically.

Perspectives

We wake up in the morning, and, barely conscious, we reach for our cell phones or laptops. With a deep breath, we start scrolling to catch up on what happened with our friends, family, and around the world while we were asleep. From that point through the rest of the day, we are inundated with information. Through social media, the news, talking with people at school and at work, images, quantitative and qualitative data, advertisements, there is a constant stream of information surrounding us.

Some of the information we are bombarded with we are aware of, but some information influences us almost without our realizing it. As a result, it can be difficult to differentiate accurate information, misinformation, disinformation, and, even, propaganda. As Kaiser Moffat in “The Importance of Media Literacy” (2018) notes, “In a perfect world, both sides of every argument or depiction would be presented and we would be able to make informed decisions based on the information we receive in the media; however, most often people create media to influence you in one particular way.” Being able to make up our own minds about information is essential in almost all aspects of our lives. Practicing Information Literacy can help us do that.

Concepts to Consider

Information Literacy encompasses a variety of skills. When we are the ones searching for information, rather than making sense of what is given to us, we need first to understand what it is we need. In classes, the topic or a general subject is presented to us. This is a starting point, but, from there, once we decide on more specific arguments or ideas, we need to find information that will both give us more context and provide us with an understanding of what others know and what they are saying. In many cases, in college, we are encountering new subjects about which we may know very little at the beginning of the process, so we need to gain a working knowledge. Additionally, as individuals, we have only one perspective on a topic; there are many others out there and probably experts who have been thinking about and researching related subjects for a long time. If we are to have an informed opinion, we need to know what they have already thought and discussed.

Recognizing what information we need goes beyond the classroom. We encounter new experiences every day, and, more than likely, we are unfamiliar with a good portion of them. For example, if we are diagnosed with a medical condition for the first time, we likely do not know the symptoms, the treatment options, or what to expect, so it is important to know what information we need in order to address that condition. When we rent or buy an apartment or home, the same is true. We have to ask: what information do I need? Learning effective methods for identifying what we need or want to know means that we can find more and better information.

Once we know what information is needed, the next step is knowing how to locate that information. For small questions, many of us go to Google (or  some similar) for answers. If we are cooking and need to know how many cups are in a quart, it is easy enough to turn to Google for that information. But is it the most effective way to locate information on a more complex question? For instance, that medical condition? Or on an issue on a voting ballot with which we have little to no experience? Recognizing that there are multiple ways to find information, that each method has its own pros and cons, and then knowing how to best use them are necessary abilities.

After we have found information, then it is crucial we evaluate it. This step is where we need to begin when information is handed to us – through social media, by an acquaintance, in the news. Not all information is created equal. With the gift that is worldwide internet access comes the responsibility to vet the information we encounter, for it is all too easy to share incorrect information, whether accidentally or deliberately. As Carol Burnell, et. al., state in The Word on College Reading and Writing, “There’s a lot of great material on the Web, but there’s a lot of garbage, too. Being able to tell which is which is a digital-age-important life skill.” The skills to, by examining a piece of information, question and investigate its credibility, originator, purpose, biases, context, logic, and accuracy – some of which can be obvious, but others might be more (deliberately) obscure – can make the difference in our own decision-making and how we affect others. Practicing these skills in a variety of circumstances makes them a strong habit.

An important element in Information Literacy is how we use that information once we have obtained it – will we use it ethically or not? First, will we give credit to the source and not claim, actively or passively, that it is information we have created? Ideas belong to people, and it is theft to misrepresent their labor as our own. As an example, scientists James Watson and Francis Crick have been credited with discovering DNA’s double helix since the 1950’s, but since then we have learned that scientist Rosalind Franklin was equally involved in the discovery and the information she provided was not credited (Cobb and Comfort, 2023). This omission has stood for decades, not only miscrediting the full facts of the discovery but contributing to the erasure of women in science.

Second, will we represent the information accurately to the best of our ability? We can all make mistakes in the dissemination of information – we are, after all, human – but deliberately misrepresenting information for gain or to mislead someone is an unethical act. Individuals have the right to make their own decisions, and, to do that, they need access to accurate and unmanipulated information. Consciously providing inaccurate information can have adverse effects. Misrepresenting information due to apathy or lack of concern can have the same result, which is why it is necessary to learn the gravity of the ethical use of information and practice it (see Ethical Reasoning in chapter 5.3).

Burnell, et. al., claim that Information Literacy and “[k]nowing what’s going on in the world is, arguably, a citizen’s responsibility.” It is difficult to exercise the rights and privileges of citizenship (see Civic Learning in chapter 5.1), and therefore be a full participant in our various communities, if we do not have the ability – and humility – to recognize what we do not know, find the needed information, evaluate the accuracy of that information, and be committed to ethically using it.

Beyond civic responsibilities, there are simply the everyday benefits of Information Literacy. In addition to those suggested above, Burnell, et. al., comment, “Plus, it feels good to join in a conversation and know the facts, or to be sure we’re sharing a meme, social media post, or news article that’s accurate and trustworthy.” There is satisfaction in “being in the know” and compassion in not sharing harmful or misleading information with the world or even our specific corners of it.

As you read through this book, take note how many of the other general education skills connect to Information Literacy.

Information Literacy and Good, Necessary Trouble

False or fake information is having an effect in almost every aspect of our lives, from the mundane to the momentous. The World Economic Forum (Romeo, 2022) reports that research presented at the National Bureau of Economic Research Summer Institute “estimates that fake reviews cost online shoppers 12 cents for every dollar they spend and increase the chances that they buy a lower-quality product.” A World Health Organization review of infodemics and health misinformation (Borges do Nascimento, et. al., 2022, p. 557) found that “people are feeling mental, social, political and/or economic distress due to misleading and false health-related content on social media during pandemics, health emergencies and humanitarian crises.” Study after study has confirmed the role of mis- and disinformation on negative perceptions of the Black Lives Matter movement (see  Wright, Gatlin, Acosta, &  Taylor, 2023; Klein, 2022).

Some definitions may be helpful. Misinformation is unintentional dissemination of incorrect information. Disinformation is the deliberate spreading of false information in order to mislead others. Propaganda is extreme forms of disinformation that are highly organized and generally political in nature. While intention is important in distinguishing among these types of fake information, the end result is often the same: the spread of information that is incorrect or flat out malicious, which can have an adverse effect on people’s beliefs, even promoting dangerous behaviors.

While such tactics are not new – we have evidence of disinformation campaigns back to the Romans – fake information can now spread almost instantaneously through digital means, particularly social media outlets: “ the lines between fact, entertainment, fabrication and fiction are increasingly blurred, and once disinformation is released, news distribution systems make it impossible to try to curb the virality of the publication” (Rey, 2021). Once something is out there, it lingers, which means it can be re-shared at any time.

Given these circumstances, it becomes an act of “good, necessary trouble” to make it a habit to check the validity of information, especially before sharing it with others. It takes time, and, sometimes, we just want to click “share” on a humorous meme without thinking, but we have a responsibility to our family, friends, and colleagues – and even further afield – to provide only the best information, especially on topics that have real consequences for others or our society.

Discussion 4.1

• If you have already taken a course with a primary focus on Information Literacy, think about what you were asked to do and what you learned. If you have not already taken an Information Literacy course, think about the types of courses you could take.
• In what ways did or might the idea(s) or example(s) discussed above apply in such a course?
• What other ideas or examples would you add to the discussion?