INFORMATION LITERACY MODELS

WEEKLY SUMMARY OF INFORMATION LITERACY MODEL

Various models of information literacy have been proposed to guide the development of necessary competencies in information literacy skills. These frameworks support the creation of information literacy curricula and promote an integrated approach to teaching that enhances understanding of diverse information forms and sources. Notable models include: i) Big6 information skills (Eisenberg and Berkowitz, 1990), ii) Seven Pillars of Information Literacy (SCONUL Advisory Committee, 1999), and iii) Pathways to Knowledge (Pappas and Tepe, 2002). James Herring's 1996 model, along with Bruce's Seven Faces of Information Literacy created in 1997, are noted contributions to the field of information literacy.

1.     BIG6 Information skills Model

The Big6 information skills model, developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz in 1990, is a widely recognized framework for information literacy. It outlines a systematic approach to solving information problems, integrating information search and use skills with technology tools. The model is significant for its emphasis on technological skills, guiding individuals in recognizing their specific information needs and progressing through various stages to find, use, apply, and evaluate information effectively.

The Big6 model is a widely recognized framework for teaching information and technology skills applicable across various educational contexts. It comprises six logical stages, beginning with task definition, where individuals identify and articulate information problems to guide their search for necessary information.

Information-seeking strategies involve clearly defining the information problem and selecting the appropriate sources to address it. After prioritizing information needs, individuals must locate and access information from various resources, including electronic ones. Once useful resources are identified, engagement with the information such as reading or listening is necessary to determine relevance and extract applicable insights for effective utilization.

Synthesis involves restructuring and repackaging information relevant to a defined task into a new form. Evaluation assesses whether the gathered information meets the specified task requirements. The Big6 information problem-solving model necessitates the progress through each stage at different times, enhancing engagement in students during task-oriented information application and decision-making processes.

The stages in the Big6 approach do not require a specific order or timeframe for completion, but all must be finished for overall success. Stages can be revisited multiple times, and their completion may vary in difficulty. The Big6 method offers a systematic structure for developing curricula and distinct problem-solving skills.

In information literacy education, the Big6 model promotes metacognition, helping learners become aware of their cognitive processes and presented as a problem-solving framework applicable in various contexts. However, it has notable weaknesses, including users' frequent inability to articulate clear information needs and an over-reliance on problem-solving language, which may not adequately address the contextual nature of information use.

Another weakness of the Big6 model is its neglect of legal and ethical issues critical to teaching and learning. It also lacks collaborative elements. Furthermore, the application of Big6 skills faces challenges such as information overload that can overwhelm students.

2.     Seven Pillars of Information Literacy Model

The SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy model is widely recognized in the field.

First published in 1999 and revised in 2011, the Seven Pillars Model defines the essential skills and competencies required for information literacy development in higher education. Key skills include managing, evaluating, presenting, gathering, identifying, planning, and scoping information. It also emphasizes the necessary attitudes and behaviours for an information literate individual.

 Understanding one's knowledge gaps, fostering a continuous learning habit, and utilizing various search tools while acknowledging their pros and cons are essential for information literacy. The model shows that this development is circular, not linear, with individuals potentially progressing in multiple areas concurrently. Each area is detailed by specific skills, competencies, and attributes.

This model outlines generic skills and understanding for various user communities, emphasizing attributes with adaptable language. It serves as a flexible tool for individuals and teachers to tailor to specific needs. The Seven Pillars model positions library and IT skills as fundamental to information literacy and proposes a non-binary framework of five expertise classes for identifying these skills.

In the seven pillars of information literacy, individuals can advance from novice to expert or regress if they do not adapt to a changing information environment. While all skills are essential, progress is often limited by experience level. The interaction among the pillars raises concerns, as the model does not fully define information literacy as a process. Notably, the reflective process is viewed as an expert skill rather than a component of the learning process, challenging the principles found in critical thinking models.

The Seven Pillar model fails to account for the diverse terminologies related to information literacy, including digital literacy, computer literacy, information handling, information skills, data curation, and data management. In contrast, the Pathways to Knowledge model, developed by Marjorie Pappas and Ann Tepe in 2002, focuses on information seeking and research processes, emphasizing constructivism and enquiry-based learning for both students and adults. This model addresses key aspects of information literacy and cultural heritage awareness throughout lifelong learning.

3.     Pathways to Knowledge Model

The Pathways to Knowledge model facilitate information literacy training, emphasizing online searching skills. It enables students to find, evaluate, and use information while reflecting on their research process. Designed to encourage continuous exploration and a positive attitude towards information use, the model includes six steps and outlines principles of learning, content standards, democratic values, technology, and necessary knowledge and behaviours.

At the appreciation stage, individuals engage with a topic through sensory means. During pre-search, they assess prior knowledge, establish a focus, and explore relationships. The search phase involves seeking sources, planning a strategy, and selecting resources. In the interpretation stage, individuals evaluate information and reflect to derive personal meaning. Finally, in the communication stage, they organize and present their research effectively.

This stage emphasizes the continuous evaluation of products and processes throughout the information-seeking pathway model. Each stage incorporates various strategies, with appreciation and evaluation being crucial elements that persist through the entire process. Appreciation, linked to curiosity and imagination fostered by arts and media, is foundational to information literacy, while evaluation is essential at every phase rather than solely at the end.

School library media specialists value the affirmation of appreciation as a strength in promoting literature and lifelong learning. The "pre-search" stage encourages students to explore and connect prior knowledge with their topics, emphasizing the importance of planning before starting assignments. The next stage, "search," involves learners identifying relevant information sources, including electronic ones.

During this stage, researchers select information providers, resources, and tools before developing a search strategy to locate relevant information for their research needs. They utilize both print and electronic resources and often collaborate with experts like librarians. Historically, library instruction has primarily emphasized the skills necessary to identify and locate these information resources to improve user access.

In this model, while highlighting the significance of information skills, various search strategies such as browsing and hierarchical searching are identified as components of researchers' information literacy. The fourth stage involves "interpretation," where searchers analyse, synthesize, and evaluate information to assess its relevance and utility in addressing their research needs. This recursive reflection, as noted by Pappas and Tepe, encourages students to view information literacy as an active engagement in the information landscape, rather than just a collection of skills.

The fifth stage of communication involves organizing, applying, and presenting knowledge pertinent to research questions. Searchers select a suitable format for conveying their findings, which can be visual, oral, or multimedia. The pathways model stresses the ethical use of information and respect for intellectual property. Although "evaluation" is the last stage, it occurs continuously in this nonlinear process, enabling searchers to revise and develop their personal information-seeking strategies.

Through a continuous evaluation and revision process, searchers gain independence in their inquiry-based learning. This constructivist model builds on prior knowledge, allowing individuals to construct knowledge across various sources and produce diverse outcomes. It addresses the information literacy process, including affective aspects, search strategies, and both general and specific methods. However, the model faces criticism for its complexity, especially for early learners.

The Pathways to Knowledge model prioritizes enquiry learning processes over content and is tailored for school environments, lacking suitability for higher education and informal learning.

4.     The PLUS Model

The PLUS Model, developed in Scotland and published by James Herring in 1996, promotes information literacy by guiding students in identifying their purpose, and locating relevant sources through both print and electronic means.

To effectively use ideas and information, individuals should engage in reading for information and note-taking while reflecting on their information skills through self-evaluation. The proposed model integrates key elements from existing education and information literacy theories, such as the Big6, and organizes them into four interrelated steps that are not strictly linear.

The PLUS model is an effective information-solving process comprising four interrelated steps that students or individuals must master to address information problems. The acronym stands for an easily memorable framework; the first step is "Purpose," which involves identifying the research task's goals, including recognizing prior knowledge, developing questions or keywords, reflecting on potential sources, and engaging in brainstorming activities.

In the second step of the process, users identify relevant resources through libraries, the internet, and human sources like librarians, involving media selection and the use of catalogues and indexes. The third step, the core of the process, requires engaging with resources via reading, viewing, and listening to identify relevant information while combining it with prior knowledge. It encompasses purposeful selection, evaluation of information for currency and bias, note-taking, synthesizing, and presenting findings in written or oral formats.

Self-evaluation encourages students to reflect on their achievements and learning for continuous improvement, rather than just at the end of a process. The PLUS model emphasizes that information literacy goes beyond a mere skill set; it involves critical and reflective abilities necessary to navigate and adapt to diverse information environments, including online resources. Empirical studies have investigated the application of the PLUS model within educational contexts.

5.     Seven Faces of Information Literacy Model

The Seven Faces of Information Literacy model, developed by Christine Bruce in 1997, presents distinct "conceptions" of information literacy as various qualitative relationships between individuals and their information environments. This model has faced criticism similar to the Big6 model, particularly regarding its failure to articulate well-formed information needs and neglecting early phases and the affective dimension important for acquiring information literacy skills.

The Seven Faces of Information Literacy model outlines seven perspectives on information use. The first face emphasizes information technology conception, focusing on the individual's ability to access, retrieve, and communicate information through technology. The second face, information source conception, pertains to the skill of finding information from various resources. Lastly, the information process conception centres on the strategies employed to tackle and execute information tasks.

The document discusses three conceptions of information control and knowledge. The "Information Control Conception" emphasizes individual capabilities to manage information through various systems, including memory and computers. The "Knowledge Construction Conception" focuses on building a personal knowledge base by critically analysing and evaluating information. Lastly, the "Knowledge Extension Conception" highlights the importance of working with knowledge and personal perspectives to achieve novel insights and creativity in information usage.

The text emphasizes the role of information as a problem-solving tool, advancing to a conceptualization of information literacy that incorporates wisdom. This includes the ethical use of information and the development of personal values such as judgment and critical decision-making. The acquisition of information literacy skills is portrayed as a mastery of processes and learning tools, situated within a technological context. The Seven Faces model underscores the interplay between technology and information while defining key literacies across seven dimensions.

The Seven Faces model is distinct for its mandatory structural adherence, differing from models like Big6 and Seven Pillars. It employs a faceted structure to discuss literacy elements, emphasizing broad concepts without establishing specific relationships among the facets. Despite these differences, it shares key ideas, including the significance of locating and comprehending sources, defining the structure and scope of information problems, and synthesizing knowledge.

This model emphasizes the technological context over social contexts, highlighting that the shift to digital formats significantly impacts information usage in technologically advanced societies.