Information literacy for Educators

Discipline knowledge is the keystone of tertiary education and remains the most effective medium by which to impart the skills required for lifelong learning. Information literacy knowledge, skills and understanding are most effectively learned when established within the context of a discipline-related need, in conjunction with the effective and efficient use of technologies.

The development of information literate students is also more likely to succeed when based on a process of inquiry-based learning, which is the modelling of content through imitation and identification.

It is important for university educators to maintain and demonstrate high levels of information competence to remain current with learning objectives and technological advances.

• Objectives
• Actions for Educators
• Resources
• Support

Objectives

Teaching staff, either independently or in collaboration with QUT Library, seek to:

• embed information literacy and skills within discipline specific contexts
• scaffold skills and literacies throughout the course, ensuring that student information literacy skills are current
• prepare students as lifelong learners to navigate information and technology in their industry or research in their discipline
• engage with staff development programs which support mastery of information concepts and skills.

Actions for Educators

• Model the principles and practices of reflective information literate behaviour.
• Include information literacy skills in assessment criteria and tasks, to create learning opportunities that support skill development.
• Scaffold information literacy skills development at a whole of course level to progress students from theory to practice.
• Select learning activities relevant to a unit's learning design and pedagogical approaches to develop information literacy skills.
• Ensure students are able to demonstrate the Information Literacy attributes and standards.

Resources

QUT Library provides a number of resources for learners and teachers to use to develop information literacy skills, such as:

• Study Smart - a resource for students looking to develop their information research and literacy skills and achieve assignment success at university.
  
• QUT cite|write - a guide to citing, referencing, and academic writing at QUT.
  

Support

QUT Liaison Librarians support information literacy learning and can provide advice, resources and workshops.