ACRL Framework for Information

Literacy for Higher Education:

An Introduction

Kristy Padron, MLISFAU Libraries

kpadron@fau.edu

The beginning (circa 2000):• Extended the work of the American

Association of School Librarians (AASL) Task Force on Information Literacy Standards.

• Emphases on the following:• IL is common to all disciplines, learning

environments, and levels of education.• Using multiple types of information during rapid

technological change.• Promote lifelong learning.• Standards, Performance Indicators and

Outcomes.

ACRL Information Literacy in Higher Education Competency Standards

• Initially a skill-centered approach.• It responded to the Boyer Commission

Report (1998) on improving undergraduate education.• A working group of governmental leaders,

educators and private sector leaders were concerned that undergraduate students were not finishing school with adequate preparation or skills for the workforce.

ACRL Information Literacy in Higher Education Competency Standards

July 2011: • Scheduled review of IL Competency

Standards by task force.• Unanimous decision made for revisions.

March 2013:• New task force begins work.• Discussion of key seminal works, notable

recent scholarly and professional literature.

The Move to the Framework

Post-March 2013:• Feedback loop: ACRL board of

directors, library community (ALA), experts & thought leaders.

• Multiple drafts (3 in all)

February 2015: Final version

The Framework is a living document that can be changed without a full vote.

The Move to the Framework

The Framework attempts to address a decentralized, fluid information environment.

• Information comes in multiple formats (print, online and multimedia) from a variety of sources (scholarly and non-academic publications, internet).

• Students are creators and also consumers of information.

• Emphasizes a meta-awareness of the identification, use of, interpretation, and creation of information and knowledge in order to function in rapidly-changing information environments.

• The key is to learn abilities to navigate multiple types of sources across various information environments.

What is so new and different?

The Framework integrates facets of learning theory and instructional design.

• Information literacy is more than learning specific skills and competencies.

• Addresses affective aspects of learning (learning can become disruptive and messy).

• Emphasizes a meta-awareness of one’s learning processes.

• Think about curriculum/instructional design and how it impacts learning.

What is so new and different?

“At the heart of this Framework are conceptual understandings that organize many other concepts and ideas about information, research and scholarship into a coherent whole.” --ACRL Framework

The conceptual understandings are based on work of Wiggins and McTighe, focusing on curriculum design and essential concepts in disciplines (threshold concepts).

Conceptual Understandings

• Threshold concepts: ideas in any discipline that are key to reaching a broadened understanding or ways of thinking and practicing.• Transformative• Integrative• Irreversible• Bounded• Troublesome

• Knowledge practices: Demonstrations of ways in which learners can increase their understanding of information literacy concepts.

• Dispositions: ways to address the affective, attitudinal or valuing dimension of learning.

“New” Elements to IL Frameworks

• The Six Frames:• Authority is Constructed and Contextual.• Information Creation as a Process.• Information Has Value.• Research as Inquiry.• Scholarship as Conversation.• Searching as Strategic Exploration

The Framework is not meant to be prescriptive, but rather inform, redesign, or spark ideas regarding library/campus collaborations.

Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

Association of College and Research Libraries (2000). Information literacy competency standards for higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.

_____ (2015). Framework for information literacy for higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework.

Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University (1998). Reinventing undergraduate education: A blueprint for America's research universities. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED424840.pdf.

FAU Libraries (2015). ACRL framework LibGuide. Retrieved from http://libguides.fau.edu/acrl_infolit.

Grassian, E. S. (2001). Information literacy instruction: Theory and practice. New York: Neal-Schuman.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Selected Resources