Preliminary communication

Lost in New Learning Environments – Found in Information Literacy Education

Jadranka Lazić_Lasić orcid.org/0000-0003-1075-9929 ; Department of Information and Communication Sciences
Sonja Špiranec ; Department of Information and Communication Sciences
Mihaela Banek Zorica ; Department of Information and Communication Sciences

Abstract

Contemporary constructivist learning theories implicitly define the role of information
literacy (IL) in educational systems since information literacy helps learners to
understand, critically question and cope with highly complex information environments.
The digital environment has additionally accentuated the interdependency
between the ability to interact with information and learning and thus strengthened
the role of information literacy in the educational context. The correlation between
IL and new learning theories raises questions about the level of information literacy
of new generations of learners – the Internet or Google generation – and about the
patterns that they follow in finding and using information for educational purposes.
A large body of literature discusses the transformation of information behaviour
and media habits of this new generation of learners.
This paper will clarify the concept of IL, its correlation with contemporary approaches
to learning and place it within the framework of 21st century literacies. Special consideration
will be given to the relation between information and media literacy whoseintertwining is strongly advocated by relevant institutions such as UNESCO. The aim
of the paper is to indicate the difficulties occurring in learning processes caused by
transformations in interactions with information through the analysis of relevant primary
research studies. Despite the widespread conviction that the young generation
of learners generally possesses high ICT skills, the results of various research studies
on information and media habits show horizontal information interactions oriented
primarily towards the quantity of information and characterized by a disregard for
a critical and meaningful interpretation of information. Perceived critical aspects of
such information behaviour will be compared and correlated to competencies developed
through the acquisition of IL. This correlative matrix should provide valid reasons
for the systematic integration of IL in educational processes.

Keywords

information literacy; „21.st century literacies“; media literacy; educational systems; Google generation; information behaviour; media habits; research overview

Hrčak ID:

85384

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/85384

Publication date:

21.6.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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