Information Literacy Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
Information literacy is the ability to obtain, evaluate, and effectively use information to become responsible informed scholars and citizens.
The information literacy initiative at Montevallo focuses on the following five educational goals and corresponding learning outcomes related to the capabilities of information literate students:
Goal I. Information literate students determine the nature and extent of the information required.
Students will be able to:
a. Identify specific questions or problems needing further investigation.
b. Determine key terms and related concepts to guide the investigation.
c. Modify the information needed to achieve a manageable focus. [ACRL Standard I.1.d.]
Goal II. Information literate students identify and acquire sources for the information.
Students will be able to:
a. Access information using a variety of search strategies.
b. Identify the value of and differences between resources in a variety of formats (e.g., multimedia, database, website, audio/visual, book). [ACRL Standard I.2.c.]
c. Define an overall plan and timeline to acquire the necessary information.
d. Utilize sources according to standards in the disciplines.
Goal III. Information literate students assess the validity and the appropriateness of the information.
Students will be able to:
a. Understand how research is conducted, evaluated, and published in their respective disciplines.
b. Determine the extent to which the retrieved information satisfies the research questions or problems.
c. Examine and evaluate the retrieved information with regard to validity, reliability, and point of view or bias.
Goal IV. Information literate students effectively use the information to accomplish a specific purpose.
Students will be able to:
a. Apply information appropriately to the identified questions and problems.
b. Summarize and draw conclusions based on the information gathered.
c. Synthesize and systematically present evidence obtained from research to support conclusions.
Goal V. Information literate students understand issues and benefits associated with the responsible use of information.
Students will be able to:
a. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and legal dynamics involved in the use of published, confidential, and/or proprietary information.
b. Document paraphrased, directly quoted, or otherwise referenced information properly.
c. Recognize discipline specific standards of citation for acquired information and sources.
- ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education
These goals are achieved through a three-tiered developmental model that introduces information literacy at the foundational level in the General Education program, advances the skills through designated courses in the General Education program and in the majors, and focuses on mastery in upper-level courses within the majors.
Student Learning Outcomes across the curriculum
Here is a list of Student Learning Outcomes in the Advancing and Mastery IL courses at UM, as of Fall 2018
