LieutenantMonkeyPerson800
We live in the age of information, where the physical, economic and…
We live in the age of information, where the physical, economic and social barriers that previously stemmed the flow of knowledge have been largely broken down by the internet and related technologies. This is the digital age, where computers and technologies are supremely powerful and the potential that they offer to human endeavour and particularly to education is great. However, in this world of digital information it is more critical than ever before to ensure that citizens of the world are information literate. People need the skills and values to enable them not just to access information but to use it to make informed judgements and choices, to make their voices heard and make a difference. Librarians have recognized this for many years and call these skills and values ‘information literacy’.
Information-literate people are discerning in their choice of information sources and their use of knowledge. They are judicious citizens who can use information to transform their circumstances, create new knowledge and reach their full potential. There is a growing recognition that simply providing access to information through digital technology is not enough. There is a need to develop individuals with the ability to ask questions of the information they find and to evaluate sources critically. These abilities are recognized by UNESCO as human rights, fundamental to democracy (UNESCO, 2005) and they should be a goal for education everywhere.
Information literacy is particularly crucial for young people as they progress through school, further and higher education and into the place of work, but we also must ensure that everyone, whether retired or working, young or old, rich or poor, is equipped with these vital abilities. Educators are preparing children and young people for a world in which change is inevitable. Computing power has developed at such a speed that tasks that previously required large computers filling a room can now be undertaken using a device that fits in our pockets. It is a seemingly impossible task for teachers to prepare the child born in 2012 for careers and professions that they cannot imagine. Yet if the pace of technological development over the past 25 years continues, our need for an increasingly skilled and digitally literate population will only become more critical. However, for the most part, the education sector has failed to recognize the crucial role that information literacy plays in human development.
The world has moved from an industrial society to an information society. Answers to questions are seemingly at the end of our fingertips – and very soon voice recognition technologies might even make our fingertips redundant. Yet in a world awash with information and knowledge, young people appear increasingly unable to carry out independent research, reluctant to argue and to challenge big ideas and to take risks to discover new knowledge. Instead they readily copy and paste ideas rather than read and critique them. In the UK, we might blame this on the formal education system which has been criticized for focusing largely on assessing the recall of facts.
This is not a state that teachers, parents, employers and governments are happy with. In fact, there is considerable concern and a growing awareness about this situation and the problems it might be causing. A recent report by Demons on young people’s critical use of the internet suggested that helping them navigate hugely variable internet sources should be achieved not by tighter controls, but by ensuring that students can make informed judgements about the information they find (Barrlett and Miller, 2011, 4).
In the quest to develop students who think critically about information and have a thirst for knowledge, a small but increasingly vocal band of librarians has been battling for many years. Their information literacy initiatives are much to be admired. For many years librarians themselves have seen their role as being around collection building and knowledge organization, often based upon books. However, in the digital age we need to be curators of information and knowledge in all its forms. Books are simply a format in which human knowledge and endeavour can be recorded. But libraries are not merely repositories of information, collected for posterity. Libraries have a fundamental role in providing access to information and knowledge, to enable it to be used and communicated to others. In essence, libraries – whether they are public or academic libraries, school libraries or in the workplace – facilitate learning. In the digital age, the librarian must take a more central role in providing access to knowledge and information, and recognize their role as a facilitator of learning.
Question 11
According to the writers, an information literate person is someone who can perform all of the following, EXCEPT
– create new knowledge
– locate and access information
– transform digital technology
Question 12
Awareness about the importance of information literacy has been increasing among teachers, parents, employers and governments.
– true
– false
– no information
Question 13
By 2025 voice recognition technologies will take over the use of fingertips to operate most of the devices we use in our daily life.
– true
– false
– no information
Question 14
In paragraph 3, the writers mention “teachers” and “the child born in 2012” to
– illustrate how the pace of technological advancements has made the future unimaginable
– compare the development of children born in 2012 and those in the past 25 years
– explain how teachers play a crucial role in developing a child
Question 15
The writers emphasize the importance of information literacy especially for
– children going to school
– young people
– those who are working
Question 16
It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that
– the more powerful computers and technologies are, the higher the number of people who are literate
– the more powerful computers and technologies are, the less critical citizens of the world become
– the more powerful computers and technologies are, the more important it is for individuals to be information literate
Question 17
The underlined word “they” in paragraph 2 refers to
– information-literate people
– individuals with human rights, fundamental to democracy
– abilities to ask questions about information and to evaluate sources critically
Question 18
The underlined word “them” in paragraph 4 refers to
– young people
– ideas
– new knowledge
Question 19
According to the writers, access to knowledge used to be restricted by physical, economic and social factors.
– true
– false
– no information
Question 20
The writers urge that the roles of libraries and librarians must change because
– their costs have increased and some of them have been battling financially for many years
– physical books and library buildings take too much space
– they can contribute in more important ways to facilitating learning in the digital age
Help me vet my answers, please.
