Information Literacy
How can this website help me?
Are your students struggling to discern fact from fiction? Are they cynical about all types of information sources? Are you unsure how to help them navigate the overload of information they (and you) face?
Students and faculty at BYU are immersed in a constantly changing information landscape: AI, fake news, and misleading information on social media all contribute to a post-truth world. Information literacy is a discipline dedicated to educating students, faculty, and society on the importance of responsibly exploring, using, sharing, and creating information.
This website focuses on information literacy in a BYU context: it provides an academic definition of information literacy and a definition that is “bathed in the light” of the Gospel. Use this website to learn more about information literacy and how to incorporate it in the classroom.
What is Information Literacy?
It's more fully explained in the next tab over, but here's the working definition of information literacy at BYU.
Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities and dispositions encompassing the understanding of how information systems function, the reflective discovery of information, and the use of information in sharing and creating new knowledge so as to participate wisely in a variety of settings.
An information literate graduate will display a critical understanding of how information systems function and will wisely and intentionally participate in those systems as they consume, create, and share information to strengthen and serve professional, religious, family, and civic communities.
Put more simply, information literacy is a skill set and mindset that allows people to understand how information systems work, thoughtfully discover new information, and create and share knowledge. Info lit allows people to conscientiously participate in the world exchange of information, and we want that for all of our students.