Information literacy skills of undergraduates of University of Moratuwa

Abstract

Information literacy is "a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to define, locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information" (Association of College and Research Libraries, 2000). Hence, people are considered to be information literate when they are able to identify, locate, evaluate, organize, and effectively use the information to address and help resolve personal, job related, or broader social issues and problems (Catts, 2005; Catts and Lau, 2008). American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy states "ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organised, how to find information and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand" (American Library Association, 1989).

Information literacy skills are usually assessed using three distinct methodologies: self-evaluation that allows the assessment of skills at a particular point of time; third party evaluation that allows the assessment of an individual's learning/acquisition of skills; and peer evaluation that allows the evaluation of the possession of skills as perceived by peers (Camuffo and Gerli 2004; Graham and Tarbell 2006; Marsh, 1984). For this study, two of the above methodologies, namely, third-party evaluation (by the two authors) using a test and self-evaluation by undergraduates, have been used.