Assessment of Information Literacy Skills: A Case Study

Abstract

"In the information society, the concept of IL is at the center of educational research. In higher education, university teachers and students need to keep up with current research trends in the application of IL skills. The generation, processing and storage of information has never been more marked in any age, as Manuel Castel writes in his work The World of Knowledge. Information therefore determines all aspects of life, and it is therefore necessary for those who choose a career in the intellectual field to be equipped with information skills. An information literate individual is able to recognise when and where information is needed, to find it, analyse it and apply it successfully. To be considered information-literate a person must be able to recognize the need for information and assess its scope, to locate information quickly and efficiently from a variety of sources and databases. He/she must be able to evaluate information and sources, and be able to organise and process information or create new knowledge, recognise and solve problems. After reviewed the studies and research on information literacy, a questionnaire survey of a sample of 230 university students in Hungary was used to assess students' information literacy. This paper presents the main results of the survey. "