Information Literacy in Nova Scotia: Systematic Mapping of High School Learning Outcomes

Cora-Lynn Munroe-Lynds

doi:10.29173/cais1217

Abstract

Information literacy has never been more important for the functioning of the democratic process, and for autonomy over one’s decisions. The Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) created a framework for information literacy, which lists six threshold concepts that an information literate individual possesses. This paper seeks to identify information literacy embedded in the Nova Scotia high school curriculum learning outcomes. Information literacy threshold concepts were mapped in the learning outcomes using qualitative coding. Findings from this study will reveal strengths and weaknesses in IL competencies in the Nova Scotia high school courses. This study also provides recommendation for future research.

Highlights

Matsubayashi & Freud (2019) conducted a study that found 86% of Canadian undergraduate students used specific sites, including social media, to find news information, and 40% of Canadian undergraduate students used search engines, like Google
As you see from the figure, more than 75% show no evidence of information literacy threshold concepts
COVID-19 has highlighted the need for information literacy competencies

Summary

Introduction

Matsubayashi & Freud (2019) conducted a study that found 86% of Canadian undergraduate students used specific sites, including social media, to find news information, and 40% of Canadian undergraduate students used search engines, like Google. Search engines are designed to populate results based on what the algorithm determines you, as a user, will like (Bergstrom & Bak-Coleman, 2019). Because information is created by everyone and curated by algorithms based on enjoyability, social media sites are a hot spot for misinformation. As Allcott and Gentzkow (2017) contend, most fake news circulation takes place on social media news feeds. This is the case because social media sites are “systematically exploited to manipulate and alter public opinion” This is the case because social media sites are “systematically exploited to manipulate and alter public opinion” (Ferrara, 2017, p. 1)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion