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As discussed earlier in this Curriculum (Part 1) various pedagogical approaches are possible. Please review the list in Part 1 and decide which approach to apply to the suggested activities below and others that you may formulate.

• Define critical thinking. Discuss the role of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information in critical thinking. Present a meaningful and valuable case in the context of learners’ daily lives.
• Define the term 'information overload' and relate it to the concept of an 'infodemic' wherein people struggle to distinguish information from misinformation content.

The stages/elements of information literacy include:

• Identifying/recognizing information needs
• Determining sources of information
• Locating or searching for information
• Analyzing and evaluating the quality of information
• Organizing, storing or archiving information
• Using information in an ethical, efficient and effective way
• Creating and communicating new knowledge
   
• Discuss, in general, the stages/elements of information literacy (see Woody Horton Jr., 2007 Understanding Information Literacy – a Primer. Paris, UNESCO, pages 9 - 13 and Annex B).
• Have participants prepare a checklist of key skills needed at each stage/element of the information literacy process. How does this apply in different problem-solving contexts? How would you identify and accurately define information needed to solve a problem or make a specific decision (e.g. 'financial advice information to deal with a financial problem')?
• Sources of information can be categorized in three broad groupings: primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Describe these sources of information to educators and guide them to give examples of such sources.

• There is a significant change in the way the world works today. Rapid technological growth has enabled information and knowledge to become the engine of economic, social, political and cultural life. Emerging from this phenomenon is what has been called information society, with the objective upheld of becoming “knowledge societies”.
  • Carry out a search in your library or on the Internet on the term ‘information society’. Describe the key assumptions underlying the information society. Discuss the relevance of these assumptions to life and learning in today’s society. Do the same using the term ‘knowledge society’. Note how UNESCO uses thisterm in the plural, in order to refect diversity. What are the perceived similarities and differences between the two concepts, if any?
  • Ask educators and learners to write what they think information literacy, including library skills, involves, based on their own knowledge. They should also list five reasons why having these skills is relevant to navigate today’s information society.
  • Ask educators to draw a diagram with necessary annotations describing the relationship between information, the information society, ICTs, information overload and media and information literacy (MIL). Discuss the choice of diagram used and how they decided to place the different concepts in certain positions.
  • Discuss with educators and learners how the level of information literacy changes/ increases during our lifetimes, particularly from undergraduate to graduate and professional levels (in a context of lifelong learning). Discuss the information and knowledge production cycle. Analyse the role, functions and accountability of content providers in society. Discuss how information literacy skills are developed using ICTs.
  • Describe what makes a learner information literate.
  • Compare and contrast how different kinds of information are generated, their common characteristics, and their uses and value to health and well-being, in civil society, in the education sector and for work and economic activity.
• Research and debate one or several of the following topics:
  • Information is an input to action or decision-making, and not simply a commercial commodity (for reference, see Towards Literacy Indicators, UNESCO, 2008, page 14).
  • The provision of and access to information is a source of power and control in society.
  • Does information literacy require separate skills to those for using ICT (i.e. skills linked to digital literacy)? For example, can people be media and information literate in the absence of digital literacy… and vice versa?
  • Discuss cultural attitudes to information. How is information viewed and valued in your society? How do views on printed information (e.g. from the major newspapers) compare with information appearing on screens? What is the relationship between information and power, and print media and digital media? What is the identity of the person(s) behind the information generated? Is knowledge of this information important and why? Propose the following activities to educators:
  • Assess the value of information from print media (e.g. newspapers, magazines, etc.) and the costs associated with its storage, retrieval and use. The investigation should also address the following issues: the value of the information based on the benefits it generates, the realistic value of the information based on its availability or non-availability, and the consequences for users if information is not available
  • Discuss how media and information literacy skills are relevant for combating diseases, enhancing employment opportunities or improving a teacher’s classroom pedagogical practices.
  • Using either the Internet or a library or both, identify a problem or issue to investigate in one of the following areas: civic education, science, social studies, history, or geography. Present the results of your research using presentation software. After the presentation, refect on the following: How did you select what you wanted to present from the wide variety of information available on the topic? What did you want more information on that you could not access, and how did this affect your presentation? Finally, did you transform the information you gathered to apply to your particular context? How and why?