Ten Reasons to Teach Information Literacy for Credit

I'VE long advocated putting information literacy into the university curriculum and teaching it for credit. The best way to do this initially is to lodge a credit information literacy course within the core of each university major. Credit-bearing modules within existing courses through the curriculum

Thus, following the great tradition of how-to gurus and late night talk show hosts, let me present you with 10 reasons why we have to teach information literacy for credit.

INFORMATION LITERACY IS CRUCIAL TO A FULL EDUCATION

We teach public speaking, phys ed, even gaming and dance, all of which are viewed as credible academic subjects. But information literacy? Academic administrators tend to see it as remedial, not something that actually belongs in the mainstream curriculum.

Yet, when we consider the elements of information literacy, they are foundational to our very definition of "education." Where does information come from? How is it produced? What makes this piece of information better/more reliable/more relevant than that piece of information? How do I formulate a thesis or research question? How do I gather the right data to address the issue? How do I evaluate that data and turn it into a useful resource for problem solving? How do I address the ethical use of information?