Information Literacy Learning Goals & Outcomes

University of Mississippi Libraries

Information Literacy Learning Goals & Outcomes

The University of Mississippi Libraries Information Literacy Learning Goals (ILLGs) and Learning Outcomes (ILLOs) serve to explicate information literacy within the context of higher education at our institution. The broader Learning Goals express what the UM Libraries hope students will gain during their time at the University, while the Learning Outcomes identify measurable expectations for how the UM Libraries will evaluate students’ gains in these areas.

Information Literacy Learning Goals (ILLGs)

Research as a Process

Students should recognize that research is often complex and messy. They should understand that research is not necessarily linear, but iterative, with setbacks, detours, and revisions to be expected. Students should recognize that although there is no exclusive way to research, some approaches are more effective than others.

Value of Information

Students should acknowledge that information has value and that some voices are recognized more than others. They should understand that different types of information have different publication processes and that those processes often privilege certain groups or perspectives. They should evaluate the authority of information based on its purpose and audience, recognizing that the value is contingent on the situation. They should acknowledge the privileges required to access and produce information, especially within the academy.

Participatory Scholarship

Students should view their academic work as participating in a larger conversation in the field. They should understand that scholars are in constant dialogue with one another through their published works, and that no conclusion is set in stone. Students should engage with this ongoing conversation in their work and recognize that they become part of a larger community of researchers by doing so.

Critical Dispositions

Students should cultivate certain habits of mind, such as persistence, flexibility, and creativity, in order to become successful researchers. They should recognize that these affective dimensions are of equal importance to the intellectual demands required to locate, evaluate, and use information. Students should understand that full engagement with the research process requires emotional and intellectual commitment.

Disciplinary Contexts

Students should recognize that research varies by discipline. They should understand that the conventions expected in one subject area may not be appropriate in another. Students should recognize that acceptable forms of evidence (e.g., data sets, maps, biological samples, letters), as well as interactions with, and approaches to, using an academic library, are a reflection of disciplinary conventions.

Information Literacy Learning Outcomes (ILLOs)

• Research as a Process Learning Outcome: Students will recognize that research is complex and messy.
• Value of Information Learning Outcome: Students will identify that information has value and that some voices are acknowledged more than others.
• Participatory Scholarship Learning Outcome: Students will describe their academic work as participating in a larger conversation in the field.
• Critical Dispositions Learning Outcome: Students will demonstrate certain habits of mind, such as persistence, flexibility, and creativity, in order to become successful researchers.
• Disciplinary Contexts Learning Outcome: Students will identify how approaches to research vary by discipline.