Applying a Critical Pedagogical Perspective to Information Literacy Standards

Abstract

The need for information literacy in the curriculum has been recognized in several educational and workforce standards. These standards present a prescribed view of information literacy that emphasizes the economic need but undervalues the social nature of information and the experience students possess as information users. Theorists and educators within the higher education literature have developed a critical pedagogical approach to education that draws on theorist Paulo Freire and a social reconstructionist view of the curriculum. A critical pedagogical approach to information literacy seeks to counter the mechanistic view of information literacy offered by the standards. This approach seeks to understand information as a social construct and engage students in the educational process, ultimately, making information literacy more vital to the curriculum.

Key Words:

• Information literacy
• Paulo Freire
• social reconstruction
• information literacy standards
• critical pedagogy