OVERVIEW

Abstract

This web-based paper examines the integration of information literacy within formal curricula in Australia, and delineates its importance not only in formal schooling but also in post-compulsory education and the subsequent progression of our students into the workforce.

However, in order to investigate the issue, it is first necessary to achieve consensus on the meaning of the concept – a process that has been compared in numerous places to “nailing jelly to the wall”.

Using an amalgam of definitions, the extent to which it is delivered at school level is examined. Further appraisal is made, demonstrating its importance in the twenty first century workplace. The barriers to achievement of the goals are also discussed, with recommendations for addressing the issues raised.

Rationale: Why a web-based paper?

One of the most useful aspects of the Internet must be its ability to almost instantly deliver vast amounts of information at ‘point-of-need’, and ‘just-in-time’ rather than ‘just-in-case’. In utilising hyperlinks, the system is enhanced by the fact that a user maximises their time by accessing related information, rather than searching for it.

Additionally, research has demonstrated that learning is rarely linear. By offering a format that provides readers with the ability to easily switch between sections at will, rather than having to scan top to bottom to access other sections, the medium becomes part of the message rather than being responsible for merely delivering it.