Information Communication & Technology Literacy Standards

Medium and message are two important parts of information and communication literacy.

Information and communication literacy are often defined as the ability to locate, use and disseminate information. In today's environment of ever-proliferating communication devices, although the goals remain much the same, the mediums through which information is passed, seemingly changes constantly.

Basic Skills

For teachers and students to be considered information and communication literate, they need to read and write fluently in their native language, use computers, telephones, cameras and other electronic devices easily, discriminate between reliable sources of information and unreliable, understand the value and legal implication of intellectual property, and create documents and objects in many formats.

Standards

Standards for information and communication literacy is set by a variety of institutions, including American Library Association, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Information and Communications Technology Standards Board and the European Commission. Although the primary components remain fairly constant, as new technologies are added, new skills are required.

Teaching Information

The need for students to read and write fluently in their native language remains constant; however, as technology changes, the medium employed for reading and writing changes. As new technologies proliferate, so do new standards of literacy.

References

• ICT Standards Board
• Seven Faces of Information Literacy in Higher Education
• Educators' Website for Information Literacy