Conference Overview

Welcome!
The 2013 Information Fluency Conference committee invites you to attend the 2013 Information Fluency Conference at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. This year's theme is "Critically Examining Information Fluency Education."

IF

 

In her article, Assessing Information Fluency: Gathering Evidence of Student Learning, Barbara Stripling says, “Information fluency is the ability to access, make sense of, and use information to build new understandings. The term ‘information fluency’ is now accepted in the field of library science as a replacement for ‘information literacy’ because students must not only know the skills, but also apply the skills fluently in any personal or academic learning situation. Information fluency skills make sense to students when they are engaged in a coherent process of inquiry and learning.” (Stripling, 2007)

 

This topic for the annual Information Fluency Conference to be held at the University of Central Florida, March 13-14, 2013, brings to light many questions about the technical and information culture on college and university campuses.  The emerging questions become, “What does the 21st century student need to know,” “How do we ensure the skills are learned by our students,” “How do we collaborate as faculty, professional staff, technology specialists, and librarians to infuse information fluency skills throughout a student’s education,” ”How do we create a coherent process of inquiry and learning,” and “How do we assess the skills learned and the value of those skills.”

 

There are many articles in the literature that critically examine information technology education, even more work on how to examine information literacy education, and an abundance of work on how to examine the critical thinking skills of students.  Little is found, however, on critically examining all of these areas together in a planned and intentional process.

 

How do we know our graduates are information fluent?  What is being done in colleges and universities around the world in teaching information fluency and in assessing information fluency?  ACRL and ITEE have skill sets that information fluent students need to possess.  Are they realistic?  How are they being incorporated into curriculum?  What changes are needed in the culture of and collaborative spaces on our campuses to ensure these skill sets are being met by our students? 

 

Join us as we discuss these issues and more during the 2013 Information Fluency Conference.

 

Presentations should fit into one of the following categories for the 2013 IF Conference:

  • Assessment of IF skills
  • Creative Instruction of IF Skills
  • Campus Culture and Collaborative spaces that promote IF Skills
  • Technology Literacy to Support IF Skills
  • Information Literacy to Support IF Skills
  • Critical Thinking to Support IF Skills
  • Adding Value to Graduates’ degrees through Information Fluency
  • The 21st Century Student

 

 
References
Stripling, Barbara, Assessing Information Fluency: Gathering Evidence of Student Learning, School Library Monthly, April 2007, Vol.23, Issue 8, p25-29.

 

  

 

Registration

 

 

Key Dates

October 26, 2012

Proposals are due to the UCF Office of Information Fluency

 

December 7, 2012

Notification of Acceptance or Rejection

 

December 21, 2012

Confirmation of Participation by Presenter

 

March 13 - 14, 2013

Conference

 

IF

 

Conference Committee Members