Information Literacy, Inquiry, and Technology
Domain 4: Information Literacy, Inquiry, and Technology
This domain tests how the specialist teaches inquiry, research, source evaluation, ethical use, digital citizenship, and technology integration. The exam expects pedagogy that transfers across subjects, not tool training in isolation.
Core rules and concepts
- Use an inquiry model such as Guided Inquiry Design or the AASL Inquire foundation: open, immerse, explore, identify, gather, create, share, evaluate.
- Teach question development before searching; narrow broad topics into answerable questions.
- Evaluate sources with criteria such as currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose, and verify claims through lateral reading.
- Teach citation and academic integrity as part of research, not as punishment.
- Integrate technology using frameworks such as ISTE Standards, TPACK, and SAMR; select assistive technology for accessibility.
- Include digital citizenship: privacy, safety, media literacy, and responsible use of AI tools.
Worked example
A student finds a nutrition website claiming a supplement cures disease. The librarian asks the student to check the date, author credentials, cited evidence, site purpose, and corroborating sources. The student discovers the site sells the supplement. The reasoning is that the evaluation is a reasoning process, not a checklist score; the commercial purpose explains the bias.
Traps
- Teaching a database's buttons instead of research strategies.
- Using source-evaluation checklists without corroboration.
- Requiring citation only after the product is finished.
- Adopting technology because it is new, without a learning purpose.
- Ignoring accessibility, privacy, or AI-use policies.