Information Literacy and Inquiry
Information Literacy and Inquiry tests how candidates teach learners to question, search, evaluate, use, and create information ethically. Expect questions on inquiry models, source evaluation, media and digital literacy, academic integrity, AI-generated content, citation, formative assessment, and instructional scaffolds. The specialist is a teacher of process, not only a provider of resources.
Inquiry frameworks
- The AASL Shared Foundations (Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, Engage) and Ohio's learning standards emphasize inquiry.
- Models include Guided Inquiry Design (Kuhlthau), Big6, and Stripling's model; choose one and use common language across grades.
- Scaffold stages: open or immerse, explore, identify, gather, create, share, evaluate; teach question formulation and search strategies explicitly.
Evaluation and ethics
- Teach lateral reading: leave the site to check who is behind it, corroborate claims, and trace evidence.
- CRAAP (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) is a starting checklist, not a verdict; combine it with lateral reading.
- Address bias, sponsored content, AI-generated text and images, primary versus secondary sources, and citation.
- Model copyright, fair use, Creative Commons, and academic integrity; require process evidence such as notes, drafts, and reflections.
Worked example
A student finds a .org article claiming a health benefit. Reasoning: check the domain's ownership and mission, open new tabs to see what independent sources say, trace the cited study, and compare with a database source. The .org suffix alone proves nothing. The specialist coaches the process and asks the student to justify the source in a note, not simply to label it "good" or "bad."
Traps that cost marks
- Teaching evaluation as a one-time checklist or a single lesson.
- Assuming .gov, .org, or .edu sources are automatically credible.
- Ignoring AI tools or banning them without teaching ethical use.
- Assessing only the final product, not the inquiry process.
- Letting students cite without teaching paraphrase and attribution.