The goal of this week's post is to examine the various characteristics that describe an information literate individual and how to design instruction that helps to build each of these characteristics. In just a few short weeks, open enrollment will begin for the new Affordable Care Act (ACA), and I have already encountered patrons at the reference desk who are in need of more information regarding the different plans available to them and where to go to enroll. Many of these patrons either do not have access to online information or do not know how to access the information needed. Currently, the library I work at has dedicated an area of the library's website to assist patrons on how to access more information on enrollment. But how does this help those who lack basic computer skills? How can patrons who do not know how to navigate the Internet access the library's website to get more information on the ACA? What kinds of instruction can information professionals design that will address the needs of these particular individuals?
Let's begin by discussing what it means to be information literate. There are three very important characteristics that I think define an information literate individual. The first is being able to search for potential sources of information. Whether one chooses to look for print based materials in the reference section of their library or perform an online search, he or she must posses a basic understanding of how to search for information. The second characteristic is being able to evaluate sources for relevancy and reliability once they have been found. It can be intimidating to some to see hundreds of potential sources come up after performing a search. An information literate individual will know how to sift through the results and pick sources that are not only relevant to their needs but from reliable sources as well. Finally, after searching for information and finding sources that fit their needs, an information literate individual will be able to use the information they find to solve a problem. The problem one hopes to solve is what started the search for information in the first place.
So, how can information professionals use instruction to better develop or enhance these characteristics and how does it relate to health literacy? Since most of the information regarding the ACA is online, it would be helpful to establish basic computer skills classes that use the search for health information as a goal to increase information literacy and health literacy together. Through a series of progressive exercises, individuals will be able to navigate the Internet, use these navigation skills to search online databases or the library's catalog for health-related information, evaluate the sources they find for relevancy and reliability, and finally, use that information to make informed decisions about health care. One exercise will be dedicated to how to use the Health Insurance Marketplace to sign up for health coverage. In most states, the marketplace can be found by visiting www.healthcare.gov. However, certain states have their own marketplace. Insurance applicants in my state of Colorado, for example, can find the marketplace at www.connectforhealthco.com.
Individuals attending these classes will be receiving instruction on how to use computer hardware, establish an email account, and navigate the Internet all while searching for health-related information, especially information regarding insurance coverage. By the end of the series of courses, patrons will have improved their computer literacy by being able to use computer hardware to perform tasks and they will have increased their information and health literacy through performing searches on health related information, evaluating the sources they find, and using this information to solve health-related needs.
No comments:
Post a Comment