Evaluation of information literacy skills in students and a study of several influential variables

Abstract

The information literacy skill is one aspect of digital competence and a necessary and essential requirement for contemporary students. Hence our interest to know the level children /and young people between 11 and 13 years have acquired in information literacy skills. To this effect, we have applied a validated assessment test with a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability measure of .70, in a sample of 600 subjects in the province of Salamanca, in Castile and Leon. The results reveal that students have various devices at home. Children show an average level of knowledge and skills in information literacy. The information literacy competency is slightly higher, and the competency for browsing, searching and filtering data is below average. Inferential analyses show significant differences in the storage and retrieval of information competency (p = .004) and in the total score in the information field (p = .013) in favour of girls. The results indicate that boys use the game console more than girls to perform simulations and play video games. Girls, on the other hand, carry out more academic activities outside school than boys do, in particular, to create presentations with the computer or the tablet. These results point out the need to work with students and develop the information literacy at an early age so that they can make appropriate use of technological devices. Teachers must organize learning tasks so that students learn how to access the information that can be found in different sources to promote their critical judgment. This will allow them to identify and select reliable information and also to learn to organize and classify the gathered information.