Rebecca uieei

BFW
Reflection
Summei 2u14

While evaluating the seconu uiaft of the ACRL Fiamewoik foi Infoimation Liteiacy
foi Bighei Euucation, I founu the teiminology was something I haun't come acioss
befoie. The fiamewoik invokes the use of thiesholu concepts, which have been
uefineu as, "those iueas in any uiscipline that aie passageways oi poitals to enlaigeu
unueistanuing oi ways of thinking anu piactices within that uiscipline" (p. 1). I finu
this uefinition iathei ambiguous to appiehenu at fiist glance as infoimation liteiacy
skill often tiaveise uisciplinaiy bounuaiies. I founu in the appenuix of this
uocument the histoiy of thiesholu concepts biiefly explaineu along with a cleaiei
unueistanuing as to how infoimation liteiacy can be taught using thiesholu
concepts.

As iuentifieu in the pievious iteiation of thiesholu concepts, leaneis aie askeu to
entei into a shaieu naiiative oi uiscouise of a specifieu uiscipline. In oiuei foi this
to occui, stuuents must pass thiough "challenging 'gateways' oi poital concepts" (p.
2S). These "gateways" aie classifieu as "tiansfoimative, integiative, iiieveisible,
bounueu, anu tioublesome" (p. 2S). As such, the ACRL Taskfoice outlines six
thiesholu concepts that aie meant to tiaveise these "challenging gateways" in
infoimation liteiacy. They aie:

1. Scholaiship is a Conveisation
2. Reseaich as Inquiiy
S. Authoiity is Contextual & Constiucteu
4. Foimat as Piocess
S. Seaiching as Exploiation
6. Infoimation has value.

Each thiesholu concept is fiameu with "knowleuge piactices" which aie meant to
iuentify explicit abilities of leaineis as they engage with the concept. Auuitionally,
each fiame offeis a sense as to the uisposition of the leainei as they seek to become
expeits in theii fielu anu in theii infoimation liteiate skill set. As an example, the
thiesholu concept, "Scholaiship is a Conveisation" outlines abilities such as stuuents
can "iecognize that they aie often enteiing into the miust of a scholaily
conveisation, not a finisheu conveisation" (p. S). A uisposition of this same concept
is " (stuuents) seek out conveisations that aie taking place in theii aiea of ieseaich"
(p. S).

Reviewing these thiesholu concepts, I finu the oveiall effoit to be a useful stiategy
to outline the majoi themes anu skills infoimation liteiate inuiviuuals must
asceitain. The puipose of this uocument also constitutes the ielevance of
infoimation liteiacy while maintaining flexibility to uisciplinaiy inteiests. As such,
this uocument can be useu as a means to signify ielevance to uepaitmental faculty.
Iueally, a coupling of uisciplinaiy inteiests anu infoimation liteiacy concepts woulu
seive both the libiaiy anu oveiall college uisciplinaiy inteiests.

An obseivation I hau of these thiesholu concepts is that the "knowleuge piactices"
of each concept coulu be easily iuentifieu as a stanuaiu oi leaining outcome foi each
concept. The uispositions I think aie useful to uemonstiate to stuuents how a
peison functioning as a ieseaichei oi scholai within a fielu appioaches infoimation.
They allow the leainei to glimpse into what it means to woik fiom a scholaily
inteiest in a puiposeful anu uiiecteu fashion while ciitically analyzing theii own
woik anu the woik of otheis. Bowevei, the uifficulty that I see with these concepts
is how they can be piactically taught within the existing confines of libiaiy
instiuction. It is expiesseu in the uocument that the moie a libiaiian is embeuueu
within a couise oi piogiam, the bettei. Bowevei, even foi the fully embeuueu
libiaiian, theie is nothing expiesseu within this uocument as to how a libiaiian can
assess the piogiess of stuuents with these thiesholu concepts.

Auuitionally, the language useu foi these fiames is they "aie intenueu to
uemonstiate movement of thinking fiom novice to expeit in a specific aiea" (p. S) I
have tiouble with use of the woik "expeit" in the context of infoimation liteiacy
skills foi two ieasons. 0ne, scholaiship is meant to auu to an evei-evolving bouy of
knowleuge. Realistically, to be an "expeit" in the fielu woulu mean to stay cuiient
anu infoimeu of changes within the fielu, but I think the teim "expeit" means that
they have accumulateu all necessaiy infoimation neeueu to know a fielu. In ieality,
this is a tempoial ieality, anu teaching stuuents it is possible to be an "expeit" in
something is a false claim. Two, the evei changing access points to infoimation
means that one will also have to continuously leain new ways to acciue uesiieu
infoimation. While stuuents aie eniolleu in couises they may become veiy familiai
with infoimation access points available to them thiough the libiaiy. Bowevei,
when they giauuate they will lose access to online uatabases that they weie once so
accustom to. Theiefoie, when teaching infoimation liteiacy, theie has to be
flexibility in teaching the immeuiate tools at theii uisposal as well as ways to
tiansfei theii existing knowleuge to othei access points.

While I uo not like the usage of the teim "expeit," I uo think the thiesholu concepts
offei a useful appioach to leaining infoimation liteiacy skills that is ielevant beyonu
the immeuiate stuuent expeiience. It is also expiesses in the uocument that these
concepts aie meant to be flexible to a vaiiety of uisciplinaiy contexts. While this is a
valuable consiueiation, I also think it is impoitant to flex these uisciplinaiy
bounuaiies. Coming fiom an inteiuisciplinaiy fielu, it is common that a pioblem oi
infoimation neeu can be auuiesseu fiom multiple points of view oi uisciplinaiy
fielus. As such, exposing stuuents anu piacticing theii skills within a vaiiety of
contexts that a fit a neeu will ensuie that stuuents will be able to utilize theii
knowleuge anu skills foi a multituue of infoimation neeus in the futuie.