Information skills framework

About the framework

The Information Skills Framework informs the work undertaken by the Library in partnership with the academic community to embed academic, information and digital literacies within coursework cohorts. It aligns with the Griffith Strategic Plan 2020-2025, Library Strategic Directions 2021-2025 and the Griffith Graduate Attributes.

Our objective is to empower students with essential lifelong skills in academic, information and digital literacy, enriching their learning and preparing them for future success beyond graduation. These skills are crucial in an evolving world where information is growing at a rapid rate, driven by advancements in technology and artificial intelligence.

Explore the framework

Use this framework to identify what academic, information and digital literacy skills students require to successfully complete assessments.

Clarifying your expectations for your students' skills in these areas can guide your discussions with the library team about how we can support them in meeting the necessary standards for success.

Course Convenor

Use the framework like a marking rubric.
Consider your expectations for student performance.
Check what skills are required for assessment.

Program Director

Take an overarching view of all assessments.
Map where various skill levels exist across the program.
Evaluate how skills are scaffolded throughout the program.

Learning and Teaching Consultant

Take an overarching view of assessments within courses and the program.
Map where various skill levels exist within courses and across the program.
Evaluate how skills are scaffolded throughout courses in a program.

Skills	Progress levels
Skills	Scaffolded ¹	Supported ²	Supervised ³	Independent ⁴
Identify need	Demonstrate some understanding of a topic, identify knowledge gaps, use digital tools.	Demonstrate comprehensive understanding, evaluate information, identify needs and proficiently use digital tools and technologies for learning.	Leverage discipline knowledge to evaluate information effectively, identify research questions and adapt to changing digital technologies.	Independently use discipline knowledge to evaluate and identify research questions and gaps to assess information needs and integrate digital technologies.
Access and record	Gather and summarise important information, fill in personal knowledge gaps, use digital tools effectively.	Identify and paraphrase relevant information, use self-selected texts and strategies to locate material, and manage digital technologies.	Proficiently identify and note relevant information using discipline-specific language, use varied search strategies, and adapt to evolving digital technologies.	Strategically and systematically note important information using discipline-specific language, use sophisticated search strategies, and confidently integrate various digital technologies.
Evaluate	Gather important information, interpret specific texts and use strategies to find relevant data, by responsibly navigating digital environments.	Respond to stimuli and subjects with relevance and analysis to evaluate information resources based on assessment criteria and assess software suitability for academic data.	Analyse and respond to a research topic, evaluate resources with self-developed criteria reflecting social and cultural perspectives, and integrate software for data visualisation.	Skillfully generate research topics, respond with scholarly relevance and depth to evaluate resources based on experience and information needs, and independently use software for data tasks.
Apply and manage	Use prior knowledge to combine discipline-specific information, structure data as instructed and responsibly interact in digital environments.	Synthesise discipline-specific information, apply suggested reference management processes, and respond to dynamic digital contexts.	Fill knowledge gaps by synthesising information, organising and self-managing unstructured referencing data using self-determined processes, and securing online information effectively.	Identify knowledge gaps, and use self-determined processes for bibliographic organisation, and manage online information securely.
Communicate and collaborate	Organise and share information according to academic guidelines, participate actively in both physical and virtual learning environments and use specified digital tools to communicate with peers.	Organise and communicate information in specific formats for an academic audience, engage actively in learning spaces, and evaluate digital communication and technologies.	Organise and communicate information effectively for discipline-based audiences, while engaging in diverse learning spaces, through using suitable digital technologies.	Use genre-specific communication to share diverse perspectives, with discipline audiences, collaborate in physical and virtual spaces in professional networks.
Ethical scholarship	Cite sources correctly and use discipline-specific digital tools with awareness of ethical considerations to act with academic integrity.	Responsibly interpret and cite information sources using prescribed methods, select and use digital tools, including generative AI ethically.	Ethically interpret and acknowledge information using discipline-appropriate methods, blending digital tools, such as generative AI in disciplinary contexts and with academic integrity.	Ethically manage and acknowledge information for discipline or publishing purposes, and critique research tools adeptly while maintaining ethical standards.

Progress levels:

¹ Require high levels of structure to develop literacy within a topic area.

² Require some level of structure to develop literacy within a topic area.

³ Require some level of structure to develop literacy within a discipline area.

⁴ Independently develop literacies within a discipline.

The Information Skills Framework is licensed under an Attribution CC BY NC Version 4.0 International licence. You are free to use this material for non-commercial purposes as long as you reference Griffith University Library as the creator.

Sources