UNSW Library Digital Information Skills Framework

The Library Digital Information Skills Framework is aligned with the UNSW 2025 (7MB PDF) strategic plan, the 2024+ UNSW Library Plan (10MB PDF) and the UNSW Graduate Capabilities. The framework serves as the basis of the Library's support for Teaching and Learning across the university and outlines our commitment to active engagement and collaboration within the academic community through fostering partnerships with students, faculty and staff.

Our goal is to equip students with lifelong critical information and digital literacy skills, enhancing their study capabilities and preparing them for successful graduation. These skills are essential in a world faced with exponential growth of information, amplified by the impact of new technologies and AI.

Key aspects of the framework:

  1. Essential literacy skills: The framework outlines a structured progression of information and digital literacy skills, scaffolded across different stages of the student academic journey. This outlines how we can work with Faculties to co-design targeted and effective learning experiences aligned with course and program outcomes, and the UNSW Graduate Capabilities.
  2. Pedagogically driven approach: Our approach is strategic and scalable, catering to diverse student cohorts and programs. We achieve this through the Library service model for curriculum support, Library essentials and in-faculty collaboration.
  3. Information services alignment: The framework plays a pivotal role in aligning the Library - Information Services Department with the services we provide. It ensures that our offerings adhere to established standards, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality information services and essential literacy skill development.
  4. Measuring success: We will measure our success through collaboration with course instructors to design curriculum based and aligned library resources/training that leads to a demonstrable improvement in student's research skills.

Digital information skills framework

The core digital and information capabilities we teach at different levels of a student's academic journey. The skills to Define, Discover, Evaluate, Organise and Disseminate knowledge are critical to academic success.

Instructor-guided

Define

Starts a research process and identifies the needs.

  • Identifies when and why to seek information for academic tasks.
  • Identifies key components in assessment questions like instruction verbs, key concepts and the specific information to answer the question.
Discover

Discovers or generates information and navigates technologies.

  • Formulates basic search strategies.
  • Uses relevant technologies, tools and platforms for performing searches and accessing academic data, information and knowledge.
  • Uses AI-powered search engines and tools to find relevant information and resources more efficiently.
Evaluate

Critically evaluates information, technologies or processes.

  • Evaluates and selects information using prescribed and/or recommended guidelines.
  • Distinguishes between different types of information commonly used in an academic environment, such as books, journal articles, websites and more.
  • Determines the validity and appropriateness of different information.
  • Reviews strategies, tools, platforms and technologies, and adjusts study, research and work practices as context evolves.
Organise

Organises and manages information, technologies or research process.

  • Manages the research process using prescribed and/or recommended guidelines.
  • Recognises privacy and security settings and relevant policies when working with recommended tools, platforms and emerging technologies for organising data, information and knowledge.
  • Identifies ethical considerations and implications of AI in academic research and decision-making.
Disseminate

Synthesises information and technology to create and disseminate new knowledge and understandings.

  • Recognises what constitutes plagiarism, including copying someone else's work, ideas or words without proper citation.
  • Paraphrases and summarises information from sources, maintaining originality while crediting the original author(s).

Instructor-supported

Define

Starts a research process and identifies the needs.

  • Recognises the specific types of information required for different academic tasks.
  • Identifies underlying assumptions in academic questions.
  • Breaks down complex questions into manageable components supported by established techniques and tools.
Discover

Discovers or generates information and navigates technologies.

  • Formulates and combines more complex search strategies.
  • Navigates specialised databases and library catalogues proficiently to find scholarly sources.
  • Utilises AI-powered research tools and platforms in academic projects.
Evaluate

Critically evaluates information, technologies or processes.

  • Evaluates information to select sources and methodologies based on their needs.
  • Evaluates the quality, authority and relevance of information sources critically.
  • Recognises biases and limitations in different types of sources and critically assesses them.
  • Reviews selection and use of multiple technologies, tools and platforms.
Organise

Organises and manages information, technologies or research process.

  • Manages and adapts the research process to suit own needs with minimal assistance.
  • Recognises complex research ethics issues, including issues related to vulnerable populations and conflicts of interest.
  • Recognises AI ethics considerations in research and decision-making processes.
Disseminate

Synthesises information and technology to create and disseminate new knowledge and understandings.

  • Shares content responsibly across a range of collaborative spaces and social platforms. Connects with peers, learning communities and broad interdisciplinary networks.
  • Demonstrates expertise in paraphrasing and summarising, ensuring originality and proper citation in a way that maintains the author's voice.
  • Creates responses to scholarly questions and professional challenges using relevant formats, tools and platforms.

Autonomous

Define

Starts a research process and identifies the needs.

  • Formulates questions based on gaps in knowledge and research.
  • Designs and executes original research projects, leveraging emerging techniques and tools including AI and machine learning models.
Discover

Discovers or generates information and navigates technologies.

  • Formulates complex search strategies to locate highly specialised and comprehensive information.
  • Configures, uses and refines advanced features of tools, platforms and emerging technologies to search for relevant data, information and knowledge.
  • Uses AI and machine learning modules to conduct advanced research, analyse complex datasets and make data-driven decisions.
Evaluate

Critically evaluates information, technologies or processes.

  • Evaluates information consistently according to expertise and multiple critical perspectives.
  • Critiques the cultural and societal context and impact of information sources.
  • Refines selection and use of multiple technologies, tools and platforms as new knowledge is uncovered.
  • Evaluates gaps in knowledge and literature for future research.
Organise

Organises and manages information, technologies or research process.

  • Designs own research process with multiple complex pathways.
  • Manages privacy and security settings and policies when working with and organising data and information across multiple tools, platforms and emerging technologies.
  • Designs research projects with ethical considerations, including informed consent, privacy and data security.
Disseminate

Synthesises information and technology to create and disseminate new knowledge and understandings.

  • Synthesises information from diverse sources to produce original research or projects.
  • Stays current with emerging ethical challenges in academia and publishing, such as those posed by emerging technologies or open access.
  • Creates and shares new knowledge using multiple and emerging technologies, tools, platforms and conventions.

Acknowledgements

University of Melbourne Library "Scholarly and Digital Capabilities Framework"

University of Technology Sydney Library "Information Literacy Skills Framework" (PDF)

AUT Library "Teaching, Learning and Research Framework" (PDF)

Deakin University Library "Deakin Digital Literacy Framework" (PDF)

 

April 2024