Experts, analyzing the pedagogical theory, consider that the informational competence of a specialist is key from the list of possible human competencies and is presented as a complex of knowledge, skills, abilities and abilities to effectively work with any kind of data. Career guidance should be based on a set of standards related to the creation of information resources, the fulfillment of responsibilities at a productive and creative level, understanding of one's place in the information environment.
Technical and technological aspects
The development of information competence involves computer literacy, the ability to apply knowledge in the field of information technology to solve problems. Understanding of this kind of competence depends on the type of structures under consideration: on the basis of qualified requirements for a future specialist in pedagogical activity, and the level of professional activity. The competency framework of this nature includes the following components:
- special;
- social;
- personal;
- individual.
Together with the psychological characteristics of a person, they all determine his informational behavior in the educational environment. External factors that can contribute to the development of information competence, speaking about pedagogy, include a training system and educational environment. The term “competency” causes a lot of controversy, especially when it comes to the modernization of the content of education. Experts are similar in opinion that the object of consideration is a multi-level category, represents a kind of transition from one level of skills and knowledge to another.
Levels of pedagogical competence
The components of information competence are distinguished:
- communicative;
- cognitive;
- technical and technological;
- motivational value;
- reflective.
The unity of the components and the degree of formation are determined by the following criteria:
- Productive construction of the communication process, adequate perception of the point of view of the subject of training.
- The correct application of knowledge in solving professional issues, the choice of an appropriate way of presenting information and training methods.
- Interest in learning new innovative technologies that will help to master pedagogical and sociocultural information.
- The ability to combine the practice of teaching and media technology.
- Self-assessment of their contribution to the development of projects, correction of their own behavior, awareness of the possibility to influence others.
The disclosure of the term at the desired angle
The problem of the formation of information competence of students is considered from the point of view of some approaches:
- systemic;
- activity;
- culturological;
- Personally oriented.
Professional education is adapted to the context-competency approach, which works better with the synergetic one (we write about this A.A. Verbitsky - Head of the Department of Social and Pedagogical Psychology of Moscow State University, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education). The system itself should be open, and it should be characterized by stochasticity and constant variability, as well as the mandatory presence of subsystems that exchange information with each other.
Significance of Activities
The importance of what a person does is determined by the result. The success of information competence is embodied in the creation, receipt and movement of material and ideal information objects. In this case, a personally active approach is the basis of the theory and methodology of researching such competence. This way allows you to:
- it is better to consider competency as a holistic system;
- highlight the factors that form it (goal and result);
- to reveal the dialectics of the models of their components;
- to analyze the dialectics of relationships.
The approach allows the object, given the characteristic features, to realize itself.
Proper use of technology
Little attention is paid to information professional competence and its proper formation as mastering technical and cognitive skills, which is necessary for making targeted informative requests in the educational process, while at work or in the social environment.
"Computer competency" is considered an indistinct term. One cannot be sure that the ability to play computer games, write letters in Word and send messages on a social network is similar to the concept of "own a computer." Schoolchildren do not know how to work correctly with information, the minimum knowledge that they receive at school is not enough to solve potential problems that can be encountered in real life. We are talking about voluminous and contradictory information, its critical assessment, work with concepts that are contrary to usual expectations. The informational competence of students should work so that they can extract the necessary material from texts of different types and asked questions, apply to knowledge that goes beyond the scope of the assignment, and use their personal experience to solve non-standard problems. Based on the conducted research, difficulties for the younger generation arose in reconstructing the author’s intention and his point of view in reasoning texts, as well as in working with the argumentation of his choice and opinion. One of the important professional goals of information specialists is to help students acquire information competencies. The ability to apply the necessary aspects of the information received is a success in training and interpersonal communication for each person.
Broad concept
The concept of “informational competence” is broad, modern development is not always interpreted unambiguously, but the work is aimed at solving such problems:
- Understanding the essence of a number of related concepts that are close to the term in question (terminological).
- Definitions of its structural and functional content (informative).
In the work of Kizik O.A. It was noted that IC is an independent search for the necessary data to perform certain tasks, the ability to group activities and cooperation using modern technologies to solve professionally directed issues, as well as the willingness to self-development in the field of information technology in order to improve their skill level.
Terminological analysis
A related analysis of some definitions related to information culture was carried out (for example, reading culture, bibliographic literacy). At the present stage of development of computer technology, concepts have appeared: "information culture of the individual" and "computer literacy", which are the defining components of the general culture of man. Everyone must independently at the optimal level to satisfy their information needs, using their skills, to highlight the necessary from the knowledge system.
If the term "culture" is ambiguous and broad in scope, then "competence" - the development of its information side, is specific and targeted. To be competent means to be able to correctly apply your experience in a particular situation. Some experts see the concept of the ability to select, organize, search, analyze and transmit information.
Over the years, the conceptual core has been represented in the following interpretations:
- the use of computer technology as a means of achieving certain tasks;
- the study of computer science as a subject;
- search and use of the information obtained to solve professional and educational problems;
- a set of knowledge, skills and abilities in the search, awareness and targeted use of information;
- motivation of subjects of the educational space and the manifestation of an active social position.
Different opinions
Professional information competence (in the opinion of OG Smolyaninova) is a universal way to search for the receipt and transmission of information, generalization and its transformation into knowledge of a certain profile. Others believe that this is the ability to critically evaluate and systematize the data obtained from the standpoint of the problem being solved, and then make reasoned conclusions, present it in various forms and adjust it to adequate consumer needs.
L.G. Osipova, arguing on this topic, refers to information competence the ability to navigate the rapidly developing and growing information field, the skills of quickly finding the necessary data and applying them in research and practical tasks. A. Semenov A.L. sees literacy in it, consisting of the ability to actively independently process information by a person and to make decisions in unforeseen situations using technical means.
Media competence
A related concept was investigated by the president of the Association of Film Education and Media Pedagogy of Russia - A.V. Fedorov. A specialist characterizes him as a set of motives, skills, abilities that can contribute to the selection and critical analysis, transfer of media texts in different forms and genres, analysis of the complex processes of functioning of the media in society. Fedorov highlighted the basics of information competence and media indicators for a person:
- Motivational: the desire to show their own competence in various fields of life, the desire to look for materials for scientific and research purposes.
- Contact: communication and interconnection with various types of media.
- Informational: knowledge of basic terms, theories, factors from the history of the development of media culture, understanding of the communication process, the impact of media on reality.
- Perceptive: correlation with the author's position, which allows us to predict the course of media text events.
- Interpretative (evaluative): a critical analysis of the functioning of the media in society, taking into account factors, based on highly developed critical thinking.
- Practical and operational: selection, creation and distribution of media texts, the ability to learn independently and to increase the level of knowledge.
- Creative: creativity in various activities related to media.
Taxonomy of B. Bloom
Information competence is a complex composed of knowledge, understanding, application, analysis and evaluation. The American psychologist has developed types of infrared, characterizing their elements:
- Memorization and reproduction of new material, knowledge of the principle of data processing.
- Reproduction of material on a board, a summary of information, the solution of non-standard tasks.
- The ability to apply knowledge to solve educational problems.
- Analysis of the studied principles of data processing when performing tasks of an interdisciplinary nature, the search for errors and inconsistencies.
- Planning a training experiment, design activity.
- Creativity in the ability to navigate independently in the information space, non-standard to apply knowledge and skills.
Information competence is knowledge of the methods of searching, processing, transmitting and storing information, as well as:
- possession of ways to systematize and structure it;
- critical attitude towards her;
- the ability to analyze and apply it, if necessary;
- introspection and self-study.
Search and information processing
Lack of data can not contribute to the implementation of activities, so a person needs to turn to the search for information that he needs. In accordance with the goal, the teacher in the field of education or another person in his professional activity tries to improve information competence and increase. Having received the missing data, the person is engaged in their processing in order to further demonstrate understanding of the information received, give arguments and draw a conclusion. Stage by stage, this process can be represented as follows:
- Personal motivation (cognitive-aesthetic level).
- Focus on society and critical analysis (social).
- Ability to draw a conclusion (understanding of the author’s concept).
- Understanding the author’s ideas.
- The emergence of their own opinions and polemic dialogue with the original version of the concept (autonomous).
Information Literacy Section
The task set in 2002 was to identify standards of information competence, which was formed in different libraries and countries, as well as the creation of an international standard for this parameter. In 2006, Jesus Lau released the “Information Literacy Guide for Lifelong Learning”, which focused on data and analysis of a huge body of knowledge on this subject.
Here, the term entrenched understanding of knowledge and skills that are required for the correct identification of information, which is necessary to complete a task of a certain type or solve a problem. They also talked about the effective search for new knowledge, the reorganization and organization of information, its interpretation and analysis, as well as the assessment of its accuracy and relevance, including aesthetic norms and rules. Variants of transferring the results of analysis and interpretation to others, the subsequent use of data and the achievement of the planned result, were also added to the structure of information competence.
It is important that a competent citizen, whether in the status of a worker or a specialist, can adequately understand his information needs, know where to start the search, how to extract the necessary information from a huge amount of data, organize the flow of knowledge and, as a result, benefit from it by applying experience .
The concept of H. Lau is based on:
- the emphasis placed on the search for information itself, and not sources;
- In addition to extracting and comprehending data, emphasis is placed on the thought process (synthesis and evaluation);
- What matters is not a simple knowledge of information, but an information process, that is, the choice of the right one and the solution of problems with its help;
- the process of obtaining data should be spelled out in the method of their evaluation.
Reaching IR
It is quite difficult to comprehend the necessary levels of information competence, this process is long, step-by-step and, possibly, endless due to the frequent updating of the data stream. To begin this difficult journey, participants in the educational process are required to:
- include specialized articles in research papers;
- navigate in print and electronic publications;
- be able to use electronic search on a computer;
- to develop a search strategy;
- select the right words to search;
- use regulatory terminology as intended;
- apply logical search strategy;
- Do not be afraid to use other student reviews.
Requirements for teachers to achieve informational communicative competence:
- rethinking the role of the teacher himself as a source of new knowledge;
- organization of conditions for self-directed learning, an adjacent environment combining practice and theory;
- stimulating the student’s active position, encouraging him to learn.
Requirements for the methodological service:
- the presence of information literacy specialists;
- correlation of types of information competence, the formation of the actual level of computer literacy thanks to a differentiated approach;
- integration of IC in the content and structure of training courses;
- interaction of all participants in the educational process.
The current stage in the development of education is characterized by the introduction of a competency-based approach that gives a clear orientation to the future, as well as the possibility of each citizen building his own educational path, taking into account success in professional activity. Such an element helps to make the right choice, based on an adequate assessment of their capabilities in a particular situation. This approach is focused on the following position: in the learning process, a person should acquire practice-oriented knowledge and develop it together with socially and professionally important qualities, thanks to which he will become successful in life.
A citizen should not only possess the necessary amount of knowledge, but also be able to apply it, find the best ways to achieve their goals, find information and analyze it, effectively organize their activities. The process of achieving IC can last for many years, only a person can independently decide that the knowledge gained is sufficient for his professional activity.