I-LEARN: Information Literacy for Learners

The six-stage I-LEARN model-Identify, Locate, Evaluate, Apply, Reflect, kNow-both describes the process of learning with information and presents a mnemonic that can help people accomplish such learning. Built on the three familiar components of information literacy (access, evaluate, and use), the model expands on these to become a learning model, not merely an information-seeking one. This focus on learning distinguishes I-LEARN from similar models and makes it particularly relevant for 21st-century learning. Using the model, a learner Identifies what s/he wants to learn; Locates relevant information; Evaluates the information for authority, timeliness, etc.; Applies the information to generate a new understanding-that is, to learn; and Reflects on what has been learned and on the process that has led to this point. In the kNow stage, the learner uses the new understanding as the basis for generating new questions and continuing the learning cycle.