Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

Information literacy is a vital yet under-appreciated part of education. Its advocates recognize it as the foundation for lifelong learning, and as a set of skills that must be developed throughout a person's education. Within academia at large, however, it is barely recognized at all. This paper discusses information literacy in the context of MOOCs, particularly of the connectivist variety. Models of information literacy and their accompanying standards are examined to establish connections to lifelong learning. The spectrum of MOOCs is discussed briefly, with an emphasis on connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCs) and their associated learning activities. These learning activities are then mapped to the information literacy standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries as a way of visualizing the relationship between the two. Several specific MOOCs are discussed with regards to their particular information literacy connections. This analysis of MOOCs shows that information literacy skills play a significant role in MOOC participation. Demographic studies of MOOCs show further that the majority of the participants can be expected to have well-developed information literacy skills. It is concluded that MOOC developers should give consideration to the role of information literacy in MOOCs.