Definitions of Basic Concepts

The concepts included in this list are defined from an operational point of view. They, in general, have more than one semantic connotation that varies depending on the process and context – the Literate Engineer. Several concepts are based on definitions created by other authors – especially IFLA's guidelines on information literacy for lifelong learning by Jesús Lau; when this is the case, the source is quoted. The objective of the vocabulary is to provide a conceptual framework to the implementation of information literacy for teaching engineering programmes at Busitema University. 

Academic. An academic staff is a member of the teaching staff that is called teaching assistant, lecturer, senior lecturer professor, or in the western academic a faculty or teaching staff etc. at universities; or “teacher” at pre-university education. The word has the general connotation of teaching-oriented education. An academic staff, in the traditional sense, is in charge of the role of providing knowledge in the learning space, centering on his/her own information capability instead on what students can independently do. Synonyms: professor, educator, lecturer, instructor, academic, teacher. 

Cognitive theory. A group of theories and scientific research primarily derived from Jean Piaget´s theory, which is based on “...the mental processing of information: it’s acquisition, organization, codification, review, storage and retrieval from the memory, as well as oblivion (Schunk, 1997).” Synonyms: cognitive psychology, cognitive science. 

Constructivism. A learning process centered on the student; it uses strategies so that the subject builds his or her own knowledge, using research strategies, case studies, teamwork (or collaborative work), and meaningful learning, among other pedagogical approaches. Related term: Congnitive science, meaningful learning. 

Development of information skills (DHI): A process facilitated at learning institutions that focuses on the students or teaching staff, so that they develop their capability to identify, locate, access, retrieve, and use information. Synonyms: user education, bibliographic instruction, information literacy, user formation. 

Facilitator. A term used in management to denote an individual that democratically supports a group, so that they themselves reach the desired learning objectives. In education, it means the academic staff who works as a manager of the learning process of a group of people or learners, so that they can build their own knowledge. Synonyms: Learning manager, learning director (similar to a sports team), learning administrator, learning guide. 

Information. It is a perception of a datum or data through the stimulation of one of the human senses. In other words, “an individual acquires information when he is aware of certain data that belongs to an event” (Debons, 1988). This group of relevant data can be acquired by a person when they, obtain, process, organize, transfer, promote and use it to transform themselves in their environment. Synonyms: data, knowledge. 

Information Competencies. The term “competence” implies a group of skills to identify an information need, as well as retrieving, evaluating, using and reconstructing the knowledge contents of the retrieved information resources. Synonyms: information skills, information capabilities, information literacy. 

Information Literacy. This term is commonly used in the English-speaking world to denominate information competencies that imply the capacity to identify when information is needed, and the competence and skill to locate, evaluate and use information effectively. Literacy is a term used by the Ministry of Education to call the basic teaching of reading and writing, but not necessarily of learning to learn. The preferred term, therefore, is development of information competencies, at least from library and information science point of view. Synonyms: information skills, bibliographic instruction, user education, information competencies. 

Information Skills. The semantics of this phrase differ from “information competencies” in the sense that “competencies” imply a set of skills, but they could be regarded as synonyms. Competence is the skill or aptitude to do something; while ability is regarded as the capacity and willingness to do something. In other words, information skills could be defined as the capacity to identify an information need and the aptitude to satisfy it. Synonyms: information competencies, information capacity. 

Learner. This is a term that is becoming popular to name an active student role in the learning process. It can be defined as an individual who participates at a learning-oriented education process, where he or she has the responsibility of constructing knowledge in a flexible environment with or without a facilitator. Synonyms: learner-actor, student. 

Learning. “The effect of the learning process that is defined as a durable change produced in the behavior or capabilities of an individual, [through] ractice or other forms of experience” (Shuell, 1986). Synonyms: education, teaching. 

Learning process. Phases required by a learner to build knowledge; it can be done in different educational spaces, such as a classroom, a laboratory, a library or using the internet. Synonyms: education, instruction, teaching. 

Professor. A synonym of teacher. The word implies a teaching-oriented education role – in higher education institutions, it means the highest rank that a faculty member can achieve, in other words, to have full academic professional development, especially in research, besides teaching. In Uganda, this term is used to mean university high-ranking academic staff grounded in research, teaching and innovation. Synonyms: academic, teacher, facilitator. 

Skill. A developed dexterity to perform an information task. Synonyms: capacity, competence, aptitude. 

Student. A person involved in the educational process. The meaning implies someone who participates at the teaching oriented educational process, in other words, a passive role. Synonyms: student, learner, actor learner. 

Student. A common term used in education to call someone who studies at a teaching institution. Current theories emphasize on a superior concept that goes beyond studying, in which the proposed word to call a student is “learner”. Synonyms: student, learner, scholar. 

To learn. “This is the process of acquisition and modification of knowledge skills, strategies, beliefs, attitudes and behavior” (Schunk, 1997). Synonyms: to study, learning, to think.