Designing Information Literacy in Distance Education

Distance education or resource-based Learning approach initiatives have changed Learning process and have taken the challenges of the Information Age. Such education emphasizes the interactions between distance learner and instructional materials. Information Literacy is a potential tool of empowerment for all Learners, guides through a resource-based Learning approach. Information Literacy programs changes the role of teachers and learners. Students engage in self-directed learning activities, and teachers facilitate students’ engagement. Information Literacy is a pedagogical approach that can effectively combat against stereotypes of traditional education, by assisting students in developing critical thinking skills. Thus enabling them to do problem-solving, decision-making, and creative thinking, and that is suitable for active learning. Active Learning method is mainly hands-on learning that emphasizes on increasing students’ skills rather than information transfer to them. From the viewpoint of distance educators, active learning is an important part of distance education. Educators have discussed the importance of incorporating active-learning in distance education environment. Use of new information and communication technologies that consists of synchronous and asynchronous provide possible ways in communicating with the distance education students. The application of new technology requires information literacy skills that must be incorporated into distance education courses. In distance education environment, digital libraries make it possible to provide interaction between learners and library materials, also these libraries can create online tutorials to help the students learn how to use library resources.