IDEOLOGY AND CRITICAL SELF-REFLECTION IN INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION - Volume 9 - Issue 1 - 2015

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa

Information literacy instruction often emphasizes evaluating sources for bias, relevance, and timeliness, yet learning is also shaped by biases students bring into participatory encounters with information. This paper presents a semester-long case study using neo-Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser’s concepts of ideology and ideological state apparatuses to support critical self-reflection, enabling students to recognize themselves as active shapers of discourse. It connects the ACRL framework’s emphasis on metacognition with critical pedagogy and empowerment through ideology analysis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Critical Foundations

Thoughts on the Framework

Volume 9, Issue 1, 2015 [FEATURE ARTICLE] IDEOLOGY AND CRITICAL SELFREFLECTION IN INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION Jessica Critten University of West Georgia Information literacy instruction traditionally focuses on evaluating a source for bias, relevance, and timeliness, and rightfully so; this critical perspective is vital to a wellformed research process. However, this process is incomplete without a similar focus on the potential biases that the student brings to his or her interactions with information. This paper describes a case study of a semester-long information literacy course that utilized neoMarxist philosopher Louis Althusser’sfigurations of ideology and ideological state apparatuses as a site of critical self-reflection for students and a method by which students could become empowered to recognize themselves as not just consumers, but shapers of discourse. [THOUGHTS ON THE FRAMEWORK] Critten, Ideology and Critical Self-Reflection Communications in Information Literacy 9(2), 2015 INTRODUCTION The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2015) has asserted that information literacy “depends on…metacognition, or critical selfreflection.” In the Framework, this critical self-reflection comes in the form of, among other things, “understand[ing] the responsibility that comes with entering the conversation through participatory channels”,“valu[ing] intellectual curiosity”,“develop[ing] and maintain[ing] an open mind when encountering varied and sometimes conflicting perspectives”, and being “conscious that maintaining these actions and attitudes require frequent selfevaluation.” These descriptions of critical self-reflection paint a picture of an active learner who understands that his or her perspectives (and potential biases) can disrupt and shape the meaning-making process of research. That the Framework privileged this disposition as vital to being considered “information literate” is encouraging, as so much of the practical work of information literacy instruction focuses on evaluation as an outward-looking act; instead of asking,“how might my viewpoints affect how I use this information?” the question is often only“how does the author’s viewpoints affect how he or she presents information?” The Framework is meant to be a document that informs the shaping of pedagogy rather than a pedagogy itself. Though much improved in revision and in its emphasis on the very affective process of critical selfreflection, the Framework does not go far enough in asserting how information creation and consumption is tied to power, perception, and politics (Seale, 2013; Balesand Engle, 2012) . A fair response to this criticism could be that the Framework has been designed to be purposefully broad and open to adaptation and interpretation. As such, there is room in the discussion of critical self-reflection to include an examination of one’s own meaning-making process, and how understanding the social, political, and cultural forces that shape and filter information is a means of empowerment. In that spirit, this paper will outline how the author utilized the concept of ideology (by way of Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser) as a site of critical selfreflection and source of empowerment in a semester-long information literacy course. CRITICAL FOUNDATIONS In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire (2003) writes that the formation of a critical consciousness, or conscientization, is the process of recognizing that a learning person is not yet fully formed but becomes more human through his or her education. Freire eschewed the traditional "banking"system of education wherein knowledge is directive and static. Critical pedagogy instead positions the student to be an agent of his or her own learning and formation. Here, the process of learning is personal and considerate of the ways that certain social, political, and cultural forces serve as pillars of oppression for students. In this sen

FAQs

What limitation in information literacy instruction does the paper address?

The paper argues that focusing only on evaluating sources for bias, relevance, and timeliness is incomplete without examining the potential biases students bring to interactions with information.

How does the paper use Althusser’s ideas in the course?

It applies neo-Marxist concepts of ideology and ideological state apparatuses as a site for critical self-reflection, helping students become empowered to recognize themselves as shapers of discourse.

How is critical self-reflection connected to the ACRL Framework?

The paper treats critical self-reflection as central to the Framework’s definition of information literacy, highlighting metacognition and responsibilities involved in entering participatory conversations.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa