This study is a part of a broader investigation that gauges level of information literacy (IL) among the learners of the "Google generation," defined as persons who were born after 1993. Just because people can use the various Internet tools (e.g., social networking, web 2.0) does not mean they are sophisticated users. This paper reports findings obtained from middle school students (n=105) gathered through a self-administered paper-and-pencil pre-test questionnaire on some of the fundamental IL skills. As a result, a five 45-minute IL Program was designed for the students who participated in the pre-test. At a completion of the intervention program, students were asked to write an essay on what they considered the most relevant IL topics that every middle school student should master.
Framework for Our Study. This study's starting point included two sets of standards: >Information Literacy (IL) Standards for the 21 st -Century Learner (AASL, 2007) take the learner-centric approach with higher cognitive-order skills into account away from the traditional IL cycle (find/select/evaluate/use). The underpinnings of the Standards are based on the common beliefs that: i) "reading is a window to the world," ii) inquiry-based learning is essential, iii) ethical behavior in communicating information is critical, iv) technology skills are crucial, and v) equitable access to a wide variety of resources is important in self-directed and life-long learning. The four-prong Standards describe how learners use skills, resources, and tools to 1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge; 2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; 3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; and 4. Pursue personal and aesthetic growth. >ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) are converging with AASL Standards in that they too focus on creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research and information fluency, critical thinking, problem solving, digital citizenship, and technology operations, concepts, and systems.