Information Literacy in the Internet Age: Making Space for Students' Intentional and Incidental Knowledge

The authors argue that nonfiction reading and writing instruction in K–12 settings must include authentic opportunities for students to seek information online. To that end, the authors provide two frameworks for thinking about information acquisition in the 21st century. The first, the intentional and incidental information continuum, describes how adults encounter information. On one end is the information that adults actively seek, often by going online; on the other is information that is encountered passively. In between is information that could be considered semi‐incidental: The specific information is not actively sought, but the source was accessed purposefully. The second framework, a graphic for thinking about why adults actively seek information, proposes that searches should be thought of in terms of the seeker's education or preparation and the importance of the search. The authors contend that these frameworks can be used to rethink nonfiction reading and writing instruction.