I‐LEARN: A model for learning in the information age

One of the most important cognitive aspects of interactions with information is the act of learning itself. To be efficient and effective learners in the information age, individuals must be able to engage successfully with a wide variety of information types and formats. Living in a world in which information flows freely and defies the boundaries of traditional disciplines and subject areas, young learners in particular must develop strategies for engaging with ideas that transcend the curriculum and its usual topics and structures. The I‐LEARN Model—Identify, Locate, Evaluate, Apply, Reflect, kNow—both describes the process of learning with information and provides a learning sequence that is teachable and possibly predictive of learners' information behavior. It is grounded in research and theory from information science, instructional systems design, and learning science and based on the author's own research and writing over more than a decade. A theoretical model that awaits validation, I‐LEARN builds on the well‐known tripartite information literacy paradigm—accessing, evaluating, and using information—to operationalize an inquiry approach to learning.