The ways in which we interact with, create, share, and use information have changed dramatically in your lifetime. In previous decades, people relied on information produced by experts. These experts may have been authors, scholars, or journalists—those who had a mechanism for distributing the information they created in the form of a book, journal article, or news program.

While information created by experts is still very important, the environment today is radically different. Think about all the ways you or your friends not only use information from others, but also create and share information. Tweets, Instagram posts, YouTube videos, contributions to other social media venues—the opportunities to participate are endless.

Consider, too, where the information you rely upon comes from. Some will be from those traditional, established sources, but much will be from individuals like yourself. How do you decide what information to use and trust? What do you need to consider as a participant in this environment? With our expanded roles as information producers come new responsibilities, to ourselves and to others.

Metaliteracy is a framework that recognizes and addresses this exciting, and yet challenging, information landscape in which we find ourselves. You have responsibilities in your roles of information consumer, producer, and sharer. Metaliteracy encourages you to think critically and participate thoughtfully in social media and online communities. A central aspect of metaliteracy is metacognition, or thinking about and monitoring your own learning. Taking control of your learning can be very empowering, and is a theme that we will return to throughout this module.

In this tile, you will find out more about the four learning domains, including metacognition, that are so important to metaliteracy. You will also consider the different roles of the metaliterate learner, such as author, participant, and teacher. The following section explores a visual model of a metaliterate learner.