Optimizing MERLOT for Optimal ICT Literacy in Engineering Education

Abstract: In order to be prepared for the workplace and lifelong self-development, today’s students need to be able to access, evaluate, use, manage, and communicate information in many formats effectively and responsibility; they need to be information literate. While technology has become more prevalent, its effective use, particularly in academic and workplace settings, is vastly uneven. Formal instruction by knowledgeable instructors is required. However, those instructors themselves need to be ICT literate in order to select appropriate resources to expand physical and intellectual access to information. This paper discusses ICT literacy as it applies to engineering education, and suggests ways to incorporate ICT literacy into the curriculum, focusing on resources provided in MERLOT.