The need to be able to use information effectively has in many cases become more important that the acquiring of factual knowledge itself. The sum total of information increases at such a rate each day that yesterday's best answer may be known to be incorrect today. Much of what many children learn during their school life will be quite obsolete by the time they enter the workforce. Effective learners are not just those people who are knowledgeable but rather they are people who are able to find and use information as required. We might say that effective learners are those who are information literate.
Information literacy is synonymous with knowing how to learn.