Actually this is a typical example of an information literacy and writing assignment. For information literacy, the professor includes all of the elements: identification, retrieval, evaluation, and use of materials. In addition, the assignment asks students to examine differing points of view, and then provide their own point of view thereby fostering critical thinking skills. The assignment is not specific enough, however, and students would benefit if the professor specified how the five references should be incorporated into the student paper and provided guidelines for the paper to ensure students cover the salient points.