UNESCO AI Competency frameworks

UNESCO has published two AI Competency frameworks: for students and for teachers. The AI competency framework for teachers has three levls of progression (Acquire, Deepen, Create) and five competency aspects: The Human-centred mindset; Ethics of AI; AI Foundations and applications; AI pedagogy and AI for professional development.
Miao, F. & Cukurova, M. (2024). The AI competency framework for teachers. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/ZJTE2084 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391104

The AI competency framework for students has three levels: Understand, Apply and Create and four competency aspects: Human-centred mindset; Ethics of AI; AI techniques and applications and AI system design.
Miao, F. & Shiohira, K. (2024). AI competency framework for students. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/JKJB9835 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391105
Sadly they don't seem to have collaborated with the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy initiative (whose cuuriculum for MIL includes an AI literacy component).
Photo by Sheila Webber: a mulberry from this 400 year old tree https://www.moruslondinium.org/research/charlton-house-heritage-mulberry

Grant to investigate information literacy among religious leaders

The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana, USA, (PALNI) has awarded a grant for the project Information Literacy Assessment of Religious Leaders, coordinated by Karl Stutzman, Director of Library Services at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, USA. It "will explore the information literacy behaviors of practicing faith leaders and will help inform models that broadly address information literacy needs. It will be supported for up to one year, with recipients expected to present their results and share ideas for further collaboration and innovation across PALNI and beyond." More information at https://palni.org/news/palni-grant-to-support-information-literacy-assessment-among-religious-leaders
Photo by Sheila Webber: Stanley Park, Vancouver, May 2024

Information Literacy as a Concept and Practice: Where Are We Going?

The recording of the webinar held on 29 July 2024, Information Literacy as a Concept and Practice: Where Are We Going?, (hosted by The Ohio State University Libraries) is available. The panellists are: Veronica Arellano Douglas (University of Houston, USA), Clarence Maybee (Purdue University, USA), Sara Miller (Michigan State University, USA) and Logan Rath (State University, New York State, USA).
"Definitions of information literacy have evolved over the past 50 years. How does “second-wave” information literacy differ from “first-wave” information literacy? What changes may be in store for how we think about information literacy as a concept and how we practice information literacy? Should we think about information literacy as a discipline? How will the relationship between information literacy and critical information literacy continue to develop? How should the Framework for Information Literacy evolve? This discussion will explore how our conception of information literacy has evolved and may continue to transform."
The slides are here and the recording is here https://youtu.be/FsWnlcqGWaU?feature=shared
Photo by Sheila Webber: white rose, July 2024

Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy

I have blogged previously about this international project (IPILM), which was previously called Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy. In the Western-hemisphere autumn semester students from different countries collaborate to produce presentations on current information-related topics and this culminates in a webinar in January (and this year there was also a summer version). The current project involves academics and students at Hildesheim University (the lead organisation), Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce Pune, India, SUNY Empire State College New York, United States, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria, University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Political Sciences, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Tischner European University, Kraków, Poland.
They are curently advertising for students to participate October-December 2024 (I assume they have to be in one of the participating organisations) to address one of the themes: AI impact on local culture - language; AI impact on local culture - Cultural perception of AI regulation; AI impact on democracy - Politics; AI impact on democracy - Mis- and Disinformation; AI literacy for teacher education; AI literacy for students and students learning process; Ethics of producing digital media art with GenAI.
You can find the student videos from January 2024 and previous years here https://www.youtube.com/@interculturalperspectiveso2656/videos.
There is also a recent post from Thomas Mackey about the project team's in-person meeting here.
Additionally, here is an article about the project: Griesbaum, J. et al. (2023). Teaching Internationally, Learning Collaboratively: Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM). Communications in Information Literacy, 17 (1), 260–278. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.1.4
Photo by Sheila Webber: colourful border in Western Park, August 2024

Role of Public Institutions in Media and Information Literacy Development in Albania

An Albanian-language report has been published by the Albanian Media Institute: Role of Public Institutions in Media and Information Literacy Development in Albania. There is a short English-language summary and a link to the report here: https://www.institutemedia.org/report-on-media-and-information-literacy-and-the-role-of-public-institutions-in-albania/ I picked this up when searching for items published in the last week, but the publication isn't dated and I think it was actually published earlier. However, the website is also worth browsing: particularly if you read Albanian (obviously!) but there are also some interesting English-language reports on their activities https://www.institutemedia.org/.
Photo by Sheila Webber: spot the squirrel eating yew-berries, August 2024

Webinar: Teaching Information Literacy: Foundational Concepts and Teaching Strategies

On 11 September 2024 at 12 noon US Eastern time (which is 5pm UK time) this free webinar seems principally aimed at faculty etc. in Ohio, but appears to be open to all: Teaching Information Literacy: Foundational Concepts and Teaching Strategies. "What exactly do we mean when we talk about information literacy? Why is it important that our students are developing their information literacy? This virtual workshop will provide an overview of information literacy as a concept and a practice in higher education and explore why information literacy is crucial to student success. Participants will also learn about resources and strategies that they can use to incorporate information literacy into their courses. This workshop is aimed at course instructors, graduate teaching associates, and librarians."
Information and registration link at https://library.osu.edu/events/teaching-information-literacy-foundational-concepts-and-teaching-strategies-virtual-event-0
Photo by Sheila Webber: rowan berries, August 2024 

New Book: Using Project Outcome for Academic Libraries

This new book includes a few chapters about teaching information literacy (e.g.Revitalizing our Instructional Assessment: Embracing a New Approach using Project Outcome and Assessing Information Literacy Programs for First-Year Writing Courses at a Public University):
Parsons-Diamond, G. (Ed.). (2024). Assessment and Advocacy: Using Project Outcome for Academic Libraries. ACRL. Item number 979-8-89255-524-1. https://alastore.ala.org/assessment-and-advocacy-using-project-outcome-academic-libraries? This has examples from libraries involved in Project Outcome and using its toolkit.
Photo by Sheila Webber: yew trunk, Charlton Park, August 2024

New articles: Online learning; Generative AI; Learning design

Volume 28 Number 3 (2024) of Online Learning has a good number of articles about online learning at https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/issue/view/132 including a special focus on AI and online learning. Picking out a couple :
- Stefaniak,J.E., & Moore, S.L. (2024) The use of generative AI to support inclusivity and design deliberation for online instruction. Online Learning, 28(3), 181-205. DOI: 10.24059/olj.v28i3.4458. https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/4458/1388 [This includes a worked example of using a series of prompts to develop ideas for activities with students with disabilities].
- Dello Stritto, M.E. & Aguiar, N. R. (2024) Skills needed for success in online teaching: A qualitative study of experienced instructors. Online Learning, 3(28), 585-607. DOI: 10.24059/olj.v28i3.3518 https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/3518/1405
[The six identified skills may seem obvious to experienced staff, but the themes and quotations resonated with me, and I think it is a useful article to open up discussion, in particular with people new to teaching online.]
Photo taken in the 3D virtual world, Second Life in August 2024: learning online

Shaping the future: a research agenda for UK libraries

There is a free in-person event on 11 September 2024 at 14.00 UK time: Shaping the future: a research agenda for UK libraries presented by Libby Tilley. It is hosted by the University of Sheffield Information School and coorganised by the iSchool's Libraries and Information Society Research Group and the CILIP Library and Information Research Group (LIRG). The venue is The Wave, University of Sheffield, S10 2AH, UK. "The seminar will be led by Libby Tilley, winner of the 2023 LIRG Research Award, in which she will present on the findings of her 'Shaping the Future' project which involved using a Modified Delphi Study in order to surface a consensus around sector-wide critical trends to help to focus and prioritise future library and information research. This will be followed by refreshments and a short Annual General Meeting of the Library and Information Research Group (LIRG)." Register at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/informationschool/1337998
Photo by Sheila Webber: apple blossom, April 2024 - almost time for the apples now

2024 Innovating Pedagogy Report

The 2024 version of the annual Open University report which identifies interesting opportunities or trends for pedagogy was published in August. This year it was co-authored with with researchers from the LIVE Learning Innovation Incubator at Vanderbilt University (USA).
The trends are: Speculative worlds; Pedagogies of peace; Fostering peace; Climate action pedagogy; Learning in conversation with Generative AI; Talking AI ethics with young people; AI-enhanced multimodal writing; Intelligent textbooks; Assessments through extended reality; Immersive language and culture; Exploring scientific models from the inside.
Kukulska-Hulme, A., Wise, A.F., Coughlan, T., Biswas, G., Bossu, C., Burriss, S.K., Charitonos, K., Crossley, S.A., Enyedy, N., Ferguson, R., FitzGerald, E., Gaved, M., Herodotou, C., Hundley, M., McTamaney, C., Molvig, O., Pendergrass, E., Ramey, L., Sargent, J., Scanlon, E., Smith, B.E., & Whitelock, D. (2024). Innovating Pedagogy 2024: Open University Innovation Report 12. Milton Keynes: The Open University. https://iet.open.ac.uk/files/innovating-pedagogy-2024.pdf
Photo by Sheila Webber: peace post at Charlton House, August 2024

MisInfo day

MisInfo day has been run annually by the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public, USA, since 2019 (the next one is planned for March 2025). There is information about it here https://www.cip.uw.edu/misinfoday/ and on previous ones here, and there are some lessons/ resources here. A new short video includes footage from the inperson event.

Webinar: Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace

On 9 September 2024 at 09:00 - 13:00 Central Africa Time (which is 8.00-12.00 UK time - BST) there is a free webinar Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace, organised by the North-West University (Potchefstroom, South Africa) Library and Information Service. It will be "exploring Literacy from a South African perspective, in celebration of International Literacy Day... this seminar aims to delve into the crucial role of literacy in fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting peace through multilingual education."
Information and registration at https://nwu.libcal.com/event/12936671
Photo by Sheila Webber: Charlton Park, August 2024

Recording: Putting the New Standards for Distance and Online Learning Library Services in Action

A final ACRL recording for this week: of a webinar on 10 June 2024 organised by the ACRL Distance and Online Learning Section Standards Committee: Putting the New Standards for Distance and Online Learning Library Services in Action. This looked at the standards and how they were developed, the accompanying worksheet and the toolkit they have developed. The recording is at https://youtu.be/GoUiqpLg4uc?si=BC3gVVdMKeMancaY and embedded below (51 minutes).
The standards are at https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/standardsdistancelearning and this is the toolkit https://acrl.ala.org/dols/standards-toolkit/ I will highlight the standard relating to information literacy "Research & Instruction Standard: The library provides reference, research support, consultation, and instruction to distance and online learning communities.
"Benchmarks The library:
"Ensures instruction methods are supported by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
"Creates appropriate learning outcomes specific to the institution.
"Encourages library instructors to work collaboratively with teaching faculty to include information literacy instruction into distance and online courses and programs.
"Collaborates with faculty and/or learning management system administrator to embed library tools and instructional materials into the online classroom.
"Provides point-of-need or virtual assistance which may include, but is not limited to, the following: ○ research needs ○ use of collections and equipment ○ general library services ○ referrals
"Markets and promotes educational services directly to distance and online learning communities."