Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Children

To be published in October, with 630 pages and 54 chapters: Green, L., Holloway, D., Stevenson, K., Leaver, T. & Haddon, L. (2020). The Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Children. Routledge. ISBN 9781351004107. The sections are:
- Creation of Knowledge
- Digital Media Lives
- Complexities of Commodification
- Children’s Rights
- Changing and Challenging Circumstances
- Local Complexities in a Global Context
More info at https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Digital-Media-and-Children/Green-Holloway-Stevenson-Leaver-Haddon/p/book/9781351004107 

Photo by Sheila Webber, taken in Second Life "Cute thief", August 2020

Recordings from the Critical librarianship and pedagogy symposium #CLAPS2020

This year's Critical librarianship and pedagogy symposium took place online between the 1st and 17th September 2020. There are some pre-recorded presentations and some session recordings available. Recordings include: Do I have to have a librarian come to my class? Power imbalances and power moves in library instruction (Roberto Arteaga & Christine Moeller; Casting a critical eye on "fake news" literacy and post truth pedagogy (Carrie Wade); Knowledge justice (Sofia Leung), see also https://www.sofiayleung.com/thoughts/knowledgejusticekeynote ); Scaffolding your instruction with epistemology (Kirsten Dean). 

Pre-recordings include: Support beyond the studio: critical pedagogy in art librarianship (Michele Jennings); Information has value: a Marxist approach (Dave Ellenwood); Assessment is constructed & contextual: a faculty-librarian pilot to explore critical approaches to curriculum and assessment (Nicole Branch, Loring Pfeiffer, & Julia Voss); 

The schedule with abstracts and links to recordings is here https://clps.arizona.edu/registration-schedule and the Youtube stream with recordings is here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFiSK6NJJvNsrYlzg49_E4w/videos 

A couple of presentations from the lightning session (which weren't recorded and aren't linked on the website are An appeal to Kairos: building a sustainable assessment practice (Sheila Garcia: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14fAGueYvMbKh8w5gnXx1agsBdjHTbljrvsMDB1yADAE/edit#slide=id.g35f391192_00 ) and Data literacy and feminist epistemology (Scout Calvert http://calvert4.msu.domains/presenting/datalitfmstepist.html#/)

Photo by Sheila Webber: the friendly cat likes my feet, September 2020

Short course: Information Literacy in Politically Polarized Times

There is a short online course Information Literacy in Politically Polarized Times, running from October 19 to November 17 2020, costing US $175. The course is run by Andrea Baer. "At a time of political polarization – when digital environments lend themselves to the spread of misinformation, information silos, and echo chambers that can exacerbate social divisions – many educators have pointed to information literacy education as a way to foster a more informed and civically engaged society. Participants in this course will reflect on and further develop their approaches to information literacy education in polarized moments, as they engage with research and teaching approaches from disciplines like media literacy, information studies, education, cognitive psychology, and sociology. Participants will ultimately develop an instruction plan that they can apply to their teaching practice." 

The course structure is: Week 1: Beyond “Standard” Approaches to Information Literacy; Week 2: Research on Social Identity, Beliefs, and Information Behaviors; Week 3: Exploring Instruction Ideas; Week 4: Putting Ideas into Action 

More information at https://inquiringteachers.com/courses/il-polarized-times/

Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn hydrangea, September 2020

Call for chapters: Innovation and Experiential Learning in Academic Libraries

Chapters are sought for the book: Innovation and Experiential Learning in Academic Libraries: Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Students. This will be part of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group Series: Innovations in Information Literacy  Deadline for submissions is November 15, 2020

The editors are Sarah Nagle and Elias Tzoc.  "As technology advances and the skills required for the future workforce continue to change rapidly, academic libraries have begun to expand the definition of information literacy and the type of library services they provide to better prepare students for the constantly-developing world they will face upon graduation. More than teaching the newest technologies, information literacy is expanding to help students develop enduring skills such as critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, communication, teamwork, and more. Innovation and Experiential Learning in Academic Libraries: Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Students addresses the multitude of ways that academic librarians are collaborating with faculty and helping students develop these enduring skills by developing and integrating active and experiential learning approaches into teaching activities. "

More information on how to submit proposals at https://sites.google.com/miamioh.edu/chapter-proposals/

Photo by Sheila Webber: friendly cat, September 2020 (the yellow blob is where I blanked out the registration number)

Free webinar series - Fake News: Impact on Society

A great free Virtual Lecture Series organised jointly by four IFLA sections: News Media, Digital Humanities, FAIFE, and Copyright/Legal Matters with the theme of Fake News: Impact on Society 

Lecture 1 is on 30 October 2020 at 4pm Central European time (which is, e.g., 3pm UK time, 10am US Eastern time). Presenters are Phillip Russell, ‘Stop, Think, Check’: Ireland’s Be Media Smart Campaign and Giuseppe Vitiello, Assessing the Promotion of Freedom of Expression and Free Access to Information in Libraries: Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.10 through the EBLIDA-NewsGuard partnership 

Lecture 2 is on 18 November 2020, at 5pm Central European time. Presenters are Abby Moore & Catherine Tingelstad, Nuanced Literacy and Fake News: Academic Librarians’ Role in New Information Environments and Enrica Manenti, 'Handle with Double Care.' Memorial Sites, Teens, Libraries and Wikipedia

Lecture 3 is on 21 January 2021, at 5pm Central European time. Presenters are Katharina Beckh & Vishwani Gupta, Supporting Verification of News Articles with Machine Learning Methods: Automated Search for Semantically Similar Articles and Katherine E. Boss, April Hines, Jeffrey Knapp, et. al., 'It would be horrible if I printed something that wasn't true': Examining the Research Behaviors of Journalism Students

Lecture 4 is on 8 February 2021 at 4pm Central European time. Presenters are Damien Wang & Sara Pek, Strengthening Information Literacy in the Time of COVID-19: The Role and Contributions of the National Library of Singapore and Victor Mutyev, News Analytics in LIS Education and Practice

Go to https://www.ifla.org/news-media/conferences where there are links to register for each seminar  

Photo by Sheila Webber, roses, September 2020

Nominations for the Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian of the Year Award

The ACRL Instruction Section is seeking nominations for the Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian of the Year Award, with the deadline of December 4, 2020. "This award recognizes an individual librarian who has built a record of contributions that have advanced the pursuit of teaching and learning in a college or research library environment. The winner will receive a US $1,000 prize. Nominees should be highly accomplished in aspects of librarianship such as leadership of a library instruction program, production of a body of research and publication, outstanding participation in organizations at the regional or national level, and/or consistent mentorship or professional development of other library professionals." More information at http://www.ala.org/acrl/awards/achievementawards/miriamdudley.

Photo by Sheila Webber: Begonias, September 2020

Pedagogy chat: integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into student research

The next LIS Pedagogy Chat on Zoom is on 25 September at 2pm US Eastern time (e.g. 7pm UK time) when "Mónica Colón-Aguirre and Kawanna Bright will lead a discussion on integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into student research." This is a "a discussion series for library and information science instructors" but other librarians/educators may also find the issues interesting. Register at https://forms.gle/hWUXVTxK1HT5HdNx7 and the previous chats etc. are at https://tinyurl.com/rewn4tt - the schedule of forthcoming chats is at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GxGXvuFUxjKufppz6J6ZfdthTZLmUkl5CpP9Gpn4_oc/edit

Webinar: Enabling information ethics in a technologically saturated world

On 7 October 2020 at 3pm UK time, 10.00am US Eastern time, there is a free webinar Enabling information ethics in a technologically saturated world. This was to have been the topic for the IFLA RIS Section session at the IFLA conference that was to have taken place in Dublin, Ireland, last month. The speakers are: 

Peter Lor (South Africa), Johannes Britz (USA) and Bradley Wiles (USA). The Infodemic of our choosing: Truth, conspiracy theories and librarians in the COVID-19 Era. "Today's worldwide health crisis generates an amplified public discussion that is both politically contentious and rife with misinformation, creating many challenges for librarians. Our speaker discuss an ethical framework based on alethic rights (the right to truth)" 

Matilde Fontanin (Italy). The connecting machine: Librarians' mission after the Fourth Revolution. "She looks at how ethical issues involved in information sharing affect its evaluation, fair use, privacy and openness." 

To register go to https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WKKBpVRIQEqBxLoS60Fbrw

Photo by Sheila Webber: September berries, 2020

Learning resources and teaching material for COVID19 mis/information

Following up on the last post about the Project Information Literacy report, they have published some associated learning and teaching resources as well: 

1. PIL's list of Covid-19 misinformation resources has selected resources under the headings. Resources for building activities: Readings: Podcasts: Videos: Resources related to photos, charts, and graphs: Background resources. These are chosen for a North American audience, but include some non-US materials. In fact one class exercise could be remaking the list so that it was better tailored to a particular set of students. https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/covid19-first-100-days/supplementary/misinformation-resources.html

2. Ideas and prompts for learning and teaching with a focus on Visual messaging of the coronavirus news story. There are discussion prompts, lists of probing questions and activities for each of the following aspects: Context; Inspect; Affect; Effect; Investigate, Reflect, Create. https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/covid19-first-100-days/visual-messaging/learning-resources.html 

Photo by Sheila Webber: restricted parking, August 2020

Covid-19: The first 100 days of U.S. news coverage

There is a new 2-part report from Project Information Literacy: Covid-19: The first 100 days of U.S. news coverage. 

Report 1 includes "interactive data visualizations showing the results of a computational analysis of 125,696 news articles from 66 widely-read national, metropolitan, and digital-only news websites. A follow-up analysis identifies the top 12 news outlets producing the most coverage (N=74,737) of Covid-19. ... Certain stories were amplified and re-circulated across news sites and on social media, thus creating a network of diverse contributors to this vast news ecosystem." 

"In Report 2, a content analysis of 532 randomly selected news images from the top 12 outlets examined the visual representation of the coronavirus story. Five dominant visual themes – fear, hope, loneliness, determination, and grief – emerged from the sample of news images analyzed. ... Applying a critical lens to how the news constructs our understanding of events develops information agency and makes individuals more discerning news consumers. Teaching and learning for librarians, educators, students, and journalists that make use of interactive news datasets and information visualizations from the series are included for building students’ news and visual literacy skills." 

Head, A., Braun, S., MacMillan, M., Yurkofsky, J. and Bull, A. (2020). Covid-19: The first 100 days of U.S. news coverage: Lessons about the media ecosystem for librarians, educators, students, and journalists. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. https://projectinfolit.org/publications/covid-19-the-first-100-days/
Photo by Sheila Webber: someone else's vines, September 2020

New articles: IB theory in other disciplines; information behaviour in discussion groups & social media; Life in the Round in China; Health information

There is a new issue (volume 25 no. 3) of the open access journal Information Research. Articles include:
- T.D. Wilson: The transfer of theories and models from information behaviour research into other disciplines
- Reijo Savolainen: Dialogue processes in online information seeking and sharing: a study of an asynchronous discussion group 
- Reijo Savolainen: For or against Brexit? Justifying oppositional arguments in online discussion 
- Feng Yang, Shan Zhao, Wenyong Li, Richard Evans, and Wei Zhang: Understanding user satisfaction with Chinese government social media platforms 
- Judit Bar-Ilan, Tali Gazit, and Yair Amichai-Hamburger: Leading factors that explain engagement in closed Facebook groups 
- Ming Zhu and Xizhu Liao: Chatman’s theory of life in the round applied to the information seeking of small populations of ethnic minorities in China 
- Martijn Huisman, Stijn Joye, and Daniël Biltereyst: To share or not to share: an explorative study of health information non-sharing behaviour among Flemish adults aged fifty and over 
- A.F. Tyson and Jesse David Dinneen: A cross-discipline comparison of subject guides and resource discovery tools 
- Loukia Drosopoulou and Andrew M. Cox: Information School academics and the value of their personal digital archives 
Go to http://informationr.net/ir/25-3/infres253.html
Photo by Sheila Webber: white rose, September 2020

Webinar: The influence of global streaming services

Tomorrow, Wednesday 16 September at 3pm UK time, 4pm Paris time, 10am US Eastern time, there is a free webinar in the UNESCO MILID (Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue) series: The influence of global streaming services. "Major streaming services such as Netflix offer thousands of hours of content to audiences across the globe. What influence does this content have on society? How have streaming services changed what it means to 'watch' TV? Does global content provide a narrow representation of people and places around the world? Streaming services influence what type of information people learn and from whom they learn it. Although there are many streaming services, the influence of the largest companies is tremendous. Should we be concerned? How can we bring our MIL skills to our media consumption?" Panellists include:
Guillermo Orozco, Professor of Communication-Education at University of Guadalajara.
Tomas Duran, National Research Director at CUN University, Colombia
Beth Hewitt, Creative Director, School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology, University of Salford, UK
Nikos Panagiotou, associate professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Aristotle University, Greece
Register at http://unitwinmilidschool.net/2020/09/14/dialogue-the-influence-of-global-streaming-services-upcoming-event/

Online discussion: Imagining the contemplative academic library

The next ACRL Contemplative Pedagogy Interest Group online discussion on Zoom is on September 15 (i.e. today) at 2pm-3pm US Eastern time (which is, e.g. 7-8pm UK time) with the theme: Imagining the contemplative academic library "This month’s brainstorming discussion will focus on what academic libraries might look through a contemplative lens. What would a contemplative academic library feel like? What guiding ideas would support all who work in or visit the library? Come help us imagine what our future could look like!" To register (free) go to https://apsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkdemspzsiGdXXcQxEQnN1c1pzFRjg0zO9
Photo by Sheila Webber: mixed autumn berries, September 2020

Book: Hidden Architectures of Information Literacy Programs

A book published a couple of months ago: Gardner, C., Galoozis, E. and Halpern, R. (2020). Hidden Architectures of Information Literacy Programs: Structures, Practices, and Contexts. ALA. ISBN 978-0-8389-4819-4.
"In 39 chapters, authors from a variety of diverse institutions highlight the day-to-day work of running and coordinating information literacy programs and the soft skills necessary for success in the coordinator role. They discuss the institutional context into which their work fits, their collaborators, students, marketing, and assessment, as well as the many varied duties they balance" The sections (each with chapters giving examples) are
- Teaching Team Models
- Subject Liaison Model
- Combination of Teaching Team and Subject Liaison Models: Describes IL programs where the instruction work is conducted by some kind of combination of a dedicated teaching team and a liaison model
- Solo Librarian Model
- Focused on a For-Credit Course
Details at https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/hidden-architectures-information-literacy-programs-structures-practices-and-contexts
I previously blogged here a priced webinar series of the same name, which I now realise was connected with the book!
Photo by Sheila Webber: overgrown door, September 2020

Designing learning to enhance metacognitive skills: Opportunities to harness the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) with online learning

There is a MINDSETS (Robert Gordon University) free online event on 1 October 2020 at4-5pm UK time: Designing learning to enhance metacognitive skills: Opportunities to harness the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) with online learning. The presenters are Emma O'Neill, Crystal Fulton, & James Matthews (Fellows in Teaching and Academic Development, University College Dublin). "This research project investigated how the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)could be leveraged to support active student learning in line with the University’s education strategy. ... [the] interventions were ... aimed to change the perception of the VLE from that of a “download-upload” platform to that of a 'space' for an engaging educational experience that maximises meaningful learning. These interventions were underpinned by the literature-informed Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) framework, designed to promote metacognitive skills in the secondary school curriculum. .... These learning interventions were ... trialled in three case studies within Social Sciences, Sport Psychology, and Veterinary Medicine by creating bespoke adaptations of the intervention framework. Preliminary findings show a significant increase in students' pre- and post-intervention metacognitive index scores which aligned well with students' own comments in the qualitative component of the study. Students engaged well with the approach..."
For registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/designing-online-learning-to-enhance-metacognitive-skills-tickets-119794170589
The session will be recorded and made available to registered participants.
Photo by Sheila Webber: white rose in the September sun, 2020