Recent articles: staying sane whilst teaching high-enrollment classes; Finland and fake news; Assessment

Two just published, one from Autumn last year
- Rodriguez, J. and Bucciarelli, E. (2020, January 28). Strategies for Staying Sane While Providing Research Support and Instruction in High Enrollment or Research-Intensive Programs. Journal of Creative Library Practice. "Managing the duties of an academic liaison librarian can be a challenge, especially when the liaison departments have high student enrollments. Two librarians from separate comprehensive Michigan universities assigned to the schools of Health Sciences and Nursing, representing ~4,000 students per semester and with 37 years combined experience, discuss a myriad of strategies used to provide instruction and research support both in-person and online for high enrollment programs and tips for keeping sane." (open access journal article) https://creativelibrarypractice.org/2020/01/28/strategies-for-staying-sane-while-providing-research-support-and-instruction-in-high-enrollment-or-research-intensive-programs/

- Henley, J.(2020, January 29). How Finland starts its fight against fake news in primary schools. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/28/fact-from-fiction-finlands-new-lessons-in-combating-fake-news?
One of resourcesmentioned is the The Media Literacy Index 2019 Unfortunately, with the UK's exit from the European Union sadly only hours away, the comments are more about political posturing than pointing out how librarians have been working at information literacy for years.

- Head, A.J., Bull, A.C. and MacMillan, M. (2019) Asking the Right Questions: Bridging Gaps Between Information Literacy Assessment Approaches. Against the Grain, 31(4). https://against-the-grain.com/2019/10/v314-asking-the-right-questions-bridging-gaps-between-information-literacy-assessment-approaches/ (this is one of their open access articles - the focus is on evaluation/impact as much as assessment).
Photo by Sheila webber: Farmers' market, December 2019

Student bursaries for #LILAC20

Student bursaries for the UK's information literacy conference, LILAC (taking place April 6-8 2020 in Nottingham, UK) are on offer. Closing date for applications is 7th February. "The award (named in honour of former Information Literacy Group Vice Chair Rowena Macrae-Gibson) entitles two students to attend LILAC. The award includes a full conference place, including networking evening and conference dinner, and UK travel and accommodation expenses up to the value of £225. The award is aimed at newly qualifying professionals. We welcome applications from full-time or part-time students (including distance-learners) registered for a UK-based first degree or taught postgraduate qualification in information/library studies or information literacy (IL). It is not essential that applicants are current members of CILIP or its Information Literacy Group." For more info go to https://www.lilacconference.com/awards/student-sponsored-places

Digital Media and Library Instruction

I missed this priced publication last year: Moorefield-Lang, H. (2019). Digital Media and Library Instruction [special issue]. Library Technology Reports, 55(5). It includes: Library-Podcast Intersections by Steve Thomas; Flipped Learning Environments by Lucy Green; Taking Your Library Instruction to YouTube by Heather Moorefield-Lang; A Librarian’s Journey in Blogging by Lucas Maxwell. Go to https://journals.ala.org/index.php/ltr/issue/view/729
Photo by Sheila Webber: the last Xmas wreath - someone had tossed into the branches of the cherry tree, Sheffield, January 2020

Innovating pedagogy 2020 #IP2020report

The Open University, in collaboration with the National Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL), Dublin City University, Ireland, have produced the latest edition of Innovating Pedagogy. This "proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education in their current form." As usual, there are a few pages on each theme, explaining what it is and listing a few resources. The themes are: Artificial intelligence in education; Posthumanist perspectives; Learning through open data; Engaging with data ethics; Social justice pedagogy; Esports; Learning from animations; Multisensory learning; Offline networked learning; Online laboratories.
Go to http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/innovating/

Lifelong learning and democracy

A podcast (21 minutes) just posted, with Dr Jay Derrick of the Centre for Post-14 Education and Work, UCL, on Lifelong learning and democracy, talking about the need for adult education, and the way in which it has declined in the UK:  "Adults are facing issues of access to lifelong learning opportunities ... Arguing about the importance of informal learning and adult education: the latter has unfortunately has been suffering a decline in support over the past years in the UK, making it more difficult for people to engage with." https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/jan/lifelong-learning-and-democracy - it is an episode in the podcast FE News podcast https://soundcloud.com/fenews

Recent articles: Learning outcomes in science course; Information use after graduating; Biology students' strategies and perceptions

Articles in the last 2 issues of the open access journal Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship include:
Gainey, M. et al. (2019) The Evolution of Information Literacy Learning Outcomes in Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Science Courses. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, (93). https://doi.org/10.29173/istl21 "We collaborated with faculty at [institution name] to create [ACRL] Framework-inspired information literacy learning objectives for first-year and third-year science undergraduates and are continuously refining the objectives as the curriculum continues to evolve. This article describes our learning objective design and refinement process, challenges encountered, and ideas on how to create opportunities for embedding information literacy into a curriculum. We also share our full activity lesson plans and assessment tool."

Williams, B., Harvey, B., & Kierkus, C. (2019). Health Information Use After Graduation. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, (93). https://doi.org/10.29173/istl20 "This study aimed to determine which information resources Grand Valley State University (GVSU) alumni from four health science programs utilize in clinical practice. It also explored alumni opinions of their educational experiences at GVSU in relation to information literacy and library resources. A survey was administered to alumni who had graduated with a degree in athletic training, nursing, physical therapy, or physician assistant studies. We received 451 valid responses (12.8% response rate). The survey focused on specific resources used in the professional workplace, GVSU preparation for information literacy in the workplace, alumni confidence in information literacy skills, and additional preparation that could have been helpful after graduation. Survey responses are reported by discipline and degree earned."

Lantz, C., & Dempsey, P. R. (2019). Information Literacy Strategies Used by Second- and Third-Year Biology Students. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, (92). https://doi.org/10.29173/istl13 "Results from focus groups with 23 second- and third-year biology students revealed gradual gains in information literacy (IL) abilities and dispositions needed for them to join the community of scientific practice as laid out in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Students were consumers of information and not yet producers of information. They interacted often with primary research articles but struggled to use research tools effectively; remembered active learning vividly; and relied on video resources, Google, and discussions with peers and instructors to define terms and understand results. "

Jankowski, A., & Sawyer, Y. E. (2019). Biology Student Perceptions of Information Literacy Instruction in the Context of an Essential Skills Workshop Series. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, (92). https://doi.org/10.29173/istl10 "The University Libraries at the University of New Mexico reconfigured their established library instruction program for biology as part of a broader grant-funded essential skills workshop series for STEM students. This initiative standardized supplementary instruction through seven in-person and online workshops delivered to students through the Biology Department’s four core undergraduate laboratory courses. Post-workshop feedback data were gathered from students throughout the two-year grant period. The present study analyzes this data set—including 3,797 completed student surveys from both library and non-library workshops over the course of four semesters—with the goal of understanding STEM student perceptions of the value of information literacy skills as compared to the general and disciplinary value of other essential intellectual and practical skills. The findings suggest that undergraduate biology students generally perceive information literacy to be among the most valuable and relevant skills introduced through the workshop series. The results have the potential to inform information literacy instruction practices and collaborative efforts with broader essential skills education programs."
Photo by Sheila Webber: The Mall, London, January 2020

Conference programme for #LILAC20 available

The draft programme for the LILAC (UK information literacy) conference is available. The conference takes place in Manchester. UK, 6-8 April 2020.
I'm looking forward to running a workshop on the Wednesday, with my colleague Dr Pam McKinney and Professor Annemaree Lloyd and Dr Alison Hicks from University College London on Spaces, materiality and information literacy practice: mapping information landscapes as a way to improve user support and Pam is also presenting The information literacy of food and activity tracking in 3 communities: parkrunners, people with type 2 diabetes and people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (coauthored with Andrew Cox & Laura Sbaffi).
Pam and I will be liveblogging from the conference as usual and the Information School here at Sheffield is one of the sponsors.
Go to https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2020/conference-programme and click on draft programme.

Call for moderator for #ACRL Instruction Section Current Issues Virtual Discussion Forum

A moderator is sought for the June 2020 ACRL Instruction Section Current Issues Virtual Discussion Forum. "The 2020 forum will take the form of a panel discussion. One hour will be allotted for the entire forum, with the moderator expected to provide a brief introduction of the topic (10-15 minutes) before facilitating discussion among panelists. They will then welcome larger audience questions and discussion for the final 10-15 minutes of the forum. Once a moderator is selected, members of the Discussion Group Steering Committee will work with them to create a call for panelists." The proposal will be judged on: Clarity of focus; How well the topic lends itself to meaningful discussion; Observed significance of the proposed issue for library workers and learners. The deadline for proposals is 27 February 2020. The application form is at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdz9vhZOXdF699JNTSbA7RHiXcoheIPe50Eccfmchx2IShHcw/viewform
Picture taken by Sheila Webber in the 3D VW Second Life, January 2020

Call for papers: How Fake News Impacts and Engages the Library Mission and Services #WLIC2020

There is a call for papers for the open session on How Fake News Impacts and Engages the Library Mission and Services, organised by IFLA's News Media Section, jointly with the Digital Humanities SIG, FAIFE, and CLM. The session will be during the IFLA Conference Dublin, Ireland, 15-22 August 2020. Deadline for proposals is 29 February 2020. "What’s true in an age of fake news and alternative facts? Fake news and alternative facts dog users of news media and media researchers. The pace of this development is rapidly increasing in digital media. With regard to this IFLA Open Programme Session, ‘fake news’ is defined as “news that conveys or incorporates false, fabricated, or deliberately misleading information, or that is characterised as or accused of doing so” (Oxford English Dictionary). ‘Alternative fact’ is defined as “a theory posited as an alternative to another, often more widely accepted, theory” (Collins dictionary)." Full information at https://2020.ifla.org/cfp-calls/news-media-digital-humanities-digital-scholarship-faife-clm/

Online course: Introduction to Design Thinking

This course runs from 3 February 2020 to 1 March 2020, and costs US $175. Introduction to Design Thinking, taught by Carli Spina "will walk participants through the theory behind [design thinking] and offer a chance to gain hands-on experience with each step in the Design Thinking cycle. Participants will learn how libraries have found success through Design Thinking and techniques for bringing Design Thinking to any type of library." "At the end of this course, students will be able to: - Define Design Thinking and understand each of the steps in the process; Understand how Design Thinking has been applied in a range of library settings; Apply the steps of the Design Thinking process; Build prototypes; Ideate and develop ideas, including as part of a group. More info at http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/160-design-thinking.php

Staff Learning and Development #teachmeet

There is a free afternoon Staff Learning and Development teachmeet at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds, UK, on 24 January 2020. This event is organised by the CILIP Academic & Research Libraries Group (Eastern Division). "Come along to listen or participate – informal micro-presentations of 9 minutes are sought. Share your ideas or experience of library staff training and learning and development" Information at https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1321488&group=
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of east Sussex, 6, January 2020

Free access to journal Learning and Teaching until Jan 31; Politics students' information literacy

There is free access to the journal Learning and Teaching: The International Journal of Higher Education in the Social Sciences (LATISS) until 31 January 2020. You need to go to https://www.berghahnjournals.com/redeem and then register, and when it asks you for a redemption code you enter Education20 This is apparently in recognition of International Day of Education on January 24. The code does not give you access to any other Berghahn journals

I would highlight in particular: Thornton, S. (2019). A longitudinal comparison of information literacy in students starting Politics degrees. Learning and Teaching, 12(2), 89-111. https://doi.org/10.3167/latiss.2019.120206
"This article presents a longitudinal study of a survey used to expose the information literacy levels of two groups of firstyear Politics/IR students at a British university and, using the logic of ‘most similar design’, make informed inferences about the level of students’ information literacy on coming into tertiary education." Thornton compares results from a 2017 study with results from a very similar study carried out in 2009. He notes at the end "Though not part of the longitudinal comparison, the student responses to the new questions regarding social media and preferred website sources suggest, if anything, the need for information literacy education at university will only increase. They suggest there are more potential pitfalls for those current students trying to navigate a safe path to knowledge (particularly political knowledge) than were faced by earlier cohorts. Furthermore, despite some of the more hyperbolic expectations of the ‘digital natives’ literature (Prensky 2001), it seems – as Paul Kirschner and Pedro De Bruyckere (2017) have argued – there is no reason to suggest those born into a digital world are any more naturally adapt at navigating it than previous generations."
Photo by Sheila Webber: Polling station, May 2018

International Day of Education free conference 24 January #EducationDay

Should you happen to be available on 24 January 2020 and able to go to Paris, there is a free conference at UNESCO HQ to celebrate the International Day of Education. The programme is here. You don't have to register in advance, just turn up with some ID. UNESCO often stream at least part of their events, so they may be livestreaming. The home page for the day is at https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/educationday

Webinar: Creating References Using Seventh Edition APA Style

There is a free one-hour webinar on February 13, 2020 at 1pm US Central Standard Time (which is 7pm UK time) on Creating References Using Seventh Edition APA Style. This is a chance to hear people at APA talk about the new edition. The speakers are: Hayley S. Kamin, Chelsea L. Lee, and Timothy L. McAdoo (Content Development Managers with the APA Style team of the American Psychological Association).  "Join members of the APA Style team as they provide an in-depth look at the simplified reference system by describing the rationale behind it, how to format references using it, and the ways in which references are easier to create because of it. The webinar will then answer one of the most frequently asked Style questions: how to cite a work found online. The APA Style experts will use real-life examples to walk through the process of creating references for a variety of common webpages and websites, including ones with missing or hard-to-locate information, found via a database, and needing electronic source information (DOIs, URLs, and retrieval dates)."
Go here to register https://www.choice360.org/librarianship/webinars/creating-references-using-seventh-edition-apa-style
Photo by Sheila Webber: clematis vitalba, January 2020.

Do you have initiatives/ resources on online safety for UK citizens? Landscape Mapping Exercise - open til Friday 17 January

There is a UK Government survey (also linked below), which is only open until Friday. It aims "to map media literacy initiatives currently underway, which are focused on online safety and minimising harm, and are available for users in the UK". Although it mentions MEDIA literacy, if you have an information literacy initiative that actually serves the same purpose, it would be good to have it included. It DOES ask for a lot of detail about initiatives including funding, takeup and any evaluation.

The way it is written makes it easiest to fill in if you had a limited term project aiming at a specific group (in my view). However, for example, if you are in a public library which does training and support of people needed advice on this, or (say) an NHS, school or university library which has an outreach programme or has created an open-access digital resource that could train or advise people on this topic (video, tutorial etc.), then I think those would qualify.

I didn't follow the questionnaire all the way through, but their list of "what is provided" consists of:
-Training - of teachers, support workers, service providers etc
- Research – on any aspect of media literacy...
- Networking Platforms – conferences, seminars, meetings, online and offline forums, newsletters and databases.
- Campaign – awareness-raising with a desired behaviour change...
- Policy Development – major consultations, published reports and recommendations
- Provision of Funding – for media literacy activities delivered by third parties...
- End-user engagement – grass-roots projects that provide support and information to end-users via face-to-face, phone or online contact.
- Provision of resources – information leaflets, video, audio, lesson plans, curriculum modules, websites etc. (my emphasis)

Also the list of "skills or capabilities" that are aimed for is as follows (overlapping with IL, in my view)
- Media use: Ability to search, find and navigate and use media content and services safely
- Critical thinking 1: Understanding how the media industry works and how media messages are constructed
- Critical thinking 2: Questioning the motivations of content producers in order to make informed choices about content selection and use
- Critical thinking 3: Recognising different types of media content and evaluating content for truthfulness, reliability and value for money
- Critical thinking 4: Recognising and managing online security/safety risks
- Creative skills: creating building and generating media content
- Participation and engagement 1: interaction, engagement and participation in the economic, social and cultural aspects of society through the media
- Participation and engagement 2: promoting democratic participation and fundamental rights
Intercultural dialogue: including challenging radicalisation and hate speech

The press release said "The UK Government committed to developing an online media literacy strategy in the Online Harms White Paper, published in April 2019. As part of this the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport have appointed a consultancy, RSM UK, to undertake a comprehensive mapping exercise to identify what actions are already underway. The consultancy has developed a framework to record and characterise the media literacy initiatives available to UK users and is in the process of populating this framework to help DCMS understand the nature of the initiatives and any gaps in provision.
"If you represent an organisation that provides or funds any media literacy initiatives to users in the UK, it would be very helpful if you could complete this brief survey."

This is the link to the online questionnaire, which asks "some questions about the issues that you are trying to resolve, your target user groups, and delivery methods." https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/MediaLiteracy
Contacts for questions are matt.rooke@rsmuk.com and amy.hau@rsmuk.com.

If you are interested in digital literacy mapping, you may also be interested in the report on Mapping Digital Literacy Policy and Practice in the Canadian Education Landscape (from MediaSmarts) and the 2016 report on media literacy in 28 European Union countries Mapping of media literacy practices and actions in EU-28 (though it is not very comprehensive, at least for the UK).
Photo by Sheila Webber: rainbow, Lewes, January 2020

Recent articles: News literacy; Critical media literacy; Media and youth in the Middle East

Volume 11 issue 3 of the open access journal Journal of Media Literacy Education is the latest to be published. Articles include:
- News literacy and fake news curriculum: School librarians’ perceptions of pedagogical practices by Lesley Farmer
- Hosting and healing: A framework for critical media literacy pedagogy by Dorotea Frank Kersch and Mellinee Lesley
- Professors’ perspectives on truth-seeking and new literacy by Zachary W. Arth, Darrin J. Griffin, and William J. Earnest
- Abolish censorship and adopt critical media literacy: A proactive approach to media and youth in the Middle East by Abeer AlNajjar
Go to https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle/vol11/iss3/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of east Sussex, 5, January 2020

2nd Call for proposals: Critical Approaches to Libraries #CALC2020

The second stage of the Call for Papers is open for the Critical Approaches to Libraries (CALC 2020) conference, taking place 13 May 2020, at Coventry University, UK. This is an open call for presentations from any interested presenters, which closes on 9 February 2020. "Our aim in this conference is to provide a space to share and range of ideas and practices in all areas of critical library practice, including (but not limited to) decolonisation, critical information literacy and critical pedagogy, equality, diversity and inclusion library work and services and representation of marginalised groups in society, academia and collections. Similarly we are interested in sharing experiences and practices from all areas (collections, liaison, teaching and learning etc.) and sectors of library work (HE, FE, health, public, school and special libraries and special collections)."
There are multiple options available for submitting abstracts including written and video abstracts.
The call for papers is at http://calc.coventry.domains/participate/call-for-papers/
Abstract submission is at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQKm_MTeGA2NucQ4QrVYHbi3Os-hjWync-6ewpf8_yqx2FmA/viewform?usp=sf_link and the Help guide here

Approaches to Teaching Information Literacy in Practice

The half day event Approaches to Teaching Information Literacy in Practice, held in London, UK, has changed date. It will now be run on 6 March 2020, with a session in the morning and a repeat session in the afternoon. It is run by Dr Jane Secker and Sarah Pavey. Price: CILIP members £90 plus VAT, CILIP Employer Partner £115 plus VAT, non-members £140 plus VAT. For more info and registration go to https://www.cilip.org.uk/general/custom.asp?page=TeachingInformationLiteracytraining
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of east Sussex, 4, January 2020

Information Literacy Awards 2020

The Information Literacy awards sponsored by the (UK) CILIP Information Literacy Group and LILAC conference committee have been launched. There are 2 awards: (1) The award for achievement in the field of information literacy (IL) is open to all practitioners, researchers and academics working in the IL field within the UK. (2) The Digital Award for Information Literacy is sponsored by the Open University and rewards an innovative/high impact digital resource developed by a UK-based individual or group. Full information at https://www.lilacconference.com/awards The deadline for nominations is 7th February 2020 (17:00 GMT)

Recent books: Learning in Information-Rich Environments; Political polarisation + i-learn Libguide

Neumann, D., Tecce DeCarlo, M., Lee, V., Greenwell, S. and Grant, A. (2019). Learning in Information-Rich Environments: I-LEARN and the Construction of Knowledge from Information. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29410-6
This is the 2nd edition of the book "Drawing primarily from research and theory in three distinct but related fields—learning theory, instructional systems design, and information studies—it presents a way to think about learning that responds directly to the actualities of a world brimming with information. The second edition also includes insights from digital and critical literacies and provides a combination of an updated research-and-theory base and a collection of instructional scenarios for helping teachers and librarians implement each step of the I-LEARN model."

There is a Libguide for the I-LEARN model here, by the way https://libguides.uky.edu/ilearn

Baer, A., Schroeder, R. and Cahoy, E. (2019). Libraries Promoting Reflective Dialogue in a Time of Political Polarization. ACRL. https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/libraries-promoting-reflective-dialogue-time-political-polarization Examples of chapter titles "Sociology of Information Disorder: An Annotated Syllabus for Informed Citizens" (also open access here), "Climate Change Conversations in Libraries (A Sabbatical Training Adventure)", "Red Shirts and Citizens’ Councils: Special Collections and Information Literacy in the College Classroom", "“The Earth Is Flat” and Other Thresholds: A Critically Reflective Cross-disciplinary Conversation in the Post-truth Era"
Added on 10 January: Thanks to Thomas Hapke for alerting me to this page that links to open-access versions of most of the chapters https://librariesdialogue.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/ - on a website created by teh book's authors.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of East Sussex: 3, January 2020

Call for papers: Information Literacy in LIS programs in the Developing Countries

There is a call for papers for the open session on Information Literacy in LIS programs in the Developing Countries, organised by IFLA LIS Education in Developing Countries Special Interest Group and the Information Literacy Section. The session will be during the IFLA Conference Dublin, Ireland, 15-22 August 2020. Deadline for proposals is 28 February 2020.
"There is an increasing awareness about the prospective and important role of LIS education in the dissemination of information literacy through the changing trends and societies. Implementing powerful learning strategies in librarianship, academic, and practical sectors through which awareness about the importance of information in today's life, business and education should be a vital role of LIS education in developing countries. This call to action urges LIS educators to work on their program plans and curricula.
"This session’s goal is to provide a clear view of the presence of information literacy components in LIS programs worldwide with a special focus on developing countries. We are particularly interested in proposals which explore the following issues: The impact of new information technologies on library education; The experiences of LIS educators in introducing information literacy course within their curriculums.; Implementation of IL through e-learning for librarians and library users
LIS departments’ role in IL awareness in their institutions."
Full information at https://2020.ifla.org/cfp-calls/lis-education-in-developing-countries-joint-with-information-literacy/

Integrating information Literacy

Not new, but I just came across it.
Feekery, A. (2013). Conversation and Change: Integrating Information Literacy to Support Learning in the New Zealand Tertiary Context Learning Designs and Teaching Strategies, Research Methodologies. PhD Massey University. This addressed the research question "What factors impact on the successful embedding of information literacy across the four-year Bachelor of Environmental Planning (BEP) programme to support students to be effective learners in higher education?" using participatory action research. Insights and recommendations are also here if you don't want to read the thesis. I have mentioned Feekery before in connection with the Information Literacy Spaces blog. The full thesis is at - https://ako.ac.nz/knowledge-centre/conversation-and-change-integrating-information-literacy-to-support-learning-in-the-new-zealand-tertiary-context/thesis-conversation-and-change/

In case you are interested, I came across it whilst searching for articles from this other PhD study of IL integration in New Zealand higher education (I had had a sudden blank about the author's family name and was doing a lazy search to re-find them)
Wang, X. (Li) (2010). Integrating information literacy into higher education curricula: An IL curricular integration model. PhD thesis, Queensland University of Technology. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/41747/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of East Sussex 2, Flint Owl Bakery, January 2020.

Recent articles: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning #SoTL - Librarians; Writing; Scoping; Transformative spaces

The latest issue (Vol 7 No 2, 2019) of Teaching & Learning Inquiry, the open access journal of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), has a number of interesting articles, including

- McClurg, C., MacMillan, M., & Chick, N. (2019). Visions of the Possible: Engaging with Librarians in SoTL. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 7(2), 3-13. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.7.2.1 This proposes different ways in which librarians might be engaged with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and is particularly relevant to this blog.

- Healey, M., Matthews, K. E., & Cook-Sather, A. (2019). Writing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Articles for Peer-Reviewed Journals. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 7(2), 28-50. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.7.2.3 This is an excellent paper in identifying different types of article that you could write, and proposing a writing framework for each of them. "We discuss the process of producing four types of SoTL-focused writing for peer-reviewed journals: empirical research articles, conceptual articles, reflective essays, and opinion pieces. Our goal is to support both new and experienced scholars of teaching and teaching—faculty/academics, professional staff, and students—as they nurture and further develop their voices and their identities as scholars of teaching and learning and strive to contribute to the enhancement of learning and teaching in higher education. We pose three related sets of overarching questions for consideration when writing about teaching and learning for peer-reviewed journals and offer heuristic frameworks for publishing in the four specific writing genres listed above. We also discuss how to get started with writing, preparing to submit, and responding to reviewers, focusing on the importance of contributing to and creating scholarly conversations about teaching and learning."

- Chick, N., Nowell, L., & Lenart, B. (2019). The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Scoping Review Protocol. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 7(2), 186-197. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.7.2.12 - this describes how they plan to do a scoping review, including listing the databases and definitions and providing an example search strategy in ERIC.

- Drane, L. E., Lynton, J. Y., Cruz-Rios, Y. E., Watts Malouchos, E., & Kearns, K. D. (2019). Transgressive Learning Communities: Transformative Spaces for Underprivileged, Underserved, and Historically Underrepresented Graduate Students at Their Institutions. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 7(2), 106-120. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.7.2.7

Whole issue at https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/TLI/issue/view/5156
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of South London 4, December 2019

Call for proposals: Critical Approaches to Libraries #CALC2020

The Critical Approaches to Libraries (CALC 2020) conference will take place 13 May 2020, at Coventry University, UK. There is a first call for papers aimed specifically at under-represented groups: Person of Colour / BAME / Non-white; People for whom English is an additional language; LGBTQI+; Person with a disability / disabled person (physical, mental or learning disability); Deaf presenters.
"The conference will cover many different aspects of critical practice in libraries and librarianship including (but not limited to) decolonisation, critical pedagogy and EDI issues in libraries, research and academia." Abstracts can be submitted in various ways, written or in video. " For written abstracts you also have the choice of a traditional abstract or using our guided abstract option to give a more structured approach. If none of these work for you, please do get in touch and we can discuss a more bespoke option that meets your needs." The website is at http://calc.coventry.domains/ The call for papers is at http://calc.coventry.domains/participate/call-for-papers/; the form to submit an abstract is at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScR7YjzXECL4xr4c1h-uBH-cGWlCFdw5sttDdFjlmAEh3lQ8w/viewform; and this is the call for papers help guide.
Photo by Sheila Webber: wreaths of East Sussex, 1, January 2020

Consultation on revision of the Information Literacy Competency Standards for #Nursing

The North American Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nursing are being revised to align them with the ACRL Information Literacy Framework (the nursing standards were based on the old ACRL IL Standards) and input is sought. "Our intended audience is librarians, especially those connected with information literacy (IL) instruction for Nursing and the Health Sciences. We are seeking information on how you've been using the ACRL Framework thus far in instructional sessions/contexts for Nursing and the Health Sciences. We are also capturing information on instructional technologies as connected to this topic and whether you would be interested in seeing the draft of the Framework for IL in Higher Ed in Nursing when it's ready." Go here for the survey https://coloradomesa.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kt67CCBXC6hwoJ
Photo by Sheila Webber: Chrysanthemum tea in a Furnival's Quail teacup, December 2019

Recent articles: Attitudes to IL; Computational thinking and IL

Ata, R. & Yıldırım, K. (2020). Analysis of the Relation Between Computational Thinking and New Media Literacy Skills of First-Year Engineering Students. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 29(1), 5-20. [priced] https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/208637/ "The study first aimed to reveal self-reported computational thinking and new media literacy skill levels of first-year engineering students with various demographics such as gender, departments, and internet use frequency. It was then aimed to test whether there is a significant relation between computational skills and new media literacy skills. The study group consisted of 112 engineering candidates who were enrolled at the engineering faculty of a university in Mugla city in Turkey. ... Findings suggest that engineering student participants consider their computational thinking and new media literacy skills to be sufficient. In addition, while the variables such as gender and department were not found to be affecting to the computational thinking and new media literacy levels, internet use frequency was found to be affecting. Furthermore, the study results indicated that the relationship between participant’ computational thinking and new media literacy level is statistically significant and positive."

Adekunle, A. et al. (2019). Attitude of Undergraduate Students to Information Literacy: Bowen University Experience. Journal of Balkan Libraries Union, 6(1), 1-11. [open access] http://eprints.rclis.org/39346/1/Article1_Attitude%20of%20Undergraduate%20Students%20to%20Information%20Literacy%20Bowen%20University%20Experience.pdf "The study investigated the rationale behind undergraduates’ apathy for information literacy (IL) programme at Bowen University, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study and a multi-stage sampling method was used to select a sample size of five hundred participants spread across disciplines and levels of study. ... Results show that students’ attitude to information literacy significantly influences their information literacy skill and students’ perception of information literacy significantly influences their information literacy skills. Although perception of IL does not predict influence of IL on students, attitude to IL determines the influence of IL on students’ information literacy skills. The study further revealed that the erroneous equation of technology literacy with information literacy was largely responsible for students' lukewarm disposition to information literacy."
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreaths of South London 3, December 2019

An information literate 2020!

Let's hope that there is more information literacy in the world in 2020 than there was in 2019! One piece of good news came at the end of 2019, "when 193 Countries Proclaimed Global Media and Information Literacy Week ... On 25 November 2019, one hundred and ninety-three countries unanimously proclaimed Global MIL Week as official at the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference." Go to https://en.unesco.org/news/193-countries-proclaimed-global-media-and-information-literacy-week-it-now-official for more information.
Photo by Sheila Webber: December sky, South London, 2019.