Using Early Responses to Wikipedia and Google to Consider ChatGPT #ECIL2023

At the ECIL conference (Sheila here) I just attended a talk on Using Early Responses to Wikipedia and Google to Consider ChatGPT by David A. Hurley (University of New Mexico, USA). He identified a number of questions that are being asked about generative AI, such as: where is the authority? what should be the heuristics for assessment? should we teach prompt engineering? should we prohibit students from using AI? Hurley identified the similarity between these fears and questions, and the questions raised on the introduction of Google/the web and Wikipedia.
Hurley had done a search for commentary on Google and Wikipedia to identify how they were being talked about when they were introduced. For example in 1999 Google was still being talked about as something you may not have heard of. Hurley identified the number of workshops, advice about how to search it well, noting structural issues (such as the way in which popular pages get brought to the top, and implications of that). As I was giving frequent workshops about how to search search engines at that time I got quite excited at this point.
Hurley noticed that catastrophising that went on, and there were also debates about the issues around having one interface to multiple databases, and the impact of users not having to make so much effort to search. Hurley identified librarians seeing critical evaluation of information being less central to information literacy. Hurley referred to A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto and had found references to Wikipedia being framed as evil, not just unreliable. Hurley identified three pedagogical approaches
(1) Rejection (e.g. notices forbidding Wikipedia use; exercises designed to show Wikipedia/Google were not as good as books and journals);
(2) Reinforcing - incorporating Google/Wikipedia into existing ways of teaching (e.g. using poor websites to teach information evaluation)
(3) Revolutionising e.g. using Wikipedia's talk pages to show a process of consensus; encouraging students to edit Wikipedia entries. There were also more questionable activities involving spreading misinformation.
Hurley noted that some of the early criticisms no longer apply e.g. it indexes pdfs etc. that were originally not accessible, also the criticism that "Google doesn't give you an answer" and "Google doesn't know you like a librarian does" are no longer true (indeed the idea that Google doesn't know you raised laughter in the room). Differences to this earlier time include:
That Google/Wikipedia were more democratising - anyone can edit and create; however ChatGPT is centralising.
On Wikipedia/Google you can usually see who has written something and when; In ChatGPT the origins and authors are submerged.
There is a different user context: whereas in the early days of Google etc. librarians were the search experts, now that has changed - librarians may not be the best prompt engineers.
There is a different environmental context, with more awareness of the impact of these tools. Conclusions included - not to confuse curiosity with a mandate to teach; scope for collaborative exploration (with students) of these tools. 

This was part of a session on algorithmic literacy: the abstracts for the session are here. Unfortunately I missed most of the first two talks, but you can see the informative abstract on Algorithms, Digital Literacies and Democratic Practices: Perceptions of Academic Librarians by Maureen Constance Henninger, Hilary Yerbury and Algorithmic Literacy of Polish Students in Social Sciences and Humanities and Łukasz Iwasiński, Magdalena Krawczyk from that link above I will mention that the in the latter talk, the researchers were using Dogruel et al's(2022)  scale, and they identified that some items on the algorithm literacy scale were unclear e.g. "Humans are never involved when algorithms are used" and so they recommend reviewing these questions and adding some examples. Also the researchers felt that an algorithm literacy scale should not be restricted to considering algorithm literacy in the internet. They thought that it would be better to take the Framework catalogue of digital competencies and add items to do with algorithm literacy. You identify area of life/benefit/competency needed to achieve the benefit.
Reference: Dogruel, L., Masur P., & Joeckel, S. (2022) Development and validation of an algorithm literacy scale for internet users. Communication Methods and Measures, 16(2).
Photo by Sheila Webber window in Krakow

Visualizing Online Search Processes for Information Literacy Education #ECIL2023

The final presentation I (Sheila) will be blogging from this morning was Visualizing Online Search Processes for Information Literacy Education was presented by Luca Botturi – a presentation co-authored with Loredana Addimando, Martin Hermida and Chiara Beretta. Botturi talked about their project LOIS which had 500+ school student participants. The students were presented with scenarios, for example one where a friend is worried about eating pesto because they have heard basil causes cancer. The researchers asked participants to share their search logs, as well as recording their thoughts about the success of the search.
The researchers used visual methods so they could inspect the research stories and also because they could be useful for teaching information literacy. The visualisation includes notation for length of time doing different actions, what the actions are such as reading, searching, searching for the same word, clicking on a hit. The visualisations show that some people search for the same word again and again, others a different word each time, some spend a long time reading and never click on a hit: so the stories for the same scenario can be very different. However, in broad terms, 40% just type in a question, tinker with it, find an answer and select it. They are displayed in such a way that you can work through each search story seeing what is done.
Once the students have done these searches, they are asked to reflect on what they’ve done and they can see what others have done. The students were very satisfied with this activity: the the students with higher academic performance and those who found searching easy rated the activity higher. Concerning were those students who identified that they had learned more about searching but didn’t intend to change their behaviour.
- The researchers identified five guidelines
- There is no best online search method
- Everyone has one or two preferred search practices
- A poor search can be worse than no search
- Search tasks matter and are not all alike
- Effective online searching takes learning 

They will be sharing the plugin and the server application that they developed. The next step for them is Reflective Online Search Education (ROSE) currently starting within FNS/Weave programme with the Leibniz Institut, Germany. This will develop ways of using this search story approach, which sounds very interesting.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Art garden, Krakow

IL and ICT literacy correlations; A digital creative writing device #ECIL2023

More belated liveblogging from ECIL (Sheila here). I was presenting in a session this morning from a room with no wifi connection - I will post my liveblogs of the other talks in 2 posts, and Pam also blogged my talk, so that will be posted separately. First paper in the session was: Undergraduate Students’ Information Literacy in Relation to their ICT Proficiency and Psychological Characteristics presented by Danica Dolničar, coauthored with Bojana Boh Podgornik (University of Ljubljana). She started by talking about the frameworks used in their research: the Digicomp ICT framework and the ACRL framework, and noting that ICT literacy doesn’t automatically imply information literacy.
Dolničar introduced the research questions, which were exploring relationships such as between demographics and information literacy, or between the two literacies. They had a convenience sample of 498 students at the University of Ljubljana, with a preponderance of natural science students and female students, and administered three survey instruments (concerning IL, ICT, and motivation).
A few results were: In terms of information literacy / demographics, the only difference was between the 1st & 2nd years and the greater IL of 3rd & 4th years. In terms of software, only the use of general software correlated significantly with IL. The highest correlation of IL was with communication tools, and even more with confidence in using internet. In terms of motivation self-concept about learning, self-efficacy and self-concept about problem solving were correlated with IL and ICT. 

In the same session this morning was Information and Digital Literacies as Written Culture: The Case of a Digital Creative Writing Device presented by Béatrice Micheau. The context is an institutional framework to assess digital devices used in creative writing. The studied device is the Cub’edito from Short Edition. Ethnographic research was carried out with observations and interviews (examining educational use with young people and interviewing teachers, librarians, authors and (in focus group) students). The aim was to assess the device and explore the devices use and relationship with literacies. The device is a cube which enables you write, to exchange text, and to print a short text as a long paper ticket – this helps to surface the links between paper and screen “a covenant between a long term written culture and digital textual practices and norms”.
Also it has some aspects of documentation – e.g. allocating author, title. Micheau showed how the stories could be printed out and arranged or grouped (e.g. a haiku tree hung with poems; stories physically grouped in different ways). She talked about various aspects of reading and writing that were engaged in this project such as linguistic, semiotic, finding your place in the world, aesthetic aspects and socio-pragmatic aspects.
She concluded that we don’t have to indulge in “digital dualism” (seeing the the written and digital culture as separate) but rather that should examiine them together in order to understand literacy today. Micheau also referred to cultural “poaching” between everyday written culture and school culture, and between literacy, information literacy and digital literacy. The studied device can also be seen as an “action apparatus”.
Photo by Sheila Webber: bags of ECIL (each one had free chocolates!)

#ECIL2023 An Archipelago of Library and Information Science - Jenna Hartel

Pam McKinney here live blogging from day 2of the ECIL conference [apologies, we're having wifi problems, so are liveblogging, but not necessarily live posting!] Professor Jenna Hartel from the University of Toronto is leading the keynote this morning. Jenna began by reflecting on her role to extend love, present her authentic self and be outrageous. Metaphorically our field has a core island of information retrieval, information behaviour and information literacy, but just off shore is an archipelago of new and emerging fields.
Archipelagos form though volcanic activity and represent dynamism and fertility. An archipelago of library and information science is represented here at the ECIL conference, and Jenna is going to take us on a tour today - have your passport ready! Jenna has been making videos about LIS for a number of years, and is going to present some of these this morning.
The first island is Embodiment, recognises that information literacy substantially involves the body, and this was first popularised by Annemaree Lloyd with her research into embodied information practices. Our bodies project information about ourselves to others. The information literate person is proficient in social, textual and embodied information. Other researchers such as Tim Gorichanaz (yesterday’s keynote) have investigated the bodily experience of information literacy.
Our next stop is the island of contemplation or deep reflective thought. There is a rich tradition of contemplation in many religions, and is also linked to mindfulness practices, which can help address mental health. A few minutes mindfulness of contemplative pedagogy can significantly improve the student experience. Dr David Levy is an advocate for the mindful librarian, and invites reflection on our experience of using technology, and become a digital craftsperson.  Contemplation can be placed on the higher levels of the data information and knowledge pyramid, and Jenna has often started her classes with a moment of contemplation. 

Next stop is a multi-species islet, representing the interconnectedness of humans and other species. A multi species approach replaces a human centric approach with a shared vision of humans and animals. Dr Marcia Bates’ theories of information involve reflecting on the information experience of animals. Niloofar Solhjoo’s work looks at the social interactions between humans and animals, and the role of animals (pet guardians) in our information worlds and experiences. Jenna says that she is constantly drawing inspiration from the animals in her life in her teaching and research, and uses animals to help her frame her teaching for students, and played a video that she created for her students to characterise the role of the reference book using antelopes.

Far from the mainland of LIS we have the islet of love. Jenna tries to make her classes spaces of love, where loving kindness is prized. Jenna created a multimedia love letter to LIS which can be found on you tube. Carol Kuhlthau’s  research speaks about the affective nature of information research, and Jenna said we all need self care and love.

Our final destination is the underwater sea mount of psychedelic information theory. Here James L Kent consolidates the scientific literature and his own psychedelic experiences using so called magic mushrooms that contain the drug psilocybin. These drugs have long been used by indigenous cultures, and Jenna invited us to consider the role of psychedelic drugs in understanding new information experiences. The information density in a psychedelic experience is rich and novel, and there is an important role for the shaken as a guide to this information experience. Jenna suggest that there is a similarity between the shamen and the librarian, as the librarian mediates the information world for users, just as the shamen mediates the psychedelic experience for their users. 

This was a beautiful key note characterised by colourful and engaging video presentations, it made me want to be a student in Jenna’s classes!

Embedded below is a video by Jenna that she wanted to play during the session but technical difficulties prevented

#ECIL2023 What Shapes Our Trust in Scientific Information? A Review of Factors Influencing Perceived Scientificness and Credibility

 Armin Jacob and Lennert Perrey from ZBW Leibniz information centre for economics spoke about the importance in developing science information literacy, especially in the context of the pandemic. They were interested in understanding the factors that can mislead people into thinking that information is “scientific” when it is pseudo-science or not of good quality. They undertook a comprehensive search of journal databases to identify journal papers that wee perceived as credible science. The use of scientific formulas makes people believe that the source is scientific. The inclusion of tables and pictures increases credibility. The use of language such as the passive voice contributes to the perception that it is genuine science, and the use of overly positive language was seen to reduce credibility. The way that a text is formatted was also important e.g. two column format was sen to be more credible than one-column format. Where the title and qualifications of authors were used, this increased credibility,  and the inclusion of references. Communicators of science information need to be aware of these cognitive biases when writing journal papers. There are ethical concerns that pseudo science writers deliberately include these strategies to make their writing more credible and mislead people.

#ECIL2023 Bridging Skills and Thresholds: Exploring Instructors’ Definitions of Information Literacy Using Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy

 Pam McKinney here live blogging from the final session on day 1 of the ECIL conference. In this presentation Katie Blocksidge from Ohio State University spoke about their project to explore instructors perceptions of information literacy using Blooms revised taxonomy. Research  has shown that faculty staff think that IL encompasses a range of skills, but rarely share a conception with librarians, and faculty are inconsistent in their approach to teaching information literacy. Faculty believe that students do develop IL, but fail to develop higher order skills in IL. This may be because faculty have forgotten how they developed their higher order IL skills, and provide assignments that are ill suited to developing these skills in their students. Blooms taxonomy can be used to conceptionalise an information literacy programme. A survey was administered to faculty staff that asked them to define what information literacy meant to them. A revised version of blooms taxonomy with more detailed descriptions of the various levels was used to categorise the descriptions provided by the survey respondents. In the findings they presented a 5 step adaptation of blooms taxonomy called an information literacy taxonomy. The base stage was labelled “remember” which was characterised as a general awareness of knowledge practices related to information literacy e.g. knowledge of database. It is foundational knowledge for more complex ways of knowing. The second stage was “understand” which referred to basic applied skills e.g. find and use credible information. Learners are beginning to develop the capacity for these practices and ways of thinking, but haven’t mastered them yet. The third stage “apply” is characterised by mastery of basic skills and moving towards higher levels e.g. critical use of information, and ethically producing information. Learners can understand the wider context of their information use, and are more sophisticated in the way they interact with information. The fourth stage “analyse” learners could connect and adapt their skills to particular information contexts, for example understand the limitations of different sources of information. Learners are crossing information literacy thresholds and moving from a skills or task based orientation to the integration of this knowledge in ways of working. The final stage is “create” where learners can understand the information landscape and can explain this to others, transitioning from information consumer to knowledge creator. This model could provide a structure true for intentional reflection on information literacy related learning goals.

#ECIL2023 Research and Conclusions Regarding Using Problem-Based-Learning in Teaching

Pam McKinney here live blogging from the first afternoon sessions at the ECIL conference.   Angela Repanovici from Transilvania university of Brasov Romania spoke about the intersection between information literacy and problem-based learning pedagogy, which is increasingly used as a pedagogy in higher education, and requires critical thinking, problem solving and navigating the information landscape. A literature search for problem-based learning found that PBL is an expanding concept in the literature. They conducted a student survey with students who had engaged with PBL which showed that students liked PBL. in the PBL course students visited the library and engaged with some of the activities there, for example cataloguing and digital repository management. Students recognised these visits as an aspect of their PBL, and found them useful for understanding cataloguing processes and the shape of professional roles in this area,  but online activities were less recognised as being helpful. The time it takes to implement PBL is substantial, but it does have benefits for students. Although this is PBL not inquiry-based learning, there were a number of similarities between this presentation and my own research 

#ECIL2023 Maturity Model as the Tool For Information/Data Literacy Assessment

 Marek Nahitko from the Jagiellonian University here in Krakow first presented a definition of maturity models as tools to support the assessment of current and future states of a process, person or group. They contain the most important elements of efficiency in the system, and contain successive levels of a desired path. They are usually presented in the form of a matrix where rows describe the dimensions of maturity and the columns describe the levels. It is possible to identify areas for improvement by examining the intersections between rows and columns. Rubrics are used to evaluate information and data literacy, and these are normally used to support the assessment of various activities and develop scoring schemes. There are a lot of similarities between rubrics and maturity models, rubrics are a type of maturity model that focus specifically on the user of information and their training needs.  Marek’s research focused on determining the place and role of digital literacy in existing research data management services maturity models. Dimensions were divided into 4 groups, and compared with a specific technology acceptance model. User characteristics were the least prevalent group, and system characteristics were the most prevalent group. One of the indicators if information system maturity is the information and digital literacy of its users, so research data management developers need to consider user education as an aspect of service development 

#ECIL23 Dictionary Literacy, Information Literacy, and Information Behaviour in the E-Environment

 Theo Bothma and Ina Fourie from university of Pretoria presented about the dictionary literacy skills associated with reading text, and is concerned with understanding the principles of dictionary use, it’s structure, and the abbreviations and labels used in the dictionary. In e-dictionaries this also encompasses search strategies. Theo spoke about some of the challenges in using dictionaries in Kindles, particularly if the word is unusual, and in these cases the user is directed to a Google search which links to the Oxford English Dictionary. However often users are presented with some unsuitable definitions, or ones that are unrelated to their context so must engage with a process of evaluation and sifting. Could generative AI help with the dictionary consultation process? It is possible to enter a piece of text into the AI and ask the system for the meaning of particular words. In the example given, the generative AI did not identify correctly the people and context from the passage. 

Film Criticism, Social Issues and Student Audience Reception #ECIL2023

Finally in this session at European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Krakow, Poland (this is Sheila) is Correlation between Film Criticism, Social Issues and Student Audience Reception presented by Zlatko Vidačković (coathored with Nikša Sviličić) (abstract is here). The data was collected by interviewing three academics and administrating a questionnaire to about 300 (I think 334) students in Zagreb, Croatia. The presenter raised the question - what is the role of film criticism today, and presented a large number of important perspectives from the literature. Just picking up on some of the points - A critic should not have any prejudice and aim to ignore marketing techniques or other practices that create favour and bias. They should be able to position the film critically within the film corpus - they should have "knowledge + taste" and enlighten the reader. From that perspective film criticism is still needed, and perhaps more than ever.
The research results included that: student respondents to the questionnaire on the whole rarely looked at film reviews; the reviews influenced moderately the opinions etc. about the film; the participants mostly followed on social media, sites like Rotten Tomatoes, vlogs etc.; asked about extent to which social issues affects their choice of films, the answer was moderately; if books affected their choice of films, it was  mostly fiction; film lectures affected the students' film choices moderately little. From the academics' interviews, there were varying perspectives on the students' engagement with film reviews and the social issues that might be portayed in films.
Conclusions (from the literature and from the research) include: art criticism should be supported to counter the power of commercialism and marketisation; this is still the case even with the rise of many people giving their opinions about films online; younger people turn to digital media to find reviews; some social issues (such as freedom) are more appealing in films; students are more open to discussing films than writing about hem; the students also prefer to discuss social issues rather than artistic issues.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Krakow main square

Information Mourning Among Retired Faculty Members #ECIL2023

Sheila here, liveblogging again from the European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Krakow, Poland (this is Sheila) is of Information Mourning Among Retired Faculty Members presented by Paloma Korycińska (abstract is here). As someone approaching retirement this had caught my attention! Korycińska picked up on an image and a quote from the keynote speech to emphasise that she was talking about pain and potential healing.
Her research was originally about information behaviour of retired Polish academics, but as she started to carry out her research it emerged that the academics' experience strongly resembled mourning and bereavement. In 2020 she discovered that
- Information and data loss may be preceived and lived as a kairotic change
- retirement may be lived as a kairotic loss
- kairotic change and kairotic loss can lead to experience of mourning and bereavement
Korycińska explained that Kairos was the Greek god of thunder, symbolising a single moment of opportunity and also a sudden unexpected event that erases your existence. Death is not the only type of kairotic event, it can be anything where it feels like your life has been destroyed and you have to be resilient and reconstruct.
Korycińska characterised kairotic (information) loss as: a borderline event; expected and announced, yet unbearable; erasing/ reconfiguring existence; with no template or recipe for coping; no turning back from it; "what was yours does not belong to you any more"; it has to be embraced.
The toolkit used to explore information loss was Sonnenwald's Information Horizons (as modified by Huvila), and then for the revised research project it also included tracking resilient information behaviour, undertaking indepth interviews (note taking only) with 12 retired Polish academics. As well as noting modifications to information horizons, the researcher also undertook metaphor mapping.
Korycińskanoted that she had a providential encounter with a professional therapist at this stage, who warned her about the danger both to participants and researcher in undertaking research which arouses such painful emotions.
For the new study she has a new recruitment method, is undergoing training about how to undertake this kind of research, is taking advantage of supervision/mentoring; is doing indepth biographical interviews with transcription; doing information horizon drawing; will undertake discourse analyis and her interpretation will focus on remedies.
She alerted us to Bowlby's and Parkes' four phases of bereavement (numbness; yearning; disorganisation & despair; Reorganisation. There are also the 5 stages of mourning: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. She also presented a diagram showing a bereavement negotiation scheme.
Finally metaphors her particiapants used included: being dis-embedded; being "confronted with my finitude. alone in singularity". A final word "There is no need that scholars should live retirement as an irreversible loss triggering the process of bereavement"
This talk resonated very much with me, which is something I might blog about when I'm not liveblogging. Another delegate (who has a more receptive culture at their institution, it sounded) was talking about how and whether their individual post-retirement scholarship was still relevant and valued by the profession and community of scholars. He mentioned the feeling of being cut off from information sources, from the networks and so forth. The mourning is connected to loss of identity. Korycińska felt that there could be small steps that institutions could take in order to avoid such feelings of loss - she is aiming to discoverthese through her research.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Krakow in autumn

#ECIL2023 Clicks, Queries, and Searches: Uncovering User Behavior through Transaction Log Analysis

Janice De Castro Peñaflor from University of Manila where the university serves over 24000 students. There is increasing use of broadcast search services. This study aimed to understand the most common search strings used, and how this affects search success. Transaction logs from the search system were analysed, this is an unobtrusive way of understanding user search behaviour, and qualitative analysis was used to classify the searches. There was a predominance in the search for covid 19 information, also users searched for the names of specific databases e.g. Euromonitor or Statista. Boolean operators were not commonly used. Known item searches (23% of searches) used the title most often as the search team. Exploratory searches (77 % of searches) focused on using keywords. Peer reviewed journal articles were the most popular sources. More research is needed to understand the motivations for these behaviours, but this study will be useful to support the design of a new information literacy programme, as students are not engaging in sophisticated search behaviours.

Being with Information #ECIL2023

My next liveblog from the The European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Krakow, Poland (this is Sheila) is of Walking, Meeting Things, Tinkering with Objects and Materials, Being with Information: Some Experiences in Information Culture presented by Yolande Maury (abstract is here). Again these are just my impressions and the wifi continues dodgy (though otherwise a lovely venue!) so I will post when I can.
This paper was based on ongoing research studying changes in information and media education in France, paying attention to emerging trends. 6 researchers are involved. The focus here was on the potential of experiential education for students in the field of information culture. Information is defined here broadly as "related to being informed" (i.e. certainly not just documents). Learners are seen as active and social beings, constructing their own worlds, with their bodies having an active role in this discovery and construction.
The focus is on two schools (college, Hauts de France). Data is collected over time, with an immersed and observational approach. Within that 3 particular projects:
- walking as a geographical learning path (as part of a geography project)
- creative production (rap slam and dance) as part of a local artistic partnership, with learners with disabilities
- "tinkering and making activities" with the library
Maury firstly talked about the walking project, which was used to introduce the geographical project in a living way, experiencing the place by moving through the city. The learners can identify the "function of each place 'seen from below'" and start to form critical ideas about what should be changed and what retained. Learners are encouraged to use all 5 senses to experience place. Having done this, the learners have to construct a story including their feelings, observations and expressions. The latter is the CLEA creative project.
This also is an exercise to co-construct a living culture, and involves collaborating with the rapper and also using the maker-space of the library to "give (concrete) form to projective scenarios" which scenario may start as an abstraction, and the learners are encouraged to be creative in matching the ideas to the type of material they use. Example swas given of a student using their own foot to represent pedestrians, paper trees and a smartphone to illustrate street lighting.
Overall this project involves starting with the students' own experience and knowledge, and leading them from the subjective experience to a secondary experience as they reflect on their experience and construct responses with words and objects. Maury showed a video created by 3 students narrating a story about their city, told through their creations and words. Also in response to a question she talked a bit more about students learning how to express information through gesture, objects etc.
Two references from the abstract
Maury, Y. (2019). Expériences sensibles en bibliothèque: Peut-on parler d’un tournant? Revue Cossi, 6, 27–40.
Maury Y., & Kovacs, S. (2020). In-former le territoire local par l’exercice scolaire. In C. Tardy & M. Severo, Dispositifs du visible et de l’invisible dans la fabrique des territoires (pp. 59–78). Paris: L’Harmattan.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Krakow main square

#ECIL2023 Changes in Older Adult’s Attitudes and Use of Health Information and Communication Technology from 2019 to 2022

Pam McKinney here live blogging with @sheilayoshikawa from the ECIL conference in Krakow, Poland. Augusta Palsdottir from the university of Reykjavik. Augusta began by asserting that being able to make informed decisions about their health they need to have access to quality health information, and digital technologies can help people manage their own health. Rapid developments in the health information landscape means that people have to constantly adjust to new services and new information, and new ways of communicating with health professionals. Older adults adapt less quickly, and may have health conditions that make it difficult to use ICT. They may need help from others and consider electronic information less valuable. Older adults prefer to get information from health professionals, But if there is seen to be high value in electronic health information then older people will use it.

 There is a new online health portal in Iceland, which includes health records and prescriptions, although it is not fully developed. It allows access to high quality information about healthy lifestyles. The aim of the study was to explore the adoption of healthcare ICT in older adults. the studies were quantitative, one took place before covid in 2019, and one in 2022. Both were telephone and internet surveys, focusing on people aged 56 years and over. Questions focused on the use of the electronic health portal Heilsuvera to communicate with health professionals, and to seek information about healthy lifestyles. In 2019 74% seldom used the portal to communicate with doctors, make appointments or send a message, but in 2022 this reduced to 37%. People were encouraged to use the system for covid information, and also to use it to avoid attending the dr surgery. However the results show that there was no increase in the use of the portal for seeking information about healthy living from 2019 to 2022. There was also an increase in confidence to begin to use new technology from 2019 to 2022, and people also found it easier to get help to use new health ICT. There was a positive change in attitude to adopting new health ICTs between the two studies, but they need assistance from friends and family.

A Compass for What Matters: Virtue Ethics and Information Literacy #ECIL2023

Sheila here, and this is my first liveblog from the The European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Krakow, Poland. The wifi is stuggling to cope with do many eager ECILers so we may not manage as much LIVEblogging as planned, but there will still be blogging (and I've just got online! so this will be a liveblog). The first keynote was A Compass for What Matters: Virtue Ethics and Information Literacy, presented by Timothy Gorichanaz (Drexel University, USA). I'm blogging in real time, so there are the usual caveats about this being my interpretation on the fly. Also it is ann account of what I think I heard, not my own perspective.
Gorichanaz started with Floridi’s question “What is our human project for the digital age?” urging us to consider this a “special time” as the internet is still relatively young, so it is still a good time to reflect on what we want to do with the digital. Gorichanaz identified some of the challenges and issues that have already arisen, and talked about how we can be seen as in a time of chaos (he used the image of the Tower of Babel). He also used the examples of the information and misinformation around the availability of the COVID booster jab in the USA, and Microsoft publishing an AI-written guide to Ottawa that wrote about Ottawa Food Bank as though it were a restaurant.
Gorichanaz then framed his presentation within the field of applied ethics, defining ethics as “the study of the good life, right and wrong etc.” He also identified the increase of journal articles with the word “ethics” in the title or abstract, with the prncipal approaches used being:
- Deontology (“duties and rules for right action”) Gorichanaz felt this was inadequate as constant change made old rules unreliable
- Consequentionalism (“calculating the rightness of the outcomes of actions”) The problem here was seen as being that consequences might not be seen (e.g. they will not be obvious for a long time, they have impact in a different part of the world)
Gorichanaz therefore thought that a third approach, Virtue Ethics, was more relevant to our times (“Begins with the qualities of the moral agent”). The virtues are “qualities that people can cultivate that are conducive to the good”, and are relational i.e. have to be considered in context. Gorichanaz referred to the book by Bivens-Tatum (Virtue Information Literacy, 2023), his own paper in JASIST, and an article by Burgess (Reconciling social responsibility and neutrality in LIS professional ethics: a vitue ethics approach).
Gorichanaz said that he had become particularly engaged with virtue ethics after encountering the book Technology and the virtues (Shannon Vallor) who positions this as a time in which it is particularly difficult to predict the future (she terms this sociotechnical opacity). Gorichanaz then introduced 7 practices for cultivating virtue: so he was proposing these as a compass for the future, which could be incorporated into education and practice.
Firstly “Moral habituation” was about learning through practice how to do good things. He felt that information practice could incorporate this approach
Secondly Relational understanding was about understanding your role, your place in society etc. and he referred to the work of Pamela McKenzie’s
Third, Reflective self examination, including reflecting on current limitations and where you want to be, with an example of an article by Siracky
Fourth was Self-Direction “Choosing our goals” and where we want to go and he referenced Ruthven’s work on information sculpting
Fifth is “Moral attention” (what should we pay attention to, and paying attention to morally salient details). Gorichanaz connected this to the concept of relevance and he referenced Haider & Sundin’s idea of societal relevance
Sixth is “Prudential Judgment” – chosing the best option you can – which he suggested “might be synonymous with information literacy”
Seventh was “Extension of moral concern” – connected with doing good for others as well as ourselves, extending the range of your moral concern (though in a way that is “appropriate”). Here he referenced one of his own papers and how the research concerns are concerning in library and informatuon science
After briefly introducing those 7 practices Gorichanaz also talked about Exemplarist moral theory, based on the idea that we can learn morality through identifying people we admire (for their heroism, wisdom or saintly qualities) and then using them as exemplars. Gorichanaz refered to “Infomoral exemplars”, using the example of Nelson Mandela talking about how he came to use words very carefully (and referring to a book on information ethics).
Gorichanaz suggested an exercise in asking people to identify intellectual heroes and thinking about how you could emulate them using the 7 practices. He felt that librarianship was moving back towards seeing ethical issues as their province. Gorichanaz finished by asserting that “The quality of our information is the quality of our life” and recommended using virtue ethics as a compass for what matters.

Liveblogging from #ECIL2023

The European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) takes place 9-12 October in Krakow, Poland, and Pam McKinney and I (Sheila Webber) will be doing some liveblogging. The programme is here: https://www.conftool.com/ecil2023/sessions.php

Information literacy award for Dr Lotsee Patterson

The Universal Information Literacies Association has announced the first Information Literacy Paul G. Zurkowski, Esq. U. S. Individual Awardee, Dr. Lotsee Patterson. It is awarded in October since this is the month that former US President Obama named Information Literacy Awareness Month and recognises "outstanding contributions of Information Literacy/critical thinking in public service to America’s communities." This is a previous interview with Dr Patterson

Call for proposals: LOEX breakout sessions

There is a call for proposals for the US information literacy conference LOEX 2024 to be held 2-4 May 2024 in Naperville, Illinois, USA. The theme is Branching Out: Growing and Adapting Your Information Literacy Practice. Deadline for proposals for 50-minute presentations or workshops in 27 November 2023.
"We want to hear how you’re planting the seeds of information literacy and empowering your students to thrive. Showcase how your instructional practices are flourishing and where you've seen new growth or are branching out."
The proposal tracks are:
- Planting Seeds: Pedagogy and Instructional Design
- Putting Down Roots: Collaboration and Outreach
- Seeing the Forest: Assessment and Evaluation
- Controlled Burns: Revitalize and Renew
- Climate Change: Adapting to New Technologies
- Field Notes: Using Research to Inform Practice
More info at https://www.loexconference.org/breakout-proposals/

New articles: AI and information literacy

The latest issue of open-access College and Research Libraries News (vol 84 issue 9) includes:
- Where does ChatGPT fit into the Framework for Information Literacy? The possibilities and problems of AI in library instruction by Amy B. James, Ellen Hampton Filgo
- Can generative AI facilitate the research process? It’s complicated by Danny Kingsley
- Advancing professional skills in undergraduate students: Faculty-student mentorship by Jennifer Bidwell, Brinna Pam Anan
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1645/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: spot the bees on the cosmos, September 2023

Call for proposals: #LILAC24

The call is open for presentations for the UK's information literacy conference LILAC, that will take place in Leeds, UK, 25-27 March 2024. The call closes on 9 November 2023.
You can submit proposals which address information literacy from any sector or context. Formats for submissions are: short or long presentations; workshops; panel discussions; posters; lightning talks; or wildcards (another format proposed by you). You make proposals by submitting abstracts (in each case, of 500 words).
More details here: https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2024/call-for-presentations-1

Call for proposals: LiLi show and tells

There is a call for proposals for LiLi (LifeLong Information Literacy) online Show & Tell presentations 
"Each Show & Tell will feature a 20–40-minute demonstration by one or two information professionals demonstrating a tool or theory related to teaching information literacy. Each demonstration will be followed by a 10–20-minute Q&A. For presenters who are unable to present live, arrangements can be made to pre-record your session"
More information at https://lili.libguides.com/showandtell/cfp
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn cosmos, September 2023

Workshop: Methodological and Other Search Filters for Evidence Synthesis

An online seminar on Methodological and Other Search Filters for Evidence Synthesis is on 22 November 2023 15.00-18.00 UK time. Cost is Researchers £85, Students £56. "led by Julie Glanville and Carol Lefebvre from Glanville.info and Lefebvre Associates Ltd, respectively, [the workshop] offers a detailed exploration of these essential tools".
More information at https://instats.org/seminar/methodological-and-other-search-filters-2
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI with prompt Methodological and Other Search Filters for Evidence Synthesis. in the style of paul klee

Critical Thinking in Academic Research

An open access book now in its 2nd edition is: 

Gruwell, C & Ewing, R. (2023). Critical Thinking in Academic Research. 2nd ed. https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/1190

Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn rose, September 2023

International day for Universal access to #information today

Today, the 28th September is International Day for Universal Access to Information and the theme this year is the importance of the online space for Access to Information. This day was founded following a Resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2019 which noted "the right to seek, receive and impart information is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression". You can register to attend virtually the conference (in Oxford) marking this occasion today, for free at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WGITS_ktSHGcqsP84RedQw#/registration and the programme is here.

Workshops: Lego serious play; Making educational games

Andrew Walsh has announced two workshops
(1) An online Introduction to Lego Serious Play on 20 November 2023 13.00-16.30 UK time "covering some of the basics of this approach, aiming to give enough of an introduction that attendees would be able to start using it in educational settings to teach or support adults." Lego will be posted to attendees in advance. Cost is £85 for UK attendees, 1:00pm to 4:30pm, 20th November. To book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/basic-introduction-to-using-lego-in-adult-teaching-support-november-tickets-726656016707? 

(2) An in-person workshop in York, UK on 4 December 2023 10.30-15.00, Making Educational Games "Participants will be led through a set process to prototype a learning game during the workshop (in small groups). At the end of the day, participants should be able to return to their workplaces and create their own learning games." Cost is £95 per person including lunch and all materials. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-non-digital-games-for-libraries-york-tickets-726661101917?

Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI with the prompt lego serious play in the style of Chiho Aoshima

Webinar: Misinformation and Critical Literacies

The CILIP Information Literacy Group has organised a free online roundtable on 24 October 2023 at 13.00 UK time, on Misinformation and Critical Literacies, to celebrate UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2023.
There are two speakers who "will share their recent work and experience on different topics related to disinformation":
Dr Inês Amaral is an Associate Professor at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. She is the co-PI of the project MediaTrust.Lab - Local Media Lab for Civic Trust and Literacy, a study on disinformation.
Dr. Belinha De Abreu is a global media literacy educator, researcher, practitioner and author who is also the President of the International Council for Media Literacy.
To register go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/misinformation-and-critical-literacies-roundtable-tickets-725940285937?
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI using the prompt Misinformation and Critical Literacies in the style of Gwen John

Presentations from Creating Knowledge

Rather late - but I have noticed that most presentation slides and some recordings are available for the Creating Knowledge conference that took place in Norway, in June 2021. Many of them relate to information literacy.
Go to https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/SCS/issue/view/532

Metaliteracy and pedagogies of play

A new open access book is:
Havenga, M., Olivier, J. & Bunt, B.J. (Eds). (2023). Problem-based learning and pedagogies of play: Active approaches towards Self-Directed Learning. AOSIS Publishing. https://books.aosis.co.za/index.php/ob/catalog/book/409
This includes a chapter on metaliteracy:
Jacobsen, T.E. & MacKey, T.P. Chapter 3: Designing interactive pedagogies of play through metaliteracy

 This book is part of a series of open access books on self-directed learning that looks very interesting (topics https://books.aosis.co.za/index.php/ob/catalog/book/409learning, assessment etc.)

Photo taken by Sheila Webber in the 3D virtual world, Craft World, September 2023 - an Italian educator was talking about use of AI in education. I'm using this, as my attempts to use words from the book and chapter title as prompts on Midjourney were coming up with manic toddlers, threatening piles of lego, or spooky puppets.

Programme for #ECIL2023 published

The programme for the European Conference on Information Literacy 2023, taking place in Krakow, Poland, 9-12 October, has  been published https://www.conftool.com/ecil2023/sessions.php
Dr Pam McKinney and I will aim to liveblog the conference as usual, and there are a number of use from the Information School participating
- I am presenting on The Relationship between Game Literacy and Information Literacy
- I am on a panel, together with Dr Clarence Maybee (Purdue University), Dr Karen Kaufmann (University of South Florida) and Bill Johnston, on Recognizing the Discipline of Information Literacy: Implications for Research and Practice
- Bill Johnston and I are presenting on The Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate City post COVID-19
- My colleague Pam is presenting a paper co-authored with Corin Peacock and Dr Andrew Cox: The Information Literacy Practices of LGBTQ+ Students’ Self-Tracking: Attitudes to Data Collection, Data Privacy and Data Sharing
- Laura Woods will be presenting work from her PhD: Information Worlds of Women Engineering Students
- iSchool alumna Dr Evi Tramantza presents with Dr Konstantina Martzoukou (RGU) on ‘Maddie Is Online’: Embedding Creative Audio-Visual Resources to The Teaching of Information Literacy in an Elementary School in Greece

New articles: Climate change; trustworthiness of #COVID19 information; Nurses' information literacy

Choo, C.W. (2023). Climate change information seeking. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 74(9), 1086-1099. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24805 (open access)
"This research develops and tests a model of individual intentions to actively seek information about climate change. ... We conducted an online survey in which 212 participants in Canada and the United States responded. The results showed that the model was able to explain more than 40% of the variance in intention to seek climate change information. Social Norms, Affective Response, and Social Trust were the most important variables in influencing intention to seek climate change information. We conclude that climate change information seeking has a strong social dimension where social norms and expectations of relevant and respected others exert a major influence, and that the individual's emotional response towards the risk of climate change is more important than the individual's cognitive perception of how much information they need on climate change." 

Park, M. et al (2023). Measuring the impacts of quantity and trustworthiness of information on COVID-19 vaccination intent. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 74(7), 846-865 https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24760
"We analyzed COVID-19 Preventive Behavior Survey data collected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from Facebook users (N = 82,213) in 15 countries between October 2020 and March 2021. The results of logistic regression analyses indicate that reasonable quantity and trustworthiness of information were positively related to COVID-19 vaccination intent. But excessive and less than the desired amount of information was more likely to have negative impacts on vaccination intent."

Wu, C., Zhang, Y., Wu, J. et al. (2023) Construction and application on the training course of information literacy for clinical nurses. BMC Medical Education, 23, 614. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04505-9. (open access)
"This study intended to construct a training course of information literacy for clinical nurses, train nurses in order to improve their information literacy level and provide theoretical reference for the training of information literacy courses for clinical nurses. Two rounds of Delphi study were conducted for the study among 26 clinical medical and nursing experts as well as educational experts from 5 different provinces and cities in China. ... 84 clinical nurses from two hospitals were selected by the convenience sampling method, of which the nurses in one hospital were the control group and the nurses in the other hospital were the observation group. 42 nurses in the observation group were trained by the constructed information literacy training course. Questionnaire evaluation was used to compare the differences in the level of information literacy of nurses and the training effect between the two groups. ... The results of the empirical study showed that the information literacy level of the nurses in the observation group after the training of the information literacy course was improved, and the scores in nursing information awareness, nursing information knowledge, nursing information ability, and information ethics were significantly higher than those in the control group after training" The article mostly does not refer to information literacy lterature, but they did use the information literacy instrument used in this open access research article https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12217
Photo by Sheila Webber: Closeup of fabric "leaves"  from the steel willow I showed yesterday

New articles: infolit in music education; media literacy in the curriculum

Firstly, an article about information literacy education for music students.
Pratesi, A. & Yang, Z.(2023). User education. Notes, 80(1),73-81. https://doi.org/10.1353/not.2023.a905317 or open access at https://scholarship.depauw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=library_facpubs

Secondly, a frustrating article which claims to be a systematic review on the incorporation of "Media and Information Literacy" into the curriculum. However, there is a flaw in their search strategy, since whilst they searched for "Media Literacy" and "Media and Information Literacy" they did not search for "information literacy" meaning that they have missed out on a swathe of articles, and as a consequence do not include librarians as a specific stakeholder group engaged in MIL work (in fact it doesn't mention them once). Sigh.
On the up side, this article is open access and does provide international insight
Rojas-Estrada, EG., Aguaded, I. & García-Ruiz, R. (2023). Media and Information Literacy in the Prescribed Curriculum: A Systematic Review on its Integration. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12154-0
Photo by Sheila Webber: Willow tree memorial, Sheffield, September 2023

Teaching and Collecting Technical Standards: A Handbook for Librarians and Educators

A new book in the Purdue Information Literacy Handbooks series (from Purdue University in the USA) is
Leachman, C., Rowley, E.M., Phillips, M. & Solomon, D. (2023). Teaching and Collecting Technical Standards: A Handbook for Librarians and Educators. Purdue University.
It is open access at https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/pilh/5.
It Includes chapters relating to teaching and information literacy
Photo by Sheila Webber: more roses that became Friday's rosehips

Making your research stand out from the crowd

A half day course (10.00-13.00 UK time) on 16 November 2023 is Making your research stand out from the crowd using video, animation, infographics and podcasts. It's organised by the UKeiG and the cost is UKeiG/CILIP members £50 + VAT; Non-members £80 + VAT. Workshop leader is Andy Tattersall.
"This workshop will explore the benefits of video, animation, infographics and podcasts as a complement to short and long form communication techniques like Twitter and blogging. Video, animation, infographics and podcasts can broadcast your research and professional activities to a diverse international audience, showcasing and engaging in ways that traditional forms of scholarly communication cannot."
More details and booking at https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1772256&group=201314
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI using the workshop title as a prompt

Peer-led information services

The latest issue of Reference Services Review (priced journal) is vol. 51 issue 2, 2023.This issue focuses on "peer led research" and includes
- Peer teachers taking the lead in classroom instruction: program creation and challenges faced by M. Sara Lowe, Sean M. Stone, Katharine V. Macy
- Peer reference, post reference desk: what is next? An interview with Allison Faix instruction coordinator and librarian at Coastal Carolina University
- Introducing peer-to-peer reference services in a community college library by Allison Scripa, Mary Ellen Spencer
- Better together: experiential learning in peer-led research services by Megan Graewingholt, Jonathan Cornforth, Sarah Parramore
Go to: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0090-7324/vol/51/iss/2
Photo by Sheila Webber: more rosehips, August 2023

Webinar: Navigating A World of Generative AI: Suggestions for Educators

There is a free Contact North|Contact Nord webinar: Navigating A World of Generative AI: Suggestions for Educators on 26 September 2023 11.00-12.00 US Eastern Time (which is, e.g. 16.00-17.00 UK time). Contact North is a Canadian education agency.
"Generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges for education. This webinar for educators aims to equip you with the insights and strategies needed to navigate this evolving landscape. We focus on instructional strategies to harness the benefits of AI while also nurturing the unique abilities of humans to tackle global challenges in the 21st century."
The presenters are Dr. Lydia Cao (Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA) and Professor Chris Dede (Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA)
Register at https://teachonline.ca/webinar/navigating-world-generative-ai-suggestions-educators
Photo by Sheila Webber: roses (photographed in May) that became yesterday's rosehips

Call for proposals: Inclusive Pedagogies in Practice: Implementing the Inclusive Pedagogy Toolkit

The ACRL Instruction Section Inclusive Pedagogy Committee seeks presenters for a webinar taking place on 8 November 2023 13.00-14.00 US Central time (which is, e.g. 19.00-200.00 UK time). The deadline for proposals (for 10 minute talks) is 29 September 2023. "We're planning to highlight the resources made available through the ACRL Inclusive Pedagogy Toolkit and elevate the work folks are doing around inclusive pedagogy in their libraries. In Spring 2023, we hosted a panel introducing the toolkit [the recording is here https://youtu.be/rZCkdAuCb6M?si=eypYjyjI0W-gtt1l], and now we want to learn about how librarians have implemented these resources. ... he purpose of these talks is to share practices and ideas about inclusive teaching, specifically focusing on library instruction and the Inclusive Pedagogy Toolkit. By sharing these practices, we aim to cultivate a community of educators committed to inclusion and equity."
Submit proposals through this Google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv0_hHLR5n8Rp4KN1JeviyMxljyxFouPTjwyGv06-mLrlXyw/viewform
Photo by Sheila Webber: rosehips, August 2023

Kenyan MIL competencies workshop

There is a short report on a UNESCO-supported Training-of-Trainers workshop in Kisumu. Kenya, in August 2023, aiming to "deepen participants' competencies on Media and Information Literacy to address disinformation and hate speech on digital platforms". This was part of the UNESCO EU Social Media for Peace initiative.
Go to https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/kenyan-coalition-members-trained-media-and-information-literacy-digital-peace-building
Photo by Sheila Webber: train (just seen) drawing up this morning, September 2023

Call for chapters - Sustainable Libraries Driving Education for Sustainable Development.

There is a call for chapters for a book Sustainable Libraries Driving Education for Sustainable Development. Proposals are due 1 October 2023. The volume will be published on behalf of IFLA’s Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Section by de Gruyter/Saur Publisher open access, in the IFLA Publications Series.
Potential topics include
- Libraries promotion of media literacy and ensuring access to reliable, quality information
- Digital transformation in libraries to support and enhance emerging information services, especially in the post-pandemic era
- Libraries providing neutral and welcoming spaces, to educate people to improve their lives where possible through equitable access to information that supports social, political, and economic inclusion
- Libraries to widely disseminate and promote information to guide and accelerate decision-making by local and national governments to combat poverty
More info at https://www.ifla.org/news/call-for-book-chapters-sustainable-libraries-as-partners-for-driving-sustainable-development-education-working-title/

Webinar/ Festschrift for Linda C. Smith

There is a free webinar celebrating the life of Linda C. Smith, tied with the Library Trends Festschrift on 28 September 2023 at 12.00-14.00 US Central Time (which is, for example, 18.00-20.00 UK time).There are 3 panels: 1. Teaching Panel: Linda as an Educator; 2. Research Panel: Linda as a Scholar: 3. Service Panel: Linda as a Leader.
More details at https://lindacsmith.web.illinois.edu/festschrift-symposium/

Photo by Sheila Webber: local view, June 2023

Call for proposals: Western Balkan Information and Media Literacy Conference

There is a call for proposals for the Western Balkan Information and Media Literacy Conference 2023, held together with the 12th International Summit of the Book 2023 7-8 December 2023 in Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina and online, with the theme Media and Information Literacy in the age of Artificial Intelligence. The website is at https://www.wbimlc.org/
Abstract Submission deadline is 23 October 2023. Topics are listed here: https://www.wbimlc.org/topics
Submissions in any of the following forms are accepted: Full paper to be published in conference proceedings; Presentation; Roundtable discussion; Poster session; Workshops; Symposia; PechaKucha

Information needs; Health information; Equity in instruction

The latest issue of priced publication Health Information and Libraries Journal 40(3) includes the following:
- College and university libraries and user responses to COVID-19 health information needs by Maria J. Grant,
- Promoting evidence-based practice and nursing excellence: How involvement in a Magnet4Europe® research study led to development of critically appraised topics sessions for health care staff by Beverley Jones and Claire O'Connor
- Information needs and sources of health professionals in Malawi by Limbani Chrispin Gama, Winner Dominic Chawinga, George Theodore Chipeta
- Identifying knowledge practices in an infodemic era: Rediscovering the professional identities of LIS professionals in an infodiverse environment (Open access article) by Joseph M. Yap, Agnes Hajdu Barat, Peter Kiszl
- Integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into instruction: Case studies from the University of Florida's Health Science Center Libraries by Jane Morgan-Daniel, Hannah F. Norton, Mary Edwards, Lauren Adkins
Go to https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14711842/2023/40/3
Photo by Sheila Webber: petunia flowerbed, August 2023

#altc23

It will be worth following the https://twitter.com/hashtag/altc23?src=hashtag_click hashtag for the ALT Annual Conference "the UK’s foremost conference for Learning Technologists", but actually broader than that sounds, in addressing issues to do with technology and learning. The website is here https://altc.alt.ac.uk/2023/ and the detailed programme is here

L’histoire digitale et la recherche en communication

The French-language journal Communication has a special issue (volume 4, issue 1, 2023) reflecting on the history of digital communication, which includes information science and communication science perspectives. The issue is edited by Dominique Trudel, Olivier Le Deuff and Stefanie Averbeck-Lietz. https://journals.openedition.org/communication/
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI using the title of this blog post as the prompt

Media and Information Literacy in Jordan

A review of Media and Information Literacy in Jordan has been released.
Al Muheisen, R. (Aug 18,2023). JMI study reveals state of information literacy in Jordan. Jordan Times. https://jordantimes.com/news/local/jmi-study-reveals-state-information-literacy-jordan
Unfortunately I couldn't find the report online, but here is a summary of the Jordan national plan.
Ministry of Culture, Jordan. Executive Summary on the National Plan to Disseminate Media and Information Literacy 2020-2023 https://erasmus-plus.org.jo/Portals/0/Media%20and%20Information%20Literacy%281%29.pdf
In it, Media and Information Literacy is defined as "the skills and competencies that enable individuals to access, analyze, evaluate and produce media wisely and ethically. As an essential life skill, MIL also builds an understanding of the role of media in society and develops critical thinking, a main pillar of 21st century education."
Also, this is the Jordan Media Institute's Media and Information Literacy Center https://www.jmi.edu.jo/en/mil-media-center
Photo by Sheila Webber: my hydrangea, August 2023