ISCI 761 M3: Information Literacy

While not part of our assigned reading, I did want to include that the definition of information literacy according to the American Library Association (ALA) is “skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information” (2006). The Association of College and Research Libraries provides a framework for information literacy that the ALA described as: “Students must demonstrate competencies in formulating research questions and in their ability to use information as well as an understanding of ethical and legal issues surrounding information. This requires a campus culture of collaboration and focus on student learning” (ALA, 2006). This point was interesting to include because of the Big6 being included in our references for this week and both the P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. My interpretation of the two frameworks was that the P21 worked better for listing skills while the ACRL listed better abilities. For example, while the had the headline of "Authority Is Constructed and Contextual" and listed actionable points that learners can demonstrate summarized as:

• Open mindedness in the face of diverse or contrasting information.
• Self-motivate to find sources with conferred or unexpected authority.
• Self-aware of skeptical assessments of information and bias.
• Question authority and respect diverse views.
• Maintain attitude and self reflect. (ALA, 2016).

The P21 framework listed the following for Information, Media, and Technology Skills:

• Information Literacy 
• Media Literacy
• ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy (P21, n.d.).

I think both frameworks have the same goal for increasing efficiency of information literacy but one is more specific than the other, unless specifically viewing the definitions which I still lends more towards literacy information skills in life rather than in learning.

I think the Big6 is a good resource to represent research as a process with students - there are others and more simplified versions of the Big6 depending on the age group. Additionally, I think that the frameworks overall work well with a research process like the Big6 which address the skills of: task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation. Admittedly, my information diet is not the healthiest. However, I do think that I have improved as I’ve worked through classes for my MLIS. I read a fair amount of articles that circulate through Facebook but I do more now when it comes to checking author information, looking through the website, and cross checking information from other sources. I appreciated the podcast on Media Literacy from the Liturgists - especially the song, I shared it with a few English teacher friends. The podcast opened with some theories that I’ve seen on social media and I agree that there are theories that can cause great harm. I think most conspiracies come from an extreme fear of subjugation to power or are used to gain power or an effect on others through hysteria or explanations on social issues or problems. In libraries, I think it is important to encourage suspicion of information - I’ve seen students in the classroom come in talking about one thing or another that they’ve seen on TikTok or another social media site and they treat it as truth. This is where verifying information as part of the research process is important and I think that is why using systems like the Big6 - specifically because it has a less complex version of the research process for younger students - is a good idea for encouraging critical thinking at a younger age. I also appreciated the inclusion of a definition of fake news in the podcast as I agree that it is increasingly misused: polarizing made-up information circulated to make money. When I’m teaching research, I usually tie in MLA citations and explain to students that the more they can fill in the citation format from the source, the more valid the source is. It is not the most accurate way to verify source information so I will start to include more of the questions from the podcast:

• To establish accountability, is the author and the title published?
• Does the writer or writers give credit to their sources?
• Where was it published and what is their reputation (i.e., did they have an editorial review board)?
• Do they publish updates or letters to the editor?
• Is there a clear date or publication or statement about edits?

Other really good points from the podcast were: the more you agree with the topic, the less you suspect the information and the bigger the claim, the more information required to support it. Not only can students verify information by checking other sources but also by using fact checkers like Factcheck.org, Snubbs, and Politifact. Authorial intent is also important. I share a story with students about the importance of considering authorial intent is from when Jonathan Swift first published “A Modest Proposal”: a satirical response to issues surrounding economic and social issues; issue being that readers were not clear on the piece being satire and took Swift’s suggestion about killing children to sell as a way to solve poverty and food supply chain problems seriously. Also when it comes to teaching children. I appreciated the inclusion of the gamification element from Factitious. Students are asked to examine articles to identify if they are real or fake. In the Digital Citizenship Curriculum from Common Sense Education there are lessons on the following topics: Media Balance & Well-Being, Privacy & Security, Digital Footprint & Identity, Relationships & Communication, Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech, and News & Media Literacy (Common Sense).

References
ALA. (2016). "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education." Association of College & Research Libraries. www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/infolit/framework1.pdf.
---. (2006). "Information Literacy Glossary." American Library Association, www.ala.org/acrl/issues/infolit/overview/glossary.
"Big6 Skills Overview." (n.d.). static1.squarespace.com/static/59a303936a49631dd51f9a7d/t/5b92bf5e03ce644e10c18005/1536343902416/Big6+Skills+Overview.pdf
P21. (n.d.). "Framework for 21st Century Learning." P21: Partnership for 21st Century Learning.
Common Sense. (n.d.). "Digital Citizenship Curriculum." Common Sense Education, www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/curriculum?grades=9%2C10%2C11%2C12
Factitous2020: Pandemic Edition. (2020). AU Game Lab and JoLT Program. http://factitious-pandemic.augamestudio.com/#
---. (May 2015). "P21 Framework Definitions." P21: Partnership for 21st Century Learning.
The Liturgists. (7 March 2017). “Episode 18 - Fake News & Media Literacy.” The Liturgists Podcast, anchor.fm/the-liturgists-podcast/episodes/Fake-News--Media-Literacy-eutfrm/a-a58d433