Information Literacy Commons^™

From The Desk Of The Editor

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

No abstract provided.

From The Desk Of The Editor

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

No abstract provided.

Website Blocked: Filtering Technology In Schools And School Libraries, Jennifer M. Overaa

School of Information Student Research Journal

This paper investigates the impact of filtering software in K-12 schools and school libraries. The Children's Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, requires that public schools and school libraries use filtering technology in order to receive discounted rates on technology. As a result, nearly all public elementary and secondary schools today use filtering technology. While the provisions of CIPA narrowly define the content to be blocked, filters are often set to block much more than is required. Filtering technology is often ineffective, and many unobjectionable sites end up being blocked, including Web 2.0 sites and tools needed to educate students in …

International Computer And Information Literacy Study 2013: Australian Students’ Readiness For Study, Work And Life In The Digital Age, Lisa De Bortoli, Sarah Buckley, Catherine Underwood, Elizabeth O'Grady, Eveline Gebhardt

ICT - Digital Literacy

The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is the first international comparative study that examines students’ acquisition of computer and information literacy (CIL): ‘the ability to use computers to investigate, create and communicate in order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace and in society’ (Fraillon, Schulz, & Ainley, 2013, p. 17). Information and communication technologies (ICT) are an essential part of 21st-century society. As a result, it has become increasingly important for citizens to understand and be able to use ICT in order to effectively participate in life in the digital age. Although students use …

Media Now: A Historical Review Of A Media Literacy Curriculum, Yonty Friesem, Diane Quaglia Beltran, Ed Crane

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The Elizabeth Thoman Archive at the Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island, has the last complete kit of one of the milestones in the early chronology of media literacy, the 1972 Media Now curriculum. This curriculum was the first of its kind, using self-contained lesson modules that were part of a larger series of kits, text references, and accompanying workbook. Its self-directed learning model gave students the opportunity to learn about the media, by doing, responding to, and reflecting on core concepts of media production. Using physical artifacts from the Media Now kit, historical documents, promotional …

Beyond Assumptions: How Urban Students View And Practice Digital Literacies In And Out Of School, Storey Mecoli

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This qualitative, ethnographic case study investigates digital literacy practices and perceptions of students at an urban public high school in the Boston metropolitan area comprising a racially, ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse student body, an under-studied demographic. The study compares in-school and out-of-school literacy practices and posits the role schools might play in preparing learners. The study examines digital literacy practices among student based on information gathered through focus groups, survey methods, and interviews. Three controlling questions guided the study:

1. What digital literacy practices are students in Washington High School engaging in outside of school?
2. What purposes do these youth …

Current Issues In Emerging Elearning, Volume 1, Issue 1

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

This first publication of Current Issues in Emerging eLearning (CIEE) opens and closes with research studies on eLearning practice. The studies frame three theoretical discussions regarding the judicious adoption of eLearning technologies and one extended narrative regarding the various factors behind innovative best practices.

Wikiproject Agriculture: Be An Agricultural Wikipedian, Dana W.R. Boden

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Wikipedia will be 13 years old in 2014. It is ranked the 6thmost visited site on the World Wide Web. Many librarians and information specialists have a love hate relationship with this open access, free internet encyclopedia. Searching for agricultural information sometimes exposes a lack of information or existence of entries on specific topics, inaccurate information, or results in the frustration of a research dead end from unreferenced articles. Wikipedia is, of course, a collaboratively edited resource. A Wikipedia WikiProjectis a group of contributors working together to improve the Wikipedia information and the pages on a particular topic or subject …

Measuring New Media Literacies: Towards The Development Of A Comprehensive Assessment Tool, Ioana Literat

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study assesses the psychometric properties of a newly tested self-report assessment tool for media literacy, based on the twelve new media literacy skills (NMLs) developed by Jenkins et al. (2006). The sample (N=327) consisted of normal volunteers who completed a comprehensive online survey that measured their NML skills, media exposure, digital participation, and civic engagement. A factor analysis performed on the survey items yielded 10 NMLs that emerged as significant subscales. A series of multivariate analyses of variance indicate a strong relationship between these NMLs and respondents’ exposure to new media forms, their participation in Web 2.0 …

Here We Are Now, Entertain Us: Defining The Line Between Personal And Professional Context On Social Media, 35 Pace L. Rev. 398 (2014), Raizel Liebler, Keidra Chaney

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow individuals and companies to connect directly and regularly with an audience of peers or with the public at large. These websites combine the audience-building platforms of mass media with the personal data and relationships of in-person social networks. Due to a combination of evolving user activity and frequent updates to functionality and user features, social media tools blur the line of whether a speaker is perceived as speaking to a specific and presumed private audience, a public expression of one’s own personal views, or a representative viewpoint of an entire …

Search, Share, & Embed: Multimedia Resources For Popular Culture Research, Julie Decesare Cicilline

Library Faculty and Staff papers

The Internet has provided a wealth of multimedia and video content to teachers, students, and researchers. It is saturated by user-created materials (YouTube, Vimeo), digitized or born digital special collections by non-profit institutions (ArtBabble, Arkive, Duke AdViews), educational distributors and producers (Learner.org, WGBH), for-fee providers of on-demand streaming media (NetFlix, HuluPlus, Amazon Instant), and library database vendors (Swank Digital, Alexander St. Press) -- and more. Educators are often challenged by searching for and access to digitized feature film content. Copyright is always a consideration, but also just the ability to find the materials in the format they need, can be …

Data Mining The Harness Track And Predicting Outcomes, Robert P. Schumaker

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper presented the S&C Racing system that uses Support Vector Regression (SVR) to predict harness race finishes and analyzed it on fifteen months of data from Northfield Park. We found that our system outperforms the most common betting strategies of wagering on the favorites and the mathematical arbitrage Dr. Z system in five of the seven wager types tested. This work would suggest that an informational inequality exists within the harness racing market that is not apparent to domain experts.

Libraries Atwitter: Trends In Academic Library Tweeting, Darcy C. Del Bosque, Sam A. Leif, Susie Skarl

Library Faculty Research

Purpose – This paper aims to present an overview of how libraries are using Twitter in an academic setting.

Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzed the current state of 296 Twitter accounts from a random sample of academic libraries. A total of 19 different criteria were explored, with an emphasis on the following three categories: layout and design, content and number of tweets, and account followers.

Findings – Only 34 per cent of libraries in the study had a Twitter account and characteristics varied widely among libraries, however it is evident that it is possible to successfully communicate with patrons via …

Why Not Just Google It? An Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills In A Biomedical Science Curriculum, Karl Kingsley, Gillian M. Galbraith, M. Herring, Eva Stowers, Tanis Stewart, Karla V. Kingsley

Library Faculty Research

Background: Few issues in higher education are as fundamental as the ability to search for, evaluate, and synthesize information. The need to develop information literacy, the process of finding, retrieving, organizing, and evaluating the ever-expanding collection of online information, has precipitated the need for training in skill-based competencies in higher education, as well as medical and dental education.

Methods: The current study evaluated the information literacy skills of first-year dental students, consisting of two, consecutive dental student cohorts (n = 160). An assignment designed to evaluate information literacy skills was conducted. In addition, a survey of student online search engine …

Understanding Online Knowledge Sharing: An Interpersonal Relationship Perspective, Will W.K. Ma, Allan H. K. Yuen

Support & Other Units (THEi)

The unique features and capabilities of online learning are built on the ability to connect to a wider range of learning resources and peer learners that benefit individual learners, such as through discussion forums, collaborative learning, and community building. The success of online learning thus depends on the participation, engagement, and social interaction of peer learners, which leads to knowledge sharing. Thus, without frequent and persistent interaction, it is doubtful whether knowledge sharing can take place in online learning. This study argues that theories about the development and maintenance of social relationships provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the motivation …

Google Analytics: Analyzing The Latest Wave Of Legal Concerns For Google In The U.S. And The E.U., 7 Buff. Intell. Prop. L.J. 135 (2010), Raizel Liebler, Keidra Chaney

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

The next wave of concern regarding Google involves web analytics. Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of Internet data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. The concerns of web analytics use touches on issues of online user privacy, government use of personal information, and information on website user activity. While Google Analytics is not the sole web analytics product on the market, it is widely used by corporate, non-profit, and government organizations. The product has been reported to have a 59% market share among web analytics vendors in a 2008 study.

Web analytics technology …

Overhauling Of A Science Library Web Area, Daniel S. Dotson

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This article covers the revamp of a science library’s web area. The library’s web area contained outdated web pages, unused files, and an architecture that made it hard to maintain. All of these issues with the web area resulted in an examination and revamping of several aspects of all the files on the web area. Server statistics were used to determine the usage of the files in the library’s web area. Files containing textual information were categorized according to their topic and the usage of each topic area was examined to determine the distribution of usage amongst the topic …

Embedding An Im [Instant Messaging] Widget In Research Databases: Helping Users At Their Point-Of-Need, Kwabena Sekyere

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

The rapid growth of internet users has made libraries eager to introduce online services for this new community, in addition to their traditional reference services. Virtual reference service has become a convenient and easily accessible option for the online community, particularly with increasing amounts of libraries resources now available electronically as well (Lou, 2007).

Virtual reference began in many libraries as email reference service (Janes, 2002) with a move to live chat reference as technology advanced. These live reference services were offered through chat software developed in-house or by vendors. Due to the high cost of purchasing and maintaining …

Open House In The Ivory Tower: Public Programming At An Academic Library, Rochelle Smith, Ben Hunter

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Public programming, a frequently used outreach tool for public libraries, is far less common in academic libraries. This article examines the University of Idaho Library’s efforts to attract both university and community members with public programming, delving into detail for three specific grant-funded discussion series: one on Jewish literature, one on graphic novels, and one on jazz. Strategies for location selection, advertising, scheduling and funding are all discussed with commentary on what worked well, what didn’t, and how public programming fits into the mission of an academic library.

Using A Permanent Usability Team To Advance User-Centered Design In Libraries, Jane Nichols, Alison M. Bobal, Susan Mcevoy

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Usability, user studies, and evaluating user experiences have been a part of academic libraries for many years. In the last 20 years libraries have created ad hoc usability teams to do user studies. Oregon State University (OSU) Libraries started its ongoing team in 2006, resulting in an increased focus on user experience throughout the libraries. This article explores the team’s history from formation to work it took on. The merits and challenges usability teams bring to an organization are also discussed. To date the literature describes usability methods and shares findings from libraries’ usability studies but none discusses benefits …

If You Build It, They May Not Come: The Case Of Questionpoint, Lynette Ralph

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

The Knowledge Base (KB) of QuestionPoint (QP) is a Knowledge Management (KM) tool capable of capturing the collective knowledge of reference librarians for future use. The goal of the study was to determine if this KB is an effective KM tool. Descriptive research was the methodology used and included an unobtrusive study, a survey instrument, and interviews. This study revealed that despite the technological capabilities of this KB, librarians who had access to the system failed to utilize it.

Gresham's Law In The 21St Century, Joshua Finnell

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Research indicates that most people today satisfy their information needs through the Internet. As we move deeper into the information age, librarians must embrace the role of inculcating information literacy skills lest Gresham’s Law of economics becomes a reality in our information economy. This article discusses the probabilistic nature of the Internet against the backdrop of Gresham’s Law.

Vodcasting, Itunes U, And Faculty Collaboration, Jason Paul Michel, Susan Hurst, Andrew Revelle

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

In the summer of 2008, the Miami University Libraries began a pilot project to integrate Web video tutorials (vodcasts) into a multiplicity of access points to enhance and extend library services. By the end of the project, Web video tutorials had been embedded in specific course sites in the course management system Blackboard, as well as in our institution's iTunes U site. The libraries were, in fact, the first entity on campus to feature publicly-available content on iTunes U. This brief article will delineate the project and explain why we believe this effort has helped position the library within …

Learning 2.0: A Tool For Staff Training At The University Of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library, Ilana Kingsley, Karen Jensen

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This paper describes a Learning 2.0 library staff training project completed in September 2007 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library. The project planning process, curriculum creation, implementation, incentives, and outcomes are included, along with a summary of survey results from program participants. Recommendations for implementing this free and useful staff training tool by other academic libraries are included, as well as a link to the Library’s Learning 2.0 blog.

An Empirical Study On Follow-Up Library Instruction Sessions In The Classroom, Xiaomei Gong, Mary Kay Loomis

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This study with undergraduate students in the Ancell School of Business, Western Connecticut State University, evaluated the knowledge of students using library resources before and after one session of library instruction in the library, and after follow-up instruction in the classroom. Survey method was used before and after the initial session of library instruction in the library, and after follow-up instruction session in the classroom. Significant differences were found in the students’ knowledge of library resources between the pre- and post- surveys in the library session and in the library usage experience after the follow-up instruction session in the …

Preparing Global Citizens: Librarians Connect Students With A Learning Service Opportunity In Nicaragua, Lily G. Griner, Patricia J. Herron

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Introduction

Many universities are encouraging study abroad and international service-learning opportunities to provide their students with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate successfully in an increasingly global environment. Academic librarians have unique opportunities and perspectives which enable them to participate in the educational mission of the University. During a trip to Mexico, two librarians from the University of Maryland recognized an opportunity to engage students in a learning service opportunity in Nicaragua. Using their knowledge of the university community and their campus connections, they formed a partnership with a faculty member in the University’s College of Information Studies to …

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation: Exploring Age-Related Resources, Susie Skarl, Sidney Lowe

Library Faculty Research

In the past few years, as technology has radically changed how we find and use information resources, library staff have begun to notice significant generational differences in the information-seeking behavior of library patrons. These frequent observations at the reference desk and in library instruction classes planted the first small seeds of our interest in this topic. Internet sites and online articles about generational differences are plentiful and focus on a wide range of subjects, such as learning styles, social behaviors, moral values, technological skills, marketing, communication, and workplace performance.

Introducing Learning Commons Functionality Into A Traditional Reference Setting, Jeffrey A. Franks

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

For the past decade the University Libraries at The University of Akron has been modifying and enhancing its services in response to changing technologies and user needs, as well as evolving campus strategies. Library efforts centered on service excellence and student success have played a leading role in the inclusion of a planned learning commons as one of the key strategic initiatives of the University. At this time the learning commons concept has been fully developed, while the proposed building renovation plan is underway. The Library, however, is utilizing key opportunities in the present to integrate learning commons functionality …

Media Literacy In The Digital Age: Implications For Scholars And Students, Barbara R. Burke

Communication, Media, and Rhetoric Publications

Advocates of the practice assert becoming media literate may be the way to take control, and to be better able to identify and control the borders between the real world and the world manufactured by the media. This paper embraces this assertion, and suggests advocating expanding our understandings of media literacy, and creating new strategies for analysis and critique of New Media. To make this argument, the paper will describe American attempts at shaping media education to foster media literacy. Then, a comparison between Campbell’s system and Federov’s modules of media literacy will be offered. Finally, two new elements of …