Information Literacy Commons^™

Demographic Context Of Media And Information Literacy (Mil) Skills Among Senior High School Students In Ghana, Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo, Aurelia Ayisi, Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, Annie Oye

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper explores the media and information literacy (MIL) competencies of young Ghanaians in senior high schools. It is premised on the rising spate of misinformation, online security breaches, and the avalanche of content young people must navigate. Together, these factors demand young persons to be new media savvy in order to use the affordances of the current media ecology to their benefit. To advocate for comprehensive MIL education in senior high schools in Ghana, the study adopts a comparative analysis logic to examine demographic differences that attend young people’s media and information literacy. A nationwide survey of 1200 senior …

Integrating Mindfulness In Media Literacy: A Culture-Responsive Training Programme For Older Thai Adults, Nuntiya Doungphummes, Kwanchit Sasiwongsaroj, Theeraphong Boonrugsa, Sirintorn Bhibulbhanuvat, Waraporn Suebwongsuwan

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy is a much-needed competency in the digitalised world, but it is still an unknown knowledge base for older Thai adults. This design-based research set out as an initiative to promote media literacy through an agefriendly and culture-responsive training programme. The design process involved focus groups with key stakeholders and older adult ‘learners’ as well as field observations. This type of research work, in the Thai context, revealed the primacy of integrating media literacy learning with the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. It also highlighted the importance of incorporating certain cultural values and practices - collectivism, a sense of enjoyment, …

Mapping Media And Information Literacy Skills During And After Covid-19, With Special Reference To Online Education, And Commerce And Trade, Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper examines literature from the COVID-19 period (2020-2022) to outline prevalent themes and essential competencies in the post-COVID era. Employing informetrics within a quantitative research approach, the study scrutinizes Scopus database data using COVID-19, e-learning, e-commerce, and media and information literacy terms. Results reveal a surge in scholarly focus on e-commerce, online learning, e-health, and ICTs, including social media. Identified were 355 media and information literacy terms, with digital, information, health, and media literacy at the forefront. Moreover, 244 corresponding competencies and skills were noted. The study emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive media and information literacy programs, diverse competencies, …

The Pornography Industry's Disinformation Campaign On Addiction Recovery Resources, Darryl Mead

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

As pornography became increasingly popular online, many unsuspecting consumers reported adverse effects. These included sexual dysfunctions, such as lack of response with real partners, delayed ejaculation, erectile difficulties, and sexual compulsivity. Some pornography consumers began congregating in online self-help portals (forums and websites) to assist one another in quitting or reducing problematic pornography use. The popularity of the self-help resources and their potential to dampen the profits of a lucrative industry resulted in disinformation campaigns run by individuals connected to the pornography industry. In this article, I examine how a paper containing significant inaccuracies about the people organising the online …

Online Media Literacy Intervention In Indonesia Reduces Misinformation Sharing Intention, Trenton Ford, Michael Yankoski, Matthew Facciani, Tim Weninger

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy is widely viewed as an important tool in the fight against the spread of misinformation online. However, efforts to boost media literacy have primarily focused on Western-media and Western-oriented social media platforms, which are substantively different from the media and platforms used widely in the Global South. In the present work, we focus on the media ecosystem of Indonesia and report the results of an online media literacy intervention consisting of short-videos that were targeted specifically to social media users in Indonesia (N= 656). We found that participants in our media literacy intervention were 64% more …

Filipino Students’ Competency In Evaluating Digital Media Content Credibility: ‘Beginning’ To ‘Emerging’ Levels, Margarita Felipe Fajardo

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study investigates Filipino students’ reasoning competency levels in evaluating the credibility of digital media content and whether significant statistical differences exist in their competency by education status, sex, age group, Internet use, and geographical location. Four hundred twenty-four students representing the senior high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels responded to four modified versions of the Stanford History Education Group’s civic online reasoning tasks. The study found that most students have ‘beginning’ competency levels in author-checking, fact-checking, and bias-checking but ‘emerging’ competency levels for image-checking. Younger students and those who spend more hours online have higher mean competency levels for …

Re: Beyond Fake News, Nate Floyd, Jaclyn Spraetz

Journal of Media Literacy Education

A student success librarian with a Ph.D. in mass communication and an information literacy librarian with an M.A. in secondary English education describe their efforts to innovate in the field of news literacy by incorporating the media effects research tradition. By highlighting the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive elements of information processing, the authors hope to show students how professional norms, institutional and market pressures shape the news while their own predispositions influence how they interpret the news they consume. The authors emphasize agenda-setting and framing, two fundamental media effects paradigms, and report on their effort to develop news literacy classes …

The Promise Of Media Literacy Education When “Everything Is At Stake” And “Everything Is Expected”, Monica Bulger, Gina Baleria, Renee Hobbs, Kimberly R. Moffitt

Journal of Media Literacy Education

In the midst of a tumultuous time in American and global history, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference 2021 hosted a panel to explore the promise and limits of media literacy. Panelists discussed the vital role of media literacy education in responding to challenges to democracy, social justice, and public health. With “everything at stake,” the panelists moved through responses to current crises while grounding in a historical context and offering recommendations for the future. Curated transcripts share a pivotal moment when much was expected of media literacy and media literacy experts explored promise and …

Critical Online Information Evaluation (Coie): A Comprehensive Model For Curriculum And Assessment Design, Lauren Weisberg, Xiaoman Wang, Christine Wusylko, Angela Kohnen

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The recent evolution of technology and the Internet has transformed how individuals find and share information. Research shows that citizens of all ages and backgrounds struggle with critical online information evaluation (COIE), which could result in serious societal consequences. Although it is crucial to develop student proficiency within this key information literacy construct beginning in middle school, there is currently no interdisciplinary framework for designing COIE instruction or assessments. To address this gap, we have developed a comprehensive COIE model for curriculum developers, assessment creators, and practitioners to implement at the secondary and post-secondary level. In this paper, we provide …

Equitable Belonging Via Information Literacy: Amanda Izenstark, Mlis • University Of Rhode Island, University Libraries • Pod22, November 17, 2022 Equitable Belonging Via Information Literacy Empowering Teachers To Empower Learners, Amanda K. Izenstark

Public Services Faculty Presentations

As critical educators and learners, we continually encounter a changing information landscape necessitating (re)considerations of our responsibilities as consumers and producers of knowledge. This workshop offers a window into a High Impact Teaching Seminar created by librarians and educational developers at the University of Rhode Island to intentionally integrate accessible Information Literacy (IL) skills for all students. Through a reflective exploration of IL threshold concepts such as scholarly conversation, authority, information creation, and strategic exploration, participants will learn about the seminar’s theoretical framework and structure, engage in sample activities, and consider possible applications at their own institutions.

Measuring Fake News Acumen Using A News Media Literacy Instrument, Tyler W. S. Nagel

Journal of Media Literacy Education

News media literacy education is gaining increased attention in the age of fake news and post-truth America. However, as with any pedagogical goal, it is important to be able to evaluate the success of the delivery. In a survey built on existing news literacy frameworks, 1476 students at a large Canadian polytechnic answered questions about their own news literacy, fake news acumen, and news consumption habits. Analysis of the data suggests that conscientious fake-news attitudes and behaviors are correlated with an existing news media literacy scale, providing a method of evaluating the success of fake news education efforts.

Democratic Belonging As Informed Citizenry - Empowering Faculty To Empower Learners Via Information Literacy, Anna Santucci, Amanda K. Izenstark, Mary C. Macdonald

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Presentation at the AAC&U 2022 Annual Meeting as a Pre-Meeting Workshop.

Responsible citizens need the agility to navigate a changing information landscape. Intentionally designing learning experiences that integrate accessible Information Literacy (IL) skills for all students is a crucial step towards educational justice, a paramount responsibility in the democratic mission of our institutions. With this goal, the University of Rhode Island’s Office for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has partnered with instruction librarians since 2018 in developing and facilitating a High Impact Teaching Seminar for faculty. Participants will learn about the seminar’s theoretical framework, impact and structure, engage in …

Exploring Adolescents’ Critical Thinking Aptitudes When Reading About Science In The News, Marianne Bissonnette, Pierre Chastenay, Chantal Francoeur

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research studies the critical thinking skills of six teenagers in their final years of high school. It looks at the way those students use a set of cognitive skills in order to analyze scientific and pseudoscientific information available in online news articles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six students chosen according to their results in a questionnaire about interest in science topics. Results show a large gap between participants’ use of critical thinking skills. Most of these skills were mainly used for text comprehension, evoking general knowledge, numeracy, arguments assessment and production, and life skills (open-mindedness and metacognition). The …

Data Literacy On The Road: Setting Up A Large-Scale Data Literacy Initiative In The Databuzz Project, Tom Seymoens, Leo Van Audenhove, Wendy Van Den Broeck, Ilse Mariën

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper presents the DataBuzz Project. DataBuzz is a high-tech, mobile educational lab, which is housed in a 13-meter electric bus. Its specific goal is to increase the data literacy of different segments of society in the Brussels region through inclusive and participatory games and workshops. In this paper, we will explore how to carry out practical data literacy initiatives geared to the general public. We discuss the different interactive workshops, which have been specifically developed for DataBuzz. We highlight the background, design choices, and execution of this large-scale data literacy initiative. We describe the factors that need …

Rapid Shifts In Educators’ Perceptions Of Data Literacy Priorities, Kristin Fontichiaro, Melissa P. Johnston

Journal of Media Literacy Education

To meet the challenges of a data-driven society, high school students need new arrays of literacy skills. In the United States, school librarians, who work across disciplines, are well-positioned to help students improve their data practice, but they first need new domain knowledge. This article presents findings from an evaluating survey and session evaluation data from a virtual data literacy conference, which were part of a federally-funded project to develop data literacy skills among high school librarians and educators. Findings indicated a noticeable shift in participant perceptions of the need and urgency for data literacy instruction across content areas and …

Research Methods, Mary Macdonald

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Fact Vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In The Age Of Fake News, Morgan Carter

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News, is a book full of resources and instructional strategies to help educators teach media literacy skills in today’s fake news environment. Arguably, media literacy skills are needed now more than ever, and this review provides a brief overview and key takeaways from each chapter.

News Literacy And Fake News Curriculum: School Librarians’ Perceptions Of Pedagogical Practices, Lesley Farmer

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The high profile of fake news reveals underlying trends in the production and consumption of news. While news literacy is a lifelong skill, the logical time to start teaching such literacy is in K-12 educational settings, so that all people have the opportunity to learn and practice news literacy. School librarians can play a critical role in helping students gain news literacy competence. This study investigated the needs for K-12 students to be news literate and their current level of skills as perceived by in-service teachers and school librarians in California. Respondents thought that their students were most competent at …

The Sociological And Humanistic Problem Of ‘Fake News,’ As It Applies To All Subjects, Including Scientific Research And Theories In The Public Sphere, Andrée Rathemacher, Amanda Izenstark

Technical Services Faculty Presentations

The main file available here contains the notes taken by student note-taker Kaleigh Miech during the Café Salon Discussion “The Sociological and Humanistic Problem of ‘Fake News,’ As It Applies to All Subjects, Including Scientific Research and Theories in the Public Sphere.” The discussion took place on January 17, 2019 as part of the University of Rhode Island 11th Annual Academic Summit. It was facilitated by Profs. Andrée Rathemacher and Amanda Izenstark.

Supplemental files include:

• An opening introduction prepared by the facilitators
• The official 11th Annual Academic Summit Program
• Café Salon Facilitator Guide

Literacies, Media And Information Lsc 495, Mary Macdonald

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Media Smart Libraries Lsc 535, Mary Macdonald

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Poverty, Literacy, And Social Transformation: An Interdisciplinary Exploration Of The Digital Divide, Amy J. Bach, Todd Wolfson, Jessica K. Crowell

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Harnessing scholarship focused on literacy and poverty, in this article we aim to complicate the common understanding of the digital divide. First, we argue that the dominant literature on the digital divide misses broader connections between technological exclusion and broader forms of economic and social exclusion. Accordingly, and following recent qualitative research on the digital divide, we believe future scholarship must examine the complicated relationships between poverty, inequality, and the digital divide and we look to poverty scholarship to understand the complicated and shifting nature of poverty. Finally, we make the case that scholars and practitioners focused on digital literacy …

What Clues Tell You Something Is True? Empowering Students To Find Evidence, Amanda Izenstark

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Slides from a presentation for the third regional Friends Education Conference: Discerning Truth in a Post-Fact World: A Friends Education Conference for Librarians and Educators, held October 13, 2017, in Providence, RI.

Instruction @ The Uri Libraries - August 2017, Mary C. Macdonald, Amanda Izenstark

Instruction @ the URI Libraries

No abstract provided.

Librarians As Design Partners: How We Helped Faculty Spotlight Il, Amanda Izenstark, Jim Kinnie, Mary C. Macdonald

Public Services Faculty Presentations

These slides accompanied a presentation at the New England Library Instruction Group 2017 Annual Program.

During the implementation of a new outcomes-based General Education program, librarians helped subject faculty highlight IL skills through a redesign of their existing assignments. In this session, see examples of how we reviewed course proposals and worked to ensure that students could meet those outcomes.

Instruction @ The Uri Libraries - May 2017, Mary Macdonald, Amanda Izenstark

Instruction @ the URI Libraries

No abstract provided.

Information Literacy And General Education: Supporting Student Success, Jim Kinnie, Mary C. Macdonald, Amanda Izenstark

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Presented at the NERCOMP Annual Conference 2017, Providence, RI. Section of presentation entitled "Don't They Teach That in High School? Closing the K-16 Information Literacy Gap."

From conference abstract: Hear how librarians at one university successfully wove IL concepts into the fabric of the curriculum through an outcomes-based general education program.

Evaluate Everything, Amanda Izenstark

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Slides and speaker's notes for a panel presentation given at the University of Rhode Island on March 23, 2017. The presentation was part of a panel chaired by Professor Karen F. Stein (Department of English and Gender and Women's Studies Program) titled "Finding Reliable Information in a 'Post-Fact' World." Co-panelists were Professor Brian Krueger (Chair, Department of Political Science), Professor John Pantalone (Chair, Department of Journalism), Professor Andrée Rathemacher (University Libraries), and Professor Christine Zozula (Department of Sociology and Anthropology).

The panel was presented by the Coalition to Encourage Civic Engagement and was co-sponsored by the URI College of Arts …

Instruction @ The Uri Libraries - January 2017, Mary C. Macdonald, Amanda Izenstark

Instruction @ the URI Libraries

No abstract provided.

Avoiding The Plagiarism Trap, Amanda Izenstark

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Slides from a presentation, "Avoiding the Plagiarism Trap."

Presented as part of the University of Rhode Island Research Office's Responsible Conduct of Research Series, offered on September 14, 2016.