As librarians tackle topics like algorithms, misinformation, and privacy, there have been increasing calls for information literacy instruction to include an understanding that our information systems are a product of our larger social environment. Indeed, these topics reflect several ongoing mega-trends within our society, including: the decline of faith in institutions like the media, declining trust in science, ongoing racial inequality, increased socio-economic inequality, and increasing political polarization. This presentation will describe how several librarians are implementing and assessing outcomes that situate information literacy within wider social, cultural, political, and technological contexts in four separate credit courses.
Participants will:
- Consider the broader systemic influences on our current information environment, particularly relating to topics like algorithms, misinformation, and privacy issues
- Explore different pedagogical approaches for teaching and assessing information literacy within wider social, cultural, political, and technological contexts, with particular emphasis on acknowledging the experiences and worldviews that students bring into the classroom
- Discuss how they might implement learning outcomes related to the presentation in their own situational and institutional contexts
