The triadic model: How digital and information literacy must support each other

How Digital and Information Literacy must support each other THE TRIADIC MODEL Andrew Whitworth, University of Manchester All around every learner is a near-infinity of potential RESOURCES. These resources mediate our interaction with the world - and thus, our learning These resources must, however, be filtered before they are of practical use. Resources include knowledge, skills, people, technological tools, the wider environment... For Rose Luckin (2010) the learner is at the centre of an 'ecology of resources'... The learner partly defines what is in their 'ecology'... ...but choices will also be made for them, in various ways Proximity, availability, routine, language, peer pressure, regulations... Can the effectiveness and appropriateness of these choices be scrutinised? And by whom? Digital literacy could be described as "the access, skills, strategies and attributes needed to learn effectively with technology" (Beetham et al) In practice, however, these three domains... Information literacy Media literacy ...are beginning to overlap. Each is concerned with how choices are made - and evaluated - from the ecology of resources. The ecology of resources is DYNAMIC... change can come quickly More useful, then, than skills with specific technologies, is the ability to adapt, try new solutions, review one's options, move on, make new choices where necessary... This is 'literacy' as both READING and WRITING... 'Reading' the environment for the best sources of support I want in this paper to present a different perspective on 'literacy' ...more have been added since. Let us not worry about the differences however - I want, instead, to talk about the commonalities. I believe this is important for understanding the technology - learner - library relationship in all its complexity. Also that we can no longer view 'academic support' as something which is silo-specific. 'Writing' the outcomes of our learning back into the world: formally, but also often informally Through this process we STEWARD the 'digital habitat', for ourselves, and others with whom we share learning needs. (Wenger, White & Smith 2009) What happens if this process is blocked? Technologies become imposed on learners (and/or teachers).... ...with consequent avoidance Exploration degenerates into procedure and routine Habitats become UNRESPONSIVE... 'literacy' may lead to good readings of conditions, but an inability to enact these new understandings Why a holistic approach is important... Valuing and filtering decisions are made in three basic ways: CONFORMING to procedures and generic rules INFORMING ourselves of available alternatives TRANSFORMING practice based on new understandings Objective approach; Based on training and competencies Subjective approach; Based on reflection Intersubjective approach; Based on discussion and action Related pathology: Counterknowledge, irrational decisions Groupthink, no creativity or innovation Relativism, an inappropriateness to context So what does this mean for libraries? Libraries are, clearly, significant resources for learners. I believe, however, they need to evolve beyond a focus on the 'reading' aspects of literacy such as retrieval, judging relevance, competencies. 'Library 2.0' is a step there: user-centred, social, innovative, in multiple media (see Maness 2006) In such a dynamic environment, can digital, information and media literacy be productively separated? CONFORMING to generic rules & guidelines for assuring the quality of choices INFORMING oneself about the effectiveness of these choices and, if necessary, alternatives TRANSFORMING the environment in response to learning The triadic model can be used to consider the need for ALL these literacies together: But how can and should learners be supported to 'write': that is, update the ecology of resources? A possible alliance? Or irreconcilable differences? Libraries IT services Open source technologies Students Academic liaison Professional developers Open access resources THANK YOU. drew.whitworth@manchester.ac.uk www.cwa-consulting.co.uk Twitter: @DrewWhitworth1 FUNDING is always a useful glue... ...the UK cut funding to JISC, hopefully yours is more enlightened. Funding from non-traditional sources (e.g. communities? NGOs?) may be more likely to break down the barriers. Emerging technologies = new skills, new relationships How do we nurture the skills and knowledge that we need in order to use emerging technologies effectively? (always on Facebook, doesn't watch TV, several tattoos)