WFP 2008 Tuesday 8/12
Tuesday, 8/12: New Literacies
Welcome and Overview of the Day (9:00 AM – 9:15 AM)
A time for questions and answers about the preceding day and the contents of the current day.
Blogging and the Blogosphere (9:15 AM – 10:30 AM)
Presenter: Burke
Abstract
Blogs are the quintessential Web 2.0 application and, along with wikis, are one of two major mode of communication on the web today. This workshop will introduce participants to what blogs are, how they work, and what they are used for, both within and outside of the academy. Participants will set up their own blogs, for potential use beyond the workshop. In addition, participants will be introduced to Google Docs, a blog-like tool designed to replace your word processor.
Outcomes
- Knowledge of the significance of blogs in the history of the web
- Knowledge of basic features of the blog genre
- Knowledge of how to find and subscribe to blogs (using Google)
- Possession of a personal blog
Outline
- Brief history with examples
- Elements of a blog
- Trackbacks: How blog(ger)s connect to each other
- Syndication: How to publish and subscribe to a blog
- Setting up your own blog
- Use Word as a client
- Peagogical uses (see Miltonauts)
- A quick look at Google Docs
Links
Break (10:30 AM – 10:45 AM)
Coffee and pastries will be available outside of the Microroom.
Wikis, Wikipedia, and the New Literacy (10:45 AM – 12:00 PM)
Presenter: Bryant
Abstract
This will be a practical introduction to wikis in general and Wikipedia in particular. We all know the de facto impact it has had on teaching and learning, both on campus and off, and we tend to have strong opinions about the suitability of its content for academic work. In this module, we will focus on Wikipedia as a source of information but also as a new genre of academic work, with examples from academics who are using wikis for their teaching and research. Participants will also create their own wiki.
Outcomes
Outline
Links
Lunch (12:00 PM – 1:30 PM)
In the Blumberg Reading Area, Library.
Information Literacy as a Framework for Evaluation (1:30 PM – 2:45 PM Bechtel Room, Library)
Presenter: Arndt Location: Bechtel Room, Library Lower Level
Abstract
Traditional forms of publication provided for formal layers of vetting before most material ever got to the reader. Physical formats also gave strong visual signals about the quality and authority of the publication. A relatively limited number of mainstream publishers meant that reputation of the publisher could also serve as a guide to quality. The digital environment dramatically increases the number of entities and individuals who can directly publish, eliminates traditional gatekeepers, and calls into question reliance on format clues as a judge of quality. Delivery of mainstream peer-reviewed literature via Internet technology also blurs the line between “scholarly” and “internet” (read: questionable) material. Finding widely scattered information also challenges researchers. “Information Literacy” provides a framework for developing the learner’s individual skills in finding, acquiring, appraising, and appropriately using information regardless of its format.
Objectives
- To provide an overview of Information Literacy Competency Standards and their application in a digital environment.
- To provide a brief survey of some of the new, emerging publishing models and the means by which they are (or are not) addressing issues of quality and authority.
- To identify criteria which can be used to evaluate the quality of information, regardless of format
Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
- Briefly state the five competency standards of information literacy
- Identify and articulate the pros and cons of new digital publishing models from the researcher’s point of view
- List multiple criteria for evaluating information regardless of format
Outline
- Participant sharing of how they currently use or limit use of “internet” resources in their courses.
- Short presentation defining Information Literacy competencies as defined by ACRL.
- Group discussion of the challenges presented in evaluating the quality and authority of information in the digital environment.
- Short presentation on new and emerging digital publishing models, and how these address issues of quality and authority.
- Group exercise generating list of criteria for evaluating information regardless of format.
Handout/Reading
- Copies of Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, booklet from ACRL.
Break (2:45 PM – 3:00 PM Outside Bechtel Room, Library)
Refreshments will be available outside of the Bechtel Room.
Hands-on Time (3:00 PM – 4:15 PM; ICC Classroom, Library)
Fellows will develop their courses by either using Google Docs or the Dickinson Wiki to develop a collaborative editing space for putting content. Presenter: ATS Staff
