Information Literacies in Digital Education

Course Details

Course code: EDUA11410

Course leader: Dr Phil Sheail

Course delivery: Jan 2022

Summary

This course engages with the current challenges of the continuously changing digital information landscape, and aims to support students in developing their understanding of information literacies. Knowing how to find, evaluate, use and 'remix' information critically, and in an ethical way, are essential aspects of learning, teaching and working in the digital age. This course will enable students in developing their own information literacies, and to reflect on the development of the information practices of students, clients and co-workers.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Critically engage with 'new literacies' concepts such as 'information literacy' and 'digital literacy'
  2. Critically examine and develop their own information practices
  3. Critically reflect on the development of the information practices of students, clients and co-workers
  4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of issues related to publication and re-use of informational objects
  5. Critically engage with information as an element of social and political power

Structure

The course will be structured in thematic blocks.  These themes will be updated for the January 2022 course:

  1. Information Literacies: Definitions and Debates
  2. Knowledge Equity: the case of Wikipedia
  3. Ethical and Policy issues
  4. The Open agenda
  5. Information Futures

Assessment

1. Coursework design (40%). Students will produce a descriptor and rationale for a coursework activity in any subject area, aimed at a group of students/coworkers/clients. The activity must require the group to develop information practices in the context of the subject.

2. End of course assignment (60%). Students will submit an essay (or multimodal equivalent) on an issue of their choice relating to one of the course themes on information literacies in digital education.

Teaching Methods

We will use a weekly threaded discussion forum on Moodle for discussing themes, readings and course activities, with optional synchronous discussions scheduled during the semester.  Students will also have the opportunity to experiment with editing in Wikipedia, supported by the teaching team.

Reading

Indicative reading:

Bhatt, I. and MacKenzie, A. (2019). Just Google it! Digital literacy and the epistemology of ignorance. Teaching in Higher Education, 24(3) pp 302-317  

Ford, H., and Wajcman, J. (2017). ‘Anyone can edit’, not everyone does: Wikipedia’s infrastructure and the gender gap. Social Studies of Science, 47(4) pp 511–527

 

Requirements

As with all courses, you will be required to have regular access to a computer with a good broadband connection, and will be responsible for providing your own computing equipment and consumables. All core readings will be provided online.
https://www.digital.education.ed.ac.uk/course/information-literacies-digital-education
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