Open Password – Friday August 13, 2021
#960
Future of Library and Information Science – Information Literacy – Information Literacy – Library and Information Science – Disinformation – ISI 2021 – B. Jörs – Future Discourses – Information Literacy and Democracy – D. Cetta – J. Griesbaum – T. Mandl – E. Montanari – Information Search Competence – Fake News – Hate Speech – Neuroscience – M. Spitzer – Neurology – Schools – J. Menthe – C. Lentz – W. Schünemann – Prior knowledge – Media literacy – Early childhood educational content – Internet and digital society – Daycare centers – L. Kobsch – Employers – W. Sühl-Strohmeyer – JP Barbian – CILIP Information Literacy Group – Test criteria – Meta key qualification – Information Overload – TIB – ZB MED – Librarian – Computer scientist – FaMI – MALIS – Information scientist – Data Librarian – Data Steward – Software developer – Verlag Werner Hülsbusch – ISI 2021 – Thomas Schmidt – Christian Wolff – Information Science – Digital Humanities – Data Science – Big Data – Deep Learning – Wolfgang G. Stock – I. Dorsch – K. Fietkiewicz – A. Ilhan – C. Meschede – T. Siebenlist – Norbert Henrichs – Heinrich Heine University
Bernd Jörs
Future of library
and information science:
Information literacy or information literacy
The great misunderstanding and oversight
of library and information science in the age of disinformation
Part 1: The dilemma with incompetent information literacy
Additional comments on the “16th International Symposium of Information Science” (“ISI 2021”, Regensburg March 8th – March 10th, 2021)
By Prof. Dr. Bernd Jörs, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
At the (virtual) “16th International Symposium of Information Science” (“ISI 2021”, Regensburg March 8th – March 10th, 2021) held in March 2021, the domain-specific, almost unique “information literacy” was once again emphasized ) of library and information science. Once again, “future discourses” on “information competence and democracy” were announced and “position papers” on information competence and information competence education were presented (D. Cetta, J. Griesbaum, T. Mandl, E. Montanari: position papers. Information competence and information competence education: current status and perspectives. Hildesheim 2019).
People love this term information literacy, which, if it were to be used at all, would rather be limited to traditional research, infobroking or information search skills in the library and information science environment. However, it is currently intended to be increasingly used as a battle sword to combat disinformation activities, especially in the online area, as well as fake news and hate speech contamination, especially in social media channels. Other disciplines such as neuroscience have long questioned the usefulness of such use of “information and media literacy”.
In a previous Open Password article by the author (OPEN PASSWORD – still in use), the author already pointed out this uselessness of a universally applicable and communicable “information competence” with reference to M. Spitzer: “ A general ability to distinguish truth from falsehood , does not exist because such an ability cannot exist . In order to make a judgment about the truth or falsity of a statement about anything – no matter what it is about – you fundamentally need prior knowledge of the subject area in which this statement is embedded. An ability to immediately see, so to speak, the truth or untruth of snippets of information from any source – without any prior knowledge (and which is not identical with intelligence, thinking ability, stamina or willpower, because these abilities already exist, which is why they already have a name have), does not exist (M. Spitzer: Cuneiform, Kant and sales contracts, in: Neurology 2020; 39; pages 198-205, page 201).
You almost have to take a magnifying glass to find an isolated voice like in the position papers at the above-mentioned Hildesheim Symposium, which recommends making domain-related (prior) knowledge a necessary and sufficient condition in schools as a prerequisite for a serious qualification in information literacy : “ Accordingly, information competence should be integrated into the respective subjects and taught by the respective “expert teachers”” (Jürgen Menthe; Christina Lentz, in D. Cetta, J. Griesbaum, T. Mandl, E. Montanari: Position papers. Information competence and Information literacy education: Current status and perspectives. Hildesheim 2019; page 46).
The political scientist W. Schünemann demands something similar: “ In order to collect and classify information, you also need objective contextual knowledge. In this respect, information literacy seems to me to have any scope. Contextual knowledge and therefore the ability to interpret and understand information always seems to me to be expandable. And yet the limit of information literacy lies in the fact that you can only acquire and expand appropriate contextual knowledge for a limited number of fields” (Author: Wolf Schünemann; in: D. Cetta, J. Griesbaum, T. Mandl, E. Montanari: Position papers. Information literacy and information literacy education: current status and perspectives. Hildesheim 2019; page 59).
But these reminders and warnings are largely ignored and not discussed in a sustained manner. They are lost in the flood of non-binding generalized statements on the term “information literacy”. Something else is much more important to the scientists who have been advocating the widespread use of this term for years. In doing so, they ignore the constitutive prerequisite for information and media competence, namely having appropriate (prior) knowledge. This can be seen, for example, in the demand for early childhood “teaching” of information and media skills in early childhood education and its facilities (kindergarten) as “preparatory skills” for the transition to school entry.
The following requirement can be found in printed matter 19/19877 (January 11, 2020) of the German Bundestag on the “Update for early childhood educational content” for “teaching” media skills: “ Further aspects that must be included in the quality standards for early childhood educational content to be developed, include comprehensive media competence, language promotion, democracy promotion and participation as well as sustainability” (printed matter 19/19877 of the German Bundestag, page 2). Something similar can already be found in the German Bundestag’s printed matter 18/4422 (March 24, 2015) and especially in the German Bundestag’s printed matter 17/7286 (October 21, 2011) “Second interim report of the study commission “Internet and digital society – Media Competence”, where a main chapter is dedicated to this aspect: “Chapter. 4 target groups for teaching media skills; 4.1. Children of preschool age”. The following recommendation can be found here with an almost empathic determination: “Children should also have the chance to independently integrate the knowledge they acquire on the Internet into their own living environment. Parents, but also educators in daycare centers, can help by ensuring a balanced use of the computer and showing sufficient alternative leisure and learning opportunities in the real world” (Document 17/7286 of the German Bundestag; page 20).
- Kobsch calls for something similar in the reader to the Hildesheim Symposium for “Information Literacy”: “ Information literacy should be taught in all social and age groups. Children should be introduced to the topic in a playful way as early as kindergarten or even earlier, if the necessary skills are available in their parents’ home. Playful and interactive aspects should play a major role in school and kindergarten. In any case, it should be made clear how information literacy contributes to enriching everyday life in all age groups.” Elsewhere, Kobsch states: ” Due to the ever-increasing penetration of our world with this topic, other facilities and institutions should also how the parental home, the kindergarten, the school and the adult education center or the employer are seen as possible placement points” (D. Cetta, J. Griesbaum, T. Mandl, E. Montanari: Position papers. Information competence and information competence transfer: Current status and perspectives. Hildesheim 2019; pages 40-41).
This has to be said: the poor children. One is tempted. to call the child protection agency.
The reader for the Hildesheim Symposium also documented almost twenty statements and attempts at definition of the term “information competence” as well as a variety of (integrative) forms and ideas for teaching “information competence”.
Information literacy as THE core competency all over the world?
Of course, the almost unlimited expansion of the concept of information has a history. In 2017, Sühl-Strohmenger and JP Barbian had their expectations of “information competence” in their standard work “Information Competence” (W. Sühl-Strohmeyer/JP Barbian: Information Competence, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, bit-Verlag 2017) under the heading “Phenomenology of Information Competence without Every reference to the need for domain-dependent (prior) knowledge is documented in the highest generalization and with claims to omnipotence:
(1) know the reliability of sources; (2) Recognize content relevance, reliability of information resources; (3) be able to record information systematically; (4) check the credibility of the information, evaluate it, classify it critically, and be able to clearly mark your own opinion; (5) be able to check for conclusiveness and established knowledge as well as the trustworthiness of the facts; (6) master open-mindedness and receptiveness to expert knowledge; (7) “Structure information after the search and bring it into a knowledge order (structure)” .
Currently, the definition of information literacy from the CILIP Information Literacy Group from 2018, which cannot be surpassed in terms of generalization, is often used: Information literacy is: (…) “the ability to think critically and make balanced judgments about any information we find and use. (…)” (CILIP Information Literacy Group, 2018).
“…about any information”? What should that look like in concrete terms and what will it achieve pragmatically? There is no information about this.
After intensive literature research, it can be seen that the statements in library and information science on the concept of information competence are never made operationally concrete in terms of content, let alone made measurable. Almost every concrete, application- and example-related implementation of this non-concept is avoided. While the need for qualified “information literacy” to discover, eliminate and deal with disinformation is repeatedly pointed out, library and information science lacks an answer to the crucial question: Where can we find application-oriented, concrete testing criteria for proving information literacy? Rather, the omnipotent meta-key qualification of information competence is usually only pointed out in a very generalized form.
And that’s not all: overgeneralization: Especially in the area of “information and media literacy” as “metaliteracy”, terms such as: “enlightening”, “reflective”, “promoting independence”, “enabling research”, “networking” are usually only used in general terms. , “generating new knowledge”, “promoting criticism and reflection”, “evaluating information”, “serving in information overload for checking source references”, “an epistemic or transformational competence” and “covering information needs or knowledge gaps”.
Where can real empirical-analytical, operational and understanding-creating studies on the tension between “information literacy” and “disinformation” be found?
How can a sensibly applied analysis instrument of “information competence” be used specifically and practically to successfully transfer (democracy-threatening) disinformation?
How can the level of “information literacy” be quantified or measured and thus classified?
Which qualitative research questions should be asked?
Which research and investigation methods are suitable for truly demonstrating “information and media literacy”?
Using the example of the disinformation problem, when can one speak of an “information-competent ability” that is understandable to everyone?
These are questions to which library or information science has not yet provided answers. Rather, full-bodied announcements and unfulfilled promises are made with a high degree of non-binding nature. Meanwhile, the practice of libraries and other institutions that are close to information science remains based on a “where can I find something” information SEARCH competence for literature research. This doesn’t really help the affected target groups (pupils, students, teachers, professors, librarians, etc.) who are trying to prove themselves in the face of the dangers of disinformation in the social media environment.
This means that there is an overall failure in research, particularly in applied research.
The next episode will present work by scientists outside of library science who have tackled the problem of disinformation courageously and effectively.
TIB and ZB MED are committed
to diversity in libraries
Contemporary name for “Librarian” Day!
We support the petition for a contemporary name
for Librarian Day
Librarian and computer scientist, FaMI and MALIS, information scientist and data librarian, data steward and software developer – people with all of these professions (and many others) work in libraries today. The tasks and challenges for our institutions are more diverse than ever before. We address this with a variety of training paths and job profiles.
Employees in libraries not only have different jobs, they are diverse in every respect: nationality and origin, gender and gender identity, age and worldview, physical requirements and cultural background, to name just a few. This diversity in our facilities makes collaboration exciting and fruitful. It takes us one step further every day.
We demand that this diversity is also reflected in the name of the largest (further training) event for all those working in libraries and information systems in German-speaking countries. In our view, it is necessary to find a new name that speaks equally and inclusively to all people in libraries and not just “means”, that recognizes the different qualifications and in which the diverse personalities can be reflected.
Therefore, TIB – Leibniz Information Center for Technology and Natural Sciences and ZB MED – Information Center for Life Sciences support the petition “Contemporary name for “Librarian” Day”!
www.openpetition.de/petition/online/zeitthemenger-name-fuer-den-bibliothekartag#petition-main
Werner Hülsbusch publishing house
The “ISI 2021” as a book
and facets by Wolf Stock
Thomas Schmidt, Christian Wolff (eds.), Information between Data and Knowledge – Information Science and is Neighbors from Data Science to Digital Humanities, Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium of Information Science (ISI 2021), Regensburg (Volume 74), 2021, ISBN 978-3-86488-172-5, €32.80.
(VWH) Digital humanities as well as data science as neighboring fields pose new challenges and opportunities for information science. The recent focus on data in the context of big data and deep learning brings along new tasks for information scientists for example in research data management. At the same time, information behavior changes in the light of the increasing digital availability of information in academia as well as in everyday life. In this volume, contributions from various fields like information behavior and information literacy, information retrieval, digital humanities, knowledge representation, emerging technologies, and information infrastructure showcase the development of information research in recent years.
Facets of Wolf Stock and their significance for information science – Festschrift in honor of Wolfgang G. Stock – Edited by I. Dorsch, K. Fietkiewicz, A. Ilhan, C. Meschede and T. Siebenlist, Volume 73, 2020, ISBN 978 -3-86488-167-1, €27.80.
(VWH) This commemorative publication is dedicated to Prof. Wolfgang G. Stock on the occasion of his retirement in 2019. Since 2003, Stock has been Prof. Norbert Henrichs’ successor to the chair of information science at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf. He had a particular influence on the current direction of the course of study and shaped the information science publication landscape with more than 300 diverse and interdisciplinary articles. On the occasion of his retirement, this commemorative publication presents a colorful variety of articles that illuminate the many facets of Stock’s work and honor his achievements as a university professor, scientist and mentor.
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