
Thing 1. Getting Started
Purpose. What are we doing here?
The Media Landscapes Campaign is designed to help library staff understand how people navigate the media and information landscape, and how forces within that landscape influence their navigation. But, before we get to that, it is important to have a shared understanding of what we mean by information literacy and digital literacy, what the difference between those terms is and why this is important to us all.
Introduction. What are Digital and lnformation Literacies?
Information literacy is the ability to recognize when information is needed and to have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information can be in any format: in print, in a digital format, in-person collection of information, eg., an interview, or any other recognizable source of information. Digital literacy refers to the ability to understand information and perform tasks in digital environments. While one can be information literate without being digitally literate, in order to be digitally literate, you must first have the foundational knowledge of information literacy.
For 23 Things, we will put a primary focus on digital literacy. This can include, but is not limited to:
- using a computer to find, manipulate, and communicate information
- identifying information in various types of media and formats (such as online newspapers, databases, websites, social media platforms, or videos)
- critically evaluating media and information sources for truthfulness, accuracy, credibility, and reliability
- using digital tools and information ethically and safely
All of these skills are important to students and adults as we become lifelong learners.
Videos
Watch this brief (9:48) TED Talk, “Information Literacy”
https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_arms_information_literacy
Now watch this video about what it means to be information literate in educational settings and everyday life (4:26)
https://youtu.be/1ronp6Iue9w
Readings
What is Digital Literacy? | EdWeek Article
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-is-digital-literacy/2016/11
Information Literacy and the Workforce: A Review | Education Libraries: Vol 32 #11: Winter 2011. 7-14. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ961219.pdf
Activities : Where are you in the Landscape?
We found a terrific Digital Knowledge Quiz from Pew Research Group.
If you haven’t already, register your participation to get updates when new Things are released and to help us understand how many people are participating. Register.
Conversation Starters
What is the value of curiosity in research and in our everyday lives?
What factors shape how easy or difficult information is to find and use?
Evaluation – each Thing will end with an evaluation. Though it is not a requirement, if you wish to receive clock hours, you must complete the evaluation with your registered email address.
Additional Resources
- ALA’s Practitioner’s Guide to Media Literacy | American Library Association
- Digital Citizenship Key Vocabulary | BrainPop Educators
- Language of Media Literacy: A Glossary of Terms | Center for Media Literacy
Need to brush up on your digital knowledge or want to go a little deeper? These articles correspond to the Pew Research Group’s questions above.
Website Cookies
- Why Every Website Wants You to Accept Its Cookies | Vox: Recode
- HTTP Cookie | Wikipedia. This is a very detailed explanation.
- How to Control and Delete Cookies on Your Browser | PCMag
Social Media & Advertising
- How Facebook, Twitter, Social Media Make Money From You | Investopedia
- From Online Motivations to Ad Clicks and to Behavioral Intentions: An Empirical Study of Consumer Response to Social Media Advertising | Psychology & Marketing
Website Privacy Policies
- Sample Privacy Policy Template | PrivacyPolicies. Includes detailed info on what a privacy policy must contain and a free privacy policy generator.
HTTPS
- What Is HTTPS, and Why Should I Care? | How-To Geek
- HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) | Wikipedia
Phishing
- How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams | FTC
- Phishing Quiz | Google
Who Owns What
- Everything Facebook Owns: Mergers and Acquisitions from the Past 15 Years | TitleMax
- Amazon Subsidiaries | Wikipedia
- What Do Google & Alphabet Own? | The Balance
Net Neutrality
- Net Neutrality | Electronic FrontierFoundation
- What Is Net Neutrality? The Complete WIRED Guide | WIRED
Incognito Mode
- How Private Browsing Works, and Why It Doesn’t Offer Complete Privacy | How-To Geek
- How to Go Incognito in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari | Computerworld
Two-Step or Two-Factor Authentication
- Back to Basics: Multi-Factor Authentication | NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Two-Factor Authentication: Who Has It and How to Set It Up | PCMag