Software Literacy

Author(s):  
Elaine Khoo ◽  
Craig Hight

Software is not neutral. It comes with social and cultural assumptions that afford particular actions while constraining others. The notion of software literacy is emerging as one way to conceptualise the repertoires of skills and understandings needed for people to be critical and creative users of software packages and systems in a software saturated culture. This conceptual model is a response to current digital literacy frameworks which do not identify the implications of the choice of software on what can be achieved. Studies on information literacy and on ways of mastering software have tended to ignore the role of software itself. The study of software is only now emerging as a field of study. This contribution argues for the relevancy of software literacy as part of understanding the ways people engage with software and how its affordances influences knowledge representation, generation and critique. It will define the term and set out three progressive tiers of development towards software literacy.

Author(s):  
Elaine Khoo ◽  
Craig Hight

Software is not neutral. It comes with social and cultural assumptions that afford particular actions while constraining others. The notion of software literacy is emerging as one way to conceptualize the repertoires of skills and understandings needed for people to be critical and creative users of software packages and systems in a software saturated culture. This conceptual model is a response to current digital literacy frameworks which do not identify the implications of the choice of software on what can be achieved. Studies on information literacy and on ways of mastering software have tended to ignore the role of software itself. The study of software is only now emerging as a field of study. This contribution argues for the relevancy of software literacy as part of understanding the ways people engage with software and how its affordances influences knowledge representation, generation, and critique. It will define the term and set out three progressive tiers of development towards software literacy.


Author(s):  
Rebecca Jones

This paper discusses the partnership that Cilip’s Information Literacy Group (ILG) in the UK has been developing over the last 18 months with TeenTech, an award winning, industry led initiative that focuses on helping teenagers understand the career opportunities available within Science, Education and Technology. It focuses on the role of the ILG’s School Representative as co-ordinator of a team of school librarians and university specialists who were tasked with; supporting the group’s new Information Literacy Award creating resources and opportunities to encourage teacher and pupil use of libraries, and with supporting pupil development of information and digital literacy skills within the area of science, engineering and technology across all of the award categories.


Author(s):  
Shiva Kanaujia Sukula

Metaliteracy is very significant as it recognizes the conventional information skills. The framework of metaliteracy is staged on information literacy including new facets. The relevance of metaliteracy for the students is crucial in developing meta-literate learners. Discerning the goals and various learning objectives are concrete competencies and metaliteracy for the learning are the basic components. The elements of information literacy have been associated with social media in recent times. Digital literacy is accompanied with visual literacy as well as cyberliteracy in developing the metaliteracy resources and environment. In this current age, where the information has its own value in all the known and unknown contexts, the research is based on retrospective and the latest information. The discussion on the application of metaliteracy in learning and stake-holders considers as a reflective space with the analytical and observational thinking for the learning. The role of the librarian is instrumental while the creation of content takes place keeping the metaliteracy aspects in planning. The experiences of networked information, as well as engagement of students, are the stepping stones for the creation of learning spaces. The role of the learner as participants, contributor and metaliteracy and learner-centered design is associated with metaliteracy and course-design. In this context, the metaliteracy assignments are significant, the metaliteracy assignments are kind of a method to motivate the learners and find out hidden knowledge. The chapter provides an example of the Case of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. It discusses the methods applied at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi for inducing information literacy and metaliteracy among the scholars to include various training programs, workshops, etc. The details of various activities are discussed as various training programs which are focused on educating the users about library resources, accessing them, etc.


Author(s):  
Bill Kirkpatrick

Disability Media Studies proposes the formation of a field of study, based in the rich traditions of media, cultural, and disability studies. Such a field is necessarily interdisciplinary and diverse, arising from cross-pollinating conversations and engagements. Thus, this collection offers fourteen chapters written by scholars located in a variety of disciplinary homes, all exploring media artifacts in light of disability. Additionally, two afterwords—by Rachel Adams, and Mara Mills and Jonathan Sterne—reflect upon the collection, the ongoing conversations, and the future of disability media studies. This book is intended to be accessible, teachable, and friendly to newcomers to the study of disability and media alike. Case studies include familiar contemporary examples—such as the blockbuster film Iron Man 3 (2013), Lady Gaga, and Oscar Pistorius—as well as historical media, independent disability media, reality television, and media technologies. Chapters consider disability representation, the role of media in forming cultural assumptions about ability, the construction of disability via media technologies, and how disabled audiences respond to particular media artifacts. Each chapter is preceded by a short abstract, orienting the reader by explaining the background and contribution of the essay.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Mária Eszenyiné Borbély

A tanulmány a Múzeumi és könyvtári fejlesztések mindenkinek „Az én könyvtáram” EFOP-3.3.3.-VEKOP/16-2016-00001 projekt keretében lefolytatott vizsgálat eredményeit ismerteti. A projekt többek között arra keresi a választ, hogy mi lehet a könyvtárosok szerepe a közkönyvtárakban a tanulást támogató könyvtári szolgáltatások megvalósításában, elsősorban a digitális írástudás, információs műveltség fejlesztésében. Ez a fajta könyvtáros szerepvállalás feltételezi, hogy a könyvtárosok rendelkeznek a feladatellátáshoz kívánatos digitális kompetenciával és egyéb szükséges készségekkel. Ahhoz, hogy reálisan értékelhessük a helyzetet, fel kell térképeznünk a könyvtárosok digitális kompetenciáinak szintjét. A pályázat megteremtette egy országos reprezentatív felmérés lebonyolításnak lehetőségét, melynek eredményeként mélységeiben sikerült megismerni, hogy a magyarországi települési könyvtárakban dolgozó könyvtárosok milyen digitális kompetenciákkal rendelkeznek. --- Digital competence levels of librarians working in Hungarian municipal libraries: Results of a Countrywide Representative Survey The study describes the results of the survey carried out by the Museum and Library Development for Everyone “My Library” EFOP-3.3.3.-VEKOP/16-2016-00001 project. Among other things the aim of the project is to define the role of librarians in public libraries in their implementation of library services, directed towards supporting learning, primarily in developing digital literacy and information literacy. This engagement requires librarians to have digital competences and various skills needed for carrying out their responsibilities. In order to evaluate the situation realistically, we need to map out the level of librarians’ digital literacy. The project created the opportunity for conducting a representative national survey. As a result of this survey, the depth of the digital competence status of librarians working in the Hungarian municipal libraries was assessed. Keywords: digital competence, DigComp, librarians, public library, Hungary, survey


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Shindy Lestari

Analysis of mathematics subject matter in elementary school is a very important field of study taught at every level of education. The 2013 curriculum separates the field of mathematics studies from themes so that this field of study is a subject that stands alone. Through mathematics subject matter taught in elementary school can train students to think critically, rationally, logically, innovatively so that they have competitiveness. As for the problems discussed from the subject matter in elementary school mathematics which is seen from the suitability of the teacher's book and the student's book, in this case it discusses: 1) the scope of mathematics material grade 3rd elementary school, 2) the characteristics of mathematics subject matter in elementary school, 3) the relevance in elementary school mathematics subject matter to the scientific structure, namely student character, HOTS, 4C skills, literacy numeracy, digital literacy, financial literacy and character education, 4) learning innovation based on integration-interconnection in accordance with the science of development and technology and the needs of the community in the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0.


Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mugwisi

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet have to a large extent influenced the way information is made available, published and accessed. More information is being produced too frequently and information users now require certain skills to sift through this multitude in order to identify what is appropriate for their purposes. Computer and information skills have become a necessity for all academic programmes. As libraries subscribe to databases and other peer-reviewed content (print and electronic), it is important that users are also made aware of such sources and their importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of information literacy (IL) in universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the role played by librarians in creating information literate graduates. This was done by examining whether such IL programmes were prioritised, their content and how frequently they were reviewed. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 12 university libraries in Zimbabwe and 21 in South Africa. A total of 25 questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that IL was being taught in universities library and non-library staff, was compulsory and contributed to the term mark in some institutions. The study also revealed that 44 per cent of the total respondents indicated that the libraries were collaborating with departments and faculty in implementing IL programmes in universities. The study recommends that IL should be an integral part of the university programmes in order to promote the use of databases and to guide students on ethical issues of information use.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1329878X2110064
Author(s):  
Caroline Fisher ◽  
Sora Park ◽  
Jee Young Lee ◽  
Kate Holland ◽  
Emma John

Social isolation has become a growing issue, particularly among older citizens. The ‘digital divide’ has been identified as one of the contributing factors leaving many older citizens behind. While increasing digital literacy among seniors has been identified as one of the remedies, less attention has been paid to the role of news media on the wellbeing and connectedness of older people. Through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory, this article reports on the findings of a survey of 562 news consumers aged 50 years and above who live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The analysis highlights the important role of news in reducing feelings of social isolation, particularly for those who spend more time alone and older people with cognitive impairment. Older participants who had difficulty concentrating and learning new tasks were also more dependent on news. We suggest this is due to the habitual, predictable and concise nature of news. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of news in the wellbeing of older people and point to the need for policymakers and those in the aged care sector to ensure access to news for older citizens to improve the quality of life.


Horizons ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Lilla Cox

A theology of infertility is needed to help couples and the broader ecclesial community understand the theological implications of infertility. Infertility raises questions about human freedom, finitude, embodiment, childlessness, and parenthood. In this article, dominant cultural assumptions surrounding each of these areas when considering reproductive technologies are sketched. Official Roman Catholic teaching on reproductive technologies (Donum Vitae), while rejecting most forms of such technologies, does provide a viable response to the presupposition that reproductive technologies resolve infertility. Given the dominant cultural assumptions and insights from Roman Catholic teaching, this article advocates for several ecclesial changes when considering infertility. Finally, theological resources for developing a theology of infertility are offered. Specifically, insights from Karl Rahner's theology of concupiscence are examined with an eye toward how they provide a framework for rethinking the cultural assumptions about freedom and finitude when considering reproductive technologies.


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