I did it again-forgot the blog until it hit me at 3:30am, as I lay in bed thinking about my research paper that is due tomorrow for LIS 532! School work is invading my sleep and I don't know how to stop it. It will certainly help that I put a message to post my blog into a calendar reminder in my iPhone. It is silly not to put that expensive little computer to work in every way possible. Technology is supposed to make life easier, right? That takes me into the topic of IL and ICT. It appears that both are very important to have in our digital age. I was well aware of the issues around information literacy, but had not heard the term "information & communication technology" in relation to library science. ICT is defined as the ability to effectively research and communicate using technology, which is what I am doing on a daily basis, as are most people with access to computers. I am not surprised by the lack of proficiency in effective research and searching techniques. The format is so new, especially for teachers who have not kept up with the ever increasing ways that students find information and use information. There are certainly not many teachers who are using technology to communicate with students in web-based courseware programs, but I think that will change.
"Satisficing" was a term that I read in Joyce Valenza's article called "They Might Be Giants", and it stuck in my head because it defines the quality of information that many students are using through the internet. Satisficing is a combination of sufficing and satisfying; and this is where the student is content with the a quick, satisfactory answer rather than taking the time to truly research from authoritative websites or databases to find the best information to answer questions. I also read that most students are not using school databases, because they either don't know about them or prefer to search from the convenience of their own personal computers. Joyce Valenza also feels that the library need to present information in a new format. Her statement "Young users prefer collaborative seamless environments. Their academic, social, creative and entertainment areas merge online in nomadic multitasked landscapes". I know this is true. I have observed plenty of college students using their laptops or the cell phones to accomplish many tasks at the same time while sitting through a lecture. They do appear to be listening to the instructor, but are not content to take notes on the laptop without the connections to their email or facebook accounts. I can see using courseware such as Blackboard to be somewhat outdated now after using a wiki for this course. It is much more interactive with the podcast, links to informative sites and videos, profiles and photo's of students, and the discussion board is much more user-friendly. So, library websites and databases need to emulate this format for information seeking if we are to get students away from the comfort and ease of "satisficing" work.
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I see that as a problem, "Satisficing". It is a low-level of understanding and teaching where the student just has to fill in the blank to show rudimentary understanding. They are not passionate about the information, and I wonder even if the teacher is? I quality designed project excites and motivates the students to fully understand what they are learning about. If it is not meaningful to you, then take the easiest route, "Google" it and copy and paste. See the book "The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains", by Nicholas Carr. Jann gave it to me, and it was an interesting read. At least the second half when he went into his beliefs. We are a changin'.
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