1. Culturally Relevant Information Literacy Rob Morrison, Ed.D. Assistant Professor National-Louis University June 4, 2010

2. What is Information Literacy? How do you define Information Literacy?

3. Information Literacy ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education “a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” ACRL=Association of College & Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association (ALA)

4. Purposes & Goals Explore role of culture in the information- seeking process Identify culturally-relevant information- seeking behavior Inform librarians and the ACRL Standards

5. Problem ACRL IL Standards based on Western knowledge and worldview Reflects one culture Positivist process “common to all learning environments, and to all levels of education” “Academic Information Literacy” (Elmborg, 2006) Socio-cultural context of knowledge and information

6. Guiding Questions How do Hispanic students: –Construct knowledge? –Locate, evaluate, use, create, and incorporate information? –Does their culturally-relevant knowledge affect how they learn Information Literacy skills?

7. Conceptual Frame Critical Theory (CT) – Illuminate universal truths, beliefs, assumptions (ideologies) that benefit dominant groups – Reveal power inequities and oppression – Critiques Western society and Capitalism – Knowledge is privileged and positivist Critical Race Theory (CRT) – Privileged skills and knowledge

8. Conceptual Frame Ideology (Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse) –Technical and economic control & coercion –Technology used to exercise economic power Hegemony (Gramsci) –Ideologies willingly accepted in education Cultural Capital (CRT) –Specific skills, knowledge, abilities (Yosso) Culture (Guy) –Shared beliefs, values, attitudes, behavior, language

9. Qualitative Case Study Participants –3 female college students –Bilingual –Mexican-American –initially self-identified as Hispanic –Attended same urban campus in Chicago Interviews & Observations Design

10. Ethnic Identity Hispanic Latina Chicana

11. How do students construct knowledge? Family Stories –Motivate to obtain education –Internal, cultural knowledge –Value education (Cultural Capital) Trusted Sources –Community: individuals and institutions (friends, family, church, library, librarians, teachers)

12. How do students locate, evaluate, use, create, and incorporate information into their knowledge base? Trusted Sources –Internal & external (to their community) Directed Learning –Directed to specific sources from trusted individuals Intersection of internal cultural values and external ideologies

13. How do students locate…… Ideology –Technical and computer skills required –Economic Coercion Afford computer and education Hegemony –Ideology of Cultural Capital accepted –Affective domain (“feelings”) Cultural Capital Language Discrimination

14. How does culturally-relevant knowledge affect learning Information Literacy skills? Helped –Motivated to seek out Cultural Capital, (specific skills and credentials) –Culture valued education & skills Barriers –Language –Discrimination

15. Implications Culture is a factor –Local, community sources are trusted in this process Librarians must pay attention to students’ culture & lived experiences Adult educators: information processes cannot be separated from knowledge –Cultural knowledge and learning must include how individuals find and use information

16. Implications What other cultural factors exist? –How do different cultures define information and knowledge? Critical Information Literacy –Examine knowledge construction –Social and cultural contexts –Who benefits and why is specific information privileged/not privileged? –Examine assumptions about information