Category Archives: self-directed learning

Metaliteracy Virtual Presentation at the “National level Symposium on Skilling for Higher Education” in India 

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A new presentation by Trudi Jacobson and Tom Mackey entitled Developing a Metaliteracy Mindset: Benefits for Yourself, Employers, and Society was featured as part of an invited talk at the “National level Symposium on Skilling for Higher Education” in India. Tom and Trudi were invited to present at the symposium by Dr. Tessy Thadathil, Vice Principal, Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune. This event was organized by the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce in cooperation with the Symbiosis Centre for Skill Development. The Symposium was funded by Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), which was launched in 2013 to provide strategic funding to eligible State Higher Educational Institutions and supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. 

The metaliteracy session focused on shifting mindsets for a connected world:

How do you shift mindsets for today’s complex information environment? The opportunities for producing and sharing informative content today are myriad, collaborative, far-reaching, and fluid. In today’s global society, businesses need ethical information producers and self-directed learners who are able to keep up with dramatic changes to the work environment. In your personal life and communities, you may face the same change-related challenges. Regardless of the setting, you need to consider how you contribute to a connected world as an effective information evaluator and reflective information producer.

Explore the slides for this presentation and note the survey response to two questions about the metaliterate learner roles:

New Metaliteracy Book Reviewed in the Latest Journal of Information Literacy

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Now that Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers has been published, what do the critics think? We were thrilled to read this review of our new book written by Jodie R Heap from Staffordshire University in the latest issue of Journal of Information Literacy, one of the premiere journals in the field!

According to Heap’s book review of Metaliteracy in a Connected World:

The flow of the text works well to introduce the reader to the concepts surrounding metaliteracy and then proceeds to provide evidence and a variety of examples of metaliteracy in action within Higher Education settings. The reader is supported in their understanding of how application of the metaliteracy framework and concepts could vary depending on the course. The activity section deserves particular appreciation —it provides various examples through which the framework could be applied, a useful scaffolding tool which not many texts offer.

(Heap, 2022, p. 131)

The reviewer provides an analysis of all six of the book’s chapters and argues that “It offers a useful jumping off point for both teachers and librarians in exploring the application of metaliteracy in the classroom” (Heap, 2022, p. 132).

We appreciate this review of our latest metaliteracy book published by ALA Neal-Schuman and look forward to seeing how it is received by authors and practitioners in the field and beyond. If you are aware of other reviews, feel free to send them our way!

Tom and Trudi

HEAP, Jodie R. Book review of Mackey, T., and Jacobson, T. 2022. Metaliteracy in a connected world: Developing learners as producers. Journal of Information Literacy, [S.l.], v. 16, n. 1, p. 131-132, june 2022. ISSN 1750-5968. Available at: <https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/JIL/article/view/BR-V16-11-1>. Date accessed: 20 june 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.11645/16.1.3217.

Metaliteracy and Its Role in Self-Directed Learning

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In a Prestige Lecture presented as a virtual event for North-West University (NWU) in South Africa, Profs. Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson explore the topic of Metaliteracy and Its Role in Self-Directed Learning. This talk is based on their new book for ALA Publishing Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers. Tom and Trudi presented as part of their honorary appointments as Extraordinary Professors in the Research Unit Self-Directed Learning, Faculty of Education, North-West University (NWU), South Africa. They appreciate the invitation from Elsa Mentz, Director of the Research Focus Area Self-Directed Learning and Professor in Computer Science Education and Jako Olivier, UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and OER and Professor in Multimodal Learning at NWU. The entire presentation is available online via YouTube. Registration is open for their next Prestige Lecture scheduled for Tuesday 8 March 2022 8:00AM-9:00AM (Eastern time). Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_X5X1rwdRQ02n2DpjdSqNGw

Metaliteracy Featured in Two Prestige Lectures at the Invitation of Northwest University (NWU) in South Africa

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Picture of the cover for the book Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers

Profs. Trudi Jacobson and Tom Mackey have been invited to present two Prestige lectures as part of their honorary appointments as Extraordinary Professors in the Research Unit Self-Directed Learning, Faculty of Education, North-West University, South Africa, These virtual events explore themes from their new book for ALA Publishing Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers and are available to everyone.

Register for either or both lectures at the links below:

Prestige Lecture 1: Metaliteracy and Its Role in Self-Directed Learning (SDL) with Profs. Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson

Friday 11 February 2022 8:00AM-9:00AM (Eastern time). Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mj8jdegwSpCTJRnbqPuXtA

This first lecture will trace the origins of the metaliteracy framework in relation to changing conceptions of information literacy and revolutionary changes in the social information environment. We will explore the evolution of metaliteracy as a distinct model with core components that include a focus on learning domains, active learner roles, associated characteristics, and reinforcing goals and learning objectives. 

Prestige Lecture 2: Open Pedagogy and Metaliteracy with Pros. Trudi Jacobson and Tom Mackey

Tuesday 8 March 2022 8:00AM-9:00AM (Eastern time). Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_X5X1rwdRQ02n2DpjdSqNGw

The use of open pedagogy provides students with the opportunity to engage deeply in their own learning, but the responsibilities involved may be unfamiliar and stressful. The metaliteracy framework provides scaffolding that encourages student success. This lecture will delve into how metaliteracy and open pedagogy can work hand-in-hand.

Join us for both lectures exploring the metaliteracy framework and its application in pedagogical situations.

In 2019, Tom and Trudi presented a Prestige Lecture in person at NWU in South Africa at the invitation of Jako Olivier, UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and OER and Professor in Multimodal Learning about Exploring the Foundation of Metaliteracy in Theory and Practice.

We hope to see you at the newest lecture series available online! Be sure to register today!

Tom and Trudi  

Metaliteracy in a Connected World Book Published by ALA Publishing!

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The new book co-authored by Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson entitled Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers has been published by ALA Neal Schuman! The idea of learner as producer is foundational to the metaliteracy framework and is explored in depth in this new publication.

The book’s Foreword is written by Jako Olivier, UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning, and OER Professor in Multimodal Learning, North-West University, South Africa.

According to the press release from ALA Publishing, the new metaliteracy book “offers an overview of the development of the metaliterate producer through metaliteracy’s goals, learning objectives, learning domains, active learner roles, and associated characteristics” and “explores the ways in which metaliteracy provides scaffolding for open pedagogical settings, encouraging students to understand and embrace their active roles,” among other highlights.

The new book examines metaliteracy in relation to such timely and relevant themes as self-directed learning, multimodality, open pedagogy, digital citizenship, and developing a growth mindset. Metaliteracy in a Connected World is organized into six related chapters:

Chapter 1: Metaliteracy for Empowering Learners as Producers

Chapter 2: Engaging Metaliterate Producers through Multimodal Learning

Chapter 3: Metaliteracy and Open Pedagogy

Chapter 4: Developing Metaliterate Producers Using Open Pedagogy

Chapter 5: Designing an Online Metaliteracy Course to Engage Informed Producers

Chapter 6: Developing Productive Metaliterate Citizens with Growth Mindsets

This is the fourth book about metaliteracy and presents a fully realized model that has developed considerably since we first introduced the concept in 2011. We look forward to your feedback and welcome the opportunity to engage with audiences about the themes examined in each chapter!

Tom and Trudi

Metaliteracy, Self-Directed Learning, and Assessment

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Trudi Jacobson, Tom Mackey and Jako Olivier (UNESCO Chair on Multi-Modal Learning and Open Educational Resources, and Professor at North-West University) co-authored a chapter in a recent open-access volume, Learning Through Assessment: An Approach Towards Self-Directed Learning. The book was edited by Elsa Mentz and Anitia Lubbe, and is a part of the NWU Self-directed Learning Series.

Cover for Learning through assessment: An approach towards self-directed learning
Learning Through Assessment (2021)

The chapter by Trudi, Tom and Jako is entitled “Aligning Metaliteracy with Self-directed Learning to Expand Assessment Opportunities,”

The chapter’s abstract:

Metaliteracy is a holistic model that emphasises information-related knowledge attainment whilst challenging individuals to take charge of their learning strategies and goals. It prepares learners to become informed consumers and responsible producers of information. Metacognition is a core concept in metaliteracy, just as it is in self-directed learning (SDL) and in methods of assessment appropriate to SDL, such as Assessment as Learning (AaL) and Assessment for Learning (AfL). This congruence provides clear avenues for using metaliteracy’s framework in ways that support SDL. The first part of the chapter explores metaliteracy and its connections with SDL and assessment. The remainder of the chapter provides two examples of how the intersection of metaliteracy, SDL and assessment might be addressed in practice. These case studies provide additional and practical connections that might suggest applications in other settings. The first section explores a comprehensive metaliteracy digital badging system that is designed to advance SDL, with a focus on how the self-directed unit from this system was adapted for use in an open textbook. The final section of the chapter provides an example of how an online undergraduate course intertwines metaliteracy, information literacyand editing on Wikipedia, exemplifying principles of SDL and providingexamples of AaL and AfL. (p. 72)

We look forward to furthering our investigations into the connections between metaliteracy and self-directed learning.

New Metaliteracy Book to be Published in Summer 2021

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The new metaliteracy book written by Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson will be published by ALA/Neal Schuman in summer 2021!

The fourth metaliteracy book in a series is entitled Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers and will focus specifically on the metaliterate learner as informed and ethical producer of information in collaborative social settings. The Foreword to this book will be written by Jako Olivier, UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning, and OER Professor in Multimodal Learning, North-West University, South Africa.

In this newest book in their series, the authors carefully examine the central role of learners as producers of information, a foundational idea for the metaliteracy framework and one that’s more important than ever in our current media and information environment. They emphasize the active role today’s learners play as individual and collaborative metaliterate producers of information in various forms, including writing, digital stories, digital artifacts, and multimedia productions. The authors explore a range of connected social settings from online courses to social media to open learning environments. 

(https://www.alastore.ala.org/mlitproducers)

We are excited to announce the forthcoming publication of our next book and will provide updates via Metaliteracy.org as we get closer to the publication date so stay tuned!

Best,

Tom and Trudi

Metaliteracy Keynote to be Featured at International Online Conference

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Registration is now open for the online conference Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy that will feature a keynote presentation on metaliteracy by Profs. Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson on January 30, 2021. This first metaliteracy keynote of the new year will explore The Role of Metaliteracy in Designing Open Learning Initiatives.

This international conference is a part of the  “Intercultural perspectives on Information Literacy” project that “pursues the goal of establishing a common learning space in which students from different countries can learn together and thus fundamentally build up intercultural competence” (About the project). This project is a collaboration between the Department for Information Science and Natural Language Processing, Hildesheim University Germany and Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce Pune, India. The project team is led by project manager Prof. Dr. Joachim Griesbaum, Hildesheim University.

As noted in the keynote description:

The metaliteracy model supports the design of open learning initiatives by reinforcing the value of ethical and responsible information production and sharing, and by scaffolding learners as they step into new roles that accompany open learning opportunities. These scenarios often include the opportunity to design and contribute to the communal learning environment. This presentation will describe the metaliteracy model and its intersections with open learning, and conclude by showcasing two initiatives that embody this approach.

As part of this presentation, Profs. Mackey and Jacobson will discuss the metaliteracy model within the context of today’s complex information environment. The presentation will reference the two recently published articles in Communications in Information Literacy, including Analyzing Information Sources Through the Lens of the ACRL Framework: A Case Study of Wikipedia by Prof. Jacobson and Embedding Metaliteracy in the Design of a Post-Truth MOOC: Building Communities of Trust by Prof. Mackey.

The full conference program is available here: https://ipil.blog.uni-hildesheim.de/conference-programme/.

We look forward to seeing you bright and early at 5:30am EST on January 30, 2021!

Tom and Trudi

Metaliteracy Interview on RSG International Radio Program

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Jako Olivier, UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and OER invited Trudi Jacobson, Distinguished Librarian and Head of the Information Literacy Department at the University at Albany, SUNY and Tom Mackey, Professor of Arts and Media at SUNY Empire State College to participate in a discussion about metaliteracy on the RSG radio show, Ons en die onderwys (‘We and Education’) on Sunday August 2, 2020 at 9:30am EST (15:30 South African time). Johannes Van Lill, Director of Wordwise Media & VJC, RSG Presenter, journalist and communication specialist will lead the discussion and interview Jako, Trudi, and Tom as part of the program. While Tom and Trudi’s portions will be in English, the rest of the discussion will be in Afrikaans.

Listen live to the interview with Tom, Jako, and Trudi (pictured to the left at last year’s ICIL conference in South Africa) at http://www.rsg.co.za/ (click on the red button marked ‘LUISTER NOU’) or download the podcast afterwards at https://lnkd.in/d-hCeDN.

RSG has over 1.3 million listeners who might tune into their radios, and the Sunday afternoon programs in particular are the most widely listened and together with the online listeners and podcast downloads the total listener number might be closer to 2 million people. RSG is broadcast all over South Africa and because it is the most popular and main national Afrikaans-speaking radio station it covers a very wide demographic. RSG also has many listeners from the country of Namibia (where Afrikaans is also spoken widely) as well as online with local and Afrikaans-speaking expatriates. 

Here’s an audio preview of two of the responses from Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson as part of the interview:

What is Metaliteracy?

“Metaliteracy is an approach to teaching and learning that places individuals at the center of a reflective and active process for producing new knowledge.” – Tom Mackey

Why is metaliteracy relevant for education today?

“Metaliteracy is ultimately about a multi-faceted discovery process that leads to learning and self-knowledge.” – Trudi Jacobson

Listen in on Sunday, August 2 at 9:30am EST for the full interview with Jako Olivier and Johannes Van Lill!

After the broadcast, the full recording will be available as a downloadable podcast here:
http://www.rsg.co.za/Program-Vorige/60/Ons-en-die-onderwys. The program is available via the link ‘Laai die mp3 af’ or check the Google Translate English version of the same page.