We welcome this guest post from Gabrielle Lerner, Student Government Association President and a graduate student in the MPA Program at Empire State University!
What is information? Is it the truth or perspective? What are we interpreting, and how do we know? Are we considering a lens or a fragment of something that is before us? I want to see information and feel that it is true—to discern its actuality. Can we feel information, like the vibration of a song? Is the goal for it to resonate and transcend our logical minds, or do we compare its intensity and velocity to standing on a mountain high up in the sky?
These were just some of the questions that stirred my curiosity during my metaliteracy course, an experience that transformed how I view and engage with information.
About three years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to take this course, and it remains one of the most profound educational experiences of my life. The course, Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy, brought together a diverse team of students from across the globe, including Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, Poland, India, and the United States. Our differences enriched our collaboration, offering a tapestry of perspectives as we navigated complex questions about truth, bias, and the framing of information. I am deeply grateful for the experience and for the chance to work with such a talented and thoughtful group of individuals.
As a group, we focused on the ways information is created, shared, and consumed, using an infographic as our lens. Our discussions delved into the complexities of citing general information, which can transform into something deeply specific with just the click of a button.
One of our most memorable exercises involved using the Metaliteracy wheel to assign roles within the group, ensuring that everyone contributed as a Teacher, Collaborator, Researcher, and Producer. This approach inspired us to be facilitators, speakers, and leaders. Together, we examined a controversial topic—climate change—from a perspective detached from the heated debates over causes or effects. Instead, we honed in on how information about climate change is produced, disseminated, and received.
The virtual landscape we explored was overwhelming at times, a maze of truths and half-truths that made us question what we thought we knew. We sought clarity amid the noise, sifting through scholarly articles, social media posts, and everything in between. We focused on how to identify credible channels, eliminate sensationalism, and help others do the same. We found fire in the footnotes of articles—the hidden truths buried in citations—and realized that even well-meaning authors could unknowingly perpetuate bias.
What truly united us as a group was our shared identity as truth seekers. We questioned assumptions, evaluated impacts, and guided each other through challenging topics. Our discussions were not just about information but also about who we are as learners and communicators. How do we ensure our voices contribute to a clearer understanding rather than adding to the clutter? How do we empower others to do the same?
The course was not only intellectually stimulating but also personally transformative. As we investigated the nuances of information, we, too, changed. Our group—the “metaliterate bunch”—became a microcosm of the literacy goals we sought to understand. We discovered that learning is as much about collaboration and introspection as it is about seeking answers. By the end, we had not only found the “key” to navigating the noise of the information age but also grown as individuals committed to a lifelong pursuit of truth.
Reflecting on this journey, I’m filled with gratitude for the experience and for my teammates, who inspired and challenged me every step of the way. The course taught me that being metaliterate is not just about understanding information; it’s about embracing the complexity of knowledge and striving to make sense of it with humility and curiosity.
We are excited to invite contributions to our forthcoming book, “AI and Metaliteracy: Empowering Learners for the Generative Revolution” edited by Dr. Nicola Marae Allain and Dr. Thomas P. Mackey. This new volume will be published in fall 2025 for the Innovations in Information Literacy series edited by Trudi E. Jacobson for Bloomsbury Publishing (Rowman & Littlefield).
This pioneering book will feature theories and case studies about empowering learners with metaliteracy as reflective producers, informed writers, and active participants for the technological, pedagogical, and cultural revolution inspired by generative AI (Heaven, 2022, Mackey & Jacobson, 2011, 2022).
We are interested in groundbreaking approaches to metaliteracy education that encourage learners to engage with innovative AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, among many others, for creating artistic, literary, scientific, and scholarly forms of generative text, image, and video. Each chapter will focus on developing ethical metaliterate learners with autonomy and agency who are capable of producing individual and collaborative knowledge with AI (Mackey & Jacobson, 2011, 2022). We encourage imaginative chapters about the effective use of AI through the lens of metaliteracy and related literacy models, such as the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and the ACRL Visual Literacy Framework.
We welcome proposals from educators and practitioners, including librarians, teachers and professors worldwide, particularly those offering case studies with solid theoretical foundations and transferrable pedagogical strategies. We are seeking authors from wide-ranging disciplines, such as the Arts and Humanities, Digital Media Arts, Social Sciences, Composition Studies, Library and Information Science, Nursing, Business, and STEM. Chapter themes will also address the relevance of AI and metaliteracy to adult learning and workforce development and the importance of designing inclusive AI-driven learning experiences to advance digital equity, and accessibility for students with disabilities. The book will present methods for assessing the effectiveness of teaching metaliteracy competencies and highlight collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. We aim to provide international perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of empowering learners with generative AI and metaliteracy, exploring innovative theories and case studies that provide future directions for AI-driven learning environments.
Submission Guidelines
Proposals should include the following information:
Title: The concise and descriptive title for your proposed chapter.
Abstract: A summary (300-500 words) outlining the main objectives, theoretical foundation, metaliteracy components, generative AI tools, assessment methodology, and expected contributions of your chapter.
Author Information: Names, affiliations, and contact details of all authors.
Biographical Note: A brief biography (150-200 words) of each author highlighting relevant expertise and experience.
Please submit your proposals by December 15, 2024, to Tom.Mackey@sunyempire.edu. Selected authors will be notified by February 1, 2024, and full chapters will be due by May 1, 2025. Final chapters should be between 20 and 25 pages (double-spaced) and follow the formatting guidelines that will be provided upon acceptance.
Important Dates
Proposal Submission Deadline: December 15, 2024
Notification of Acceptance: February 1, 2025
Full Chapter Submission Deadline: May 1, 2025
Expected Publication Date: November 1, 2025
We look forward to receiving your innovative and insightful contributions that will help shape the future of metaliteracy for the generative AI revolution. For any inquiries or further information, please contact Nicola Marae Allain at Nicola.Allain@sunyempire.edu or Tom Mackey at Tom.Mackey@sunyempire.edu.
Join us in this groundbreaking project to advance education and empower learners with metaliteracy worldwide for the generative AI revolution!
Editors
Nicola Marae Allain, Ph.D. is the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at SUNY Empire State University, where she has held faculty (tenured) and administrative roles since 2002. Her research and leadership have focused on digital learning, immersive and virtual environments, and emerging technologies. She holds a PhD in Media and Communication from the European Graduate School, a MA in Dramatic Art, Dance and Music from the University of California, and a BA in English from the University of Ottawa. Allain’s interdisciplinary background in arts and humanities complements expertise in higher education technologies and systems, digital media arts, visual pedagogy, and digital communication. Throughout her career, Allain has demonstrated a commitment to developing an aptitude for lifelong learning among students and faculty, while supporting the agency and autonomy of learners within active and authentic learning environments. Her leadership in faculty development and curriculum design has modeled innovative strategies that scale across disciplines, and were widely adopted by SUNY Empire and institutions in New Zealand. Her decade-long role on the SUNY Innovative Instruction Research Council led to collaborations with the SUNY Faculty and Teaching with Technology (FACT2) Committee AI Task Group. Allain co-authored the SUNY FACT² Guide “Optimizing AI in Higher Education” (May 2024), for which she contributed sections on the social impact and creative applications of AI. She has previously collaborated on metaliteracy initiatives, courses and publications. Her recent articles focus on curriculum innovations in digital humanities, mindfulness, and leadership in higher education settings. Fluent in several languages, Allain is also a translator of French poetry and Classical Chinese literary texts.
Thomas P. Mackey, Ph.D. is Professor of Arts and Media and Program Coordinator for the BA and BS programs in Digital Media Arts at Empire State University. He is Academic Coordinator for online courses in Arts and Media. Dr. Mackey is the recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities (2022) and the Dr. Susan H Turben Chair in Mentoring (2021–2022). He has an honorary appointment as Extraordinary Professor, Research Unit Self- Directed Learning, Faculty of Education, North-West University, South Africa. Dr. Mackey originated the metaliteracy framework with Prof. Trudi E. Jacobson to prepare learners as individual and collaborative producers of new knowledge. He has published four books with Prof. Jacobson on metaliteracy, including the first co-authored manuscript on this topic entitled Metaliteracy: Reinventing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy (2014). They co-edited two volumes Metaliteracy in Practice (2016) and Metaliterate Learning for the Post-Truth World (2019). Their most recent book Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers (2022) is the recipient of the 2024 Divergent Publication Award for Excellence in Literacy in a Digital Age Research. Dr. Mackey’s latest book is a co-edited volume with Dr. Sheila Marie Aird entitled Teaching Digital Storytelling: Inspiring Voices through Online Narratives (2024). He has presented both nationally and internationally about metaliteracy and generative AI and has designed learning assignments in several courses to engage learners in the generative AI revolution.
ACRL Association of College and Research Libraries. (2015). Framework for information literacy for higher education. American Library Association. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework.
Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2011). Reframing information literacy as a metaliteracy. College & Research Libraries, 72(1), 62–78. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl-76r1.
Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2022). Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers. ALA Neal-Schuman.
Book image created in DALL-E using the prompt: “Visualize a dynamic book cover for AI and Metaliteracy: Empowering Learners for the Generative Revolution” (October 28, 2024).
We welcome this guest post from Heloisa Helena Lopes Rodrigues Galiza, Instructional Designer for the edtech company DOT Digital Group in Brazil, who recently completed our Cousera MOOC Metaliteracy: Empowering Yourself in a Connected World.
During the Coursera MOOC, Metaliteracy: Empowering Yourself in a Connected World I realized that I have been a metaliterate citizen for a very long time. All the knowledge I’ve gained through this MOOC makes sense not only in the digital world but also within collaborative communities, where sharing, creating, and evaluating information are essential for collective growth and learning.
As someone who produces, publishes, and holds the authorship of the shared content, I also take on the role of a researcher, seeking reliable sources to support my work while being mindful of copyrights and open licenses. At this moment, I reflect on the characteristics of a metaliterate learner, remaining open to new perspectives and seeking the origins of information to ensure that I am not perpetuating biases. I also consider the need to be adaptable to the digital world, taking care to protect data and respect copyrights when sharing digital content. For example, when publishing in collaborative communities, I am aware that people from all over the world may consume the information I share, so it is crucial to present accurate, unbiased content that adheres to legal and ethical standards.
As a communicator, translator, or even someone who is teaching something, it is important to maintain critical and active engagement, while ensuring that my participation in the process preserves the originality of the information. At this moment, it is important to recognize that we are always learning and teaching, being collaborative in this digital world, and assuming the role of a co-creator of the knowledge shared. As an instructional designer, when I translate or adapt educational content for different audiences, I make sure to retain the core message while adjusting the language and context to suit the target audience. This helps to preserve the integrity of the information while making it accessible and relevant to a broader range of learners.
As a participant and collaborator in the digital world, and aware that everything is constantly changing, I reflect on my civic minded and social responsibility by sharing information that contributes to important debates within my community, whether in a personal or professional context. I understand that the content I share can reach diverse audiences globally, so I strive to ensure that it is accurate, respectful, and fosters meaningful discussions.
Above all, I see myself as someone who thinks a lot about my own learning, always trying to satisfy my curiosity about different topics. I also want to learn new ways of learning and understand how important self-awareness is to stay true to what I learn and teach. This mindset was further strengthened by the insights I gained through the MOOC Metaliteracy: Empowering Yourself in a Connected World, which emphasized the value of self-reflection, adaptability, and critical thinking in the learning process, both as a learner and an educator. It also helped me understand the importance of sharing information in the most accurate and responsible way, while being fully aware of my role as a metaliterate citizen.
References
O’Brien, K., Forte, M., Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. (2019). Metaliteracy: Empowering yourself in a connected world [Course]. Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/learn/metaliteracy
Teaching information literacy and metaliteracy in a world of generative artificial intelligence (AI) was discussed among a global team of educators at the University of Hildesheim from August 5 to 9, 2024, The grant-funded meeting of the Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM) facilitators further strengthened cooperation in teaching and research related to these themes. This was the first time the entire IPILM team was brought together in person for research and planning about the IPILM virtual exchange and related research agenda. Participants of the workshop included: Tessy Thadathil (Symbiosis College of Arts & Commerce Pune, India), Tom Mackey (Empire State University, USA), Emina Adilović (University of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina), Stefan Dreisiebner (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria), Joachim Griesbaum (University of Hildesheim, Germany), Justyna Berniak-Woźny (Tischner European University, Poland), and Subarna Bhattacharya (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, India). The meetings were supported by Ms. Magdalena Dresler, a student from the University of Hildesheim.
Funding for this in-person workshop was provided by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture through the INTENSIV funding format, which supports European and international cooperation in science and research. During the meetings, the teaching collaboration among this global team was assessed and opportunities for sustainable improvement, scalability, and institutional anchoring was discussed. The team evaluated the most recent IPILM virtual exchange in the summer of 2024 and developed plans for the 2024-25 academic year. Additionally, the team developed a research agenda for the next two years to advance cooperative research among the partner institutions.
The grant-funded workshop provided participants with a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities of teaching topics related to generative artificial intelligence (AI) through the lens of information literacy and metaliteracy. Information literacy, understood as the ability to effectively identify, evaluate, and use information, is of great importance in the face of increasing digitization and the spread of misinformation. Metaliteracy emphasizes the learner as an active producer and ethical participant in social information environments (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaliteracy).
The IPILM workshop is part of the ongoing commitment at the University of Hildesheim to promote international education and research in these critical competency areas. It supports the innovative virtual exchange initiated by Prof. Griesbaum and Professor Thadathil and developed by this international team. The IPILM team members and participating institutions are similarly committed to this global partnership and support the further development of this innovative collaboration.
To learn more about this initiative, read the peer-reviewed article by members of the IPILM team:
Griesbaum, J., Dreisiebner, S., Mackey, T. P., Jacobson, T. E., Thadathil, T., Bhattacharya, S., & Adilović, E. (2023). Teaching Internationally, Learning Collaboratively: Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM). Communications in Information Literacy, 17 (1), 260–278. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.1.4
The newest book by Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers was recognized as part of this year’s Divergent Lecture Series for the 2024 divergent honorees. A recording of the “Divergent Conversation” is now available via YouTube. According to Shelbie Witte, Ph.D., from The Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age: “Our desire for this new type of lecture event is to provide an opportunity for us all to come together and discuss the current state of digital literacies and where the field can go from here.” Tom Mackey participated in this open-ended dialogue with the awardees and explored a wide range of issues from the impact of generative artificial intelligence on literacy frameworks to teaching literacies in the K-12 and higher education environments.
Registration is now open for a new Prestige Lecture by Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson entitled Combining Metaliteracy and Multimodality to Develop Metaliterate Producers. This online event scheduled for August 17, 2023 at 9am EDT is part of their honorary appointments as Extraordinary Professors at Research Unit Self-Directed Learning, Faculty of Education, North-West University, South Africa. This Prestige Lecture is based on a chapter from their latest book Metaliteracy in a Connected World: Developing Learners as Producers published by ALA Neal-Schuman. In early September, Trudi and Tom will present a follow-up workshop entitled Adapting Metaliteracy OER to Multimodal Teaching and Learning Practices (additional details about the workshop to follow in a later post).
To learn more about the upcoming Prestige Lecture and to register, review the poster for the event:
Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM) is a discourse- oriented learning environment that engages students from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in collaborative knowledge construction. The objective is to evolve a thematic approach to course design that includes elements of open pedagogy, information literacy, and metaliteracy. IPILM invites participation from educators and learners from around the world and has witnessed an increase in participating countries. This paper describes the concept of IPILM and demonstrates the implementation of this approach in practice.
The next iteration of the IPILM concept will take place this summer and involve the exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) from an intercultural perspective and through the lens of information literacy and metaliteracy. The latest updates about the IPILM Project are available online: https://ipil.blog.uni-hildesheim.de/.
Griesbaum, J., Dreisiebner, S., Mackey, T. P., Jacobson, T. E., Thadathil, T., Bhattacharya, S., & Adilović, E. (2023). Teaching Internationally, Learning Collaboratively: Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM). Communications in Information Literacy, 17 (1), 260–278. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.1.4
Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson will present Advancing democratic dialogue by applying metaliteracy in teaching praxis at the Information Literacy & Democracy Virtual Conference June 19-20. The video presentation is available in advance of the conference and their live session will take place on June 19 at 11:30 am Eastern Savings Time (5.30 p.m Central European Summer Time – CEST). To join the live session, register for free by sending an e-mail to infodem (at) uni-hildesheim.de. All of the conference presentations are available via the Information Literacy & Democracy conference web site and YouTube. The Information Literacy and Democracy (IDE) project is supported by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany.
Tom and Trudi’s presentation explores metaliteracy as a pedagogical model to develop a metaliteracy mindset for effectively consuming, producing, and sharing information. This comprehensive framework promotes democratic dialogue with learners to uphold democracy in a post-truth world of misinformation and disinformation. This presentation describes the four components of metaliteracy and offers ideas for advancing democratic dialogue with learners.
We welcome this guest posting from Damiano Orrù, librarian at Vilfredo Pareto Library School of Economics at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Italy. We met Damiano at the Conference on Learning Information Literacy across the Globe in Frankfurt, Germany in May 2019 and he has since completed our Metaliteracy MOOC Empowering Yourself in a Post-Truth World. He wrote this post in response to the Coursera MOOC as part of his own BiblioVerifica blog. Thanks to Damiano for completing our MOOC and providing these excellent resources!
BiblioVerifica Blog for Fact-checking by Citizens
Damiano Orrù, librarian at Vilfredo Pareto Library School of Economics, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy
As a Coursera MOOC student, I completed the course “Empowering Yourself in a Post-Truth World” in 6 weeks, deepening the themes of disinformation and verification of facts and news.
All these contents and tools are useful to teach “how to spot fake news”[1] by the cognitive and behavioral domanins of Metaliteracy. The cognitive domain of the Metaliterate Learner is important to understand information and news, analyzing sources and contexts. The behavioral domain is essential for a conscious sharing and production of content through chat, social media, e-mail, forums, blogs. Several Metaliteracy practices are excellent tools for empowering citizens to use critical thinking and to evaluate sources.
The BiblioVerifica[2] blog aims to support citizens (not just students) in the autonomous practice of fact-checking, based on open access and open data resources. Currently, this idea embraces dissemination of open data and open access content for all fact-checkers citizens by eight librarians as editorial staff[3]. BiblioVerifica blog has developed a network of stakeholders in the library and school environment since 2017. For the future our intiative may involve teachers and librarians to develop and share open education oriented fact-chekcing practices and tools. This free digital reference activity will engage citizens and schools in Italy.
The blog engaged citizenzs also by serious gamification app: BiblioVerifica Olympics[4] a contest based on 15 multiple choice quizzes, open to all citzens, for self assesment, available for free, without money prize or sponsor. In 2018 the first olympics quizzes covered the topics of reliable sources, verification strategies, research tools, etc… The second edition covered the topics of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[5] in the current year. For the future may improve this tool for engage learners by Metaliteracy contents or debunking practices.
Around European countries BiblioVerifica blog launched CrowdSearcher[6], an international platform supporting the European policy Tackling online disinformation[7] by open education resources, open contents, open data.
In the next weeks the BiblioVerifica bloggers will continue to support European citizens, also suggesting Metaliteracy’s tools, so useful, almost indispensable, to create tutorial and videos, serious games and infographics about media and information literacy.
This media and information literacy against misinformation is disseminated by librarians, without sponsor, without remuneration for posts or tutorial, by “BiblioVolontari“. As librarians the bloggers stick to IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers[8]: a) access to information b) open access and intellectual property c) neutrality, personal integrity and professional skills
BiblioVerifica blog is open to all volunteer librarians around the world, fostering critical thinking, analysing personal BIAS, suggesting reliable sources, fighting propaganda and misinformation by empowering citizens in a Post-Truth World!
We welcome this guest posting from Patti Kingsmill, Pedagogical Counsellor:
Programs & Instructional Technologies and AQPC-College Liaison for Pedagogical Support and Innovation at Vanier College.
As a final project for the MOOC Empowering Yourself in a Post-Truth World, I created a curated site on moving past confirmation bias. The site has two purposes: it serves as an example of a curated site for instructors wishing to teach curation, and it provides teachers with resources on confirmation bias—an important concept for curators to understand. The ability to select sources as objectively as possible is fundamental to curating in a responsible manner. As organizations rely on curators to manage information for them, curation is increasingly touted as a must-have 21st century skill. It is, therefore, important that we not only teach students how to curate, but to develop their metaliteracy skills in order to curate well and to avoid contributing to filter bubbles. This entails, among other things, recognizing the human tendency to fall prey to confirmation bias, learning how to move past it, and acknowledging one’s responsibility to do so as a producer of content and member of a digital, collaborative community.
The first section of the site, “Defining It,” presents different sources that define and offer examples of confirmation bias. The next section, “Mitigating It,” provides sources that offer strategies on lessening, or moving past, confirmation bias. The “CB & Filter Bubbles” section introduces the concept of filter bubbles and how they can result from confirmation bias. Finally, the “Lesson Plan” section includes a few classroom activities useful for teaching students about confirmation bias and filter bubbles and learning to get beyond them.
Metaliteracy.org 