**Apologies
for cross-posting**
Tipping the scales: tackling information obesity to ensure
productive and sustainable information resources
A joint UKeiG/BDA Knowledge Management meeting
to
be held at the
British Dental Association,
Tuesday, 29th June 2010, 9.30 – 16.30
Course Outline
"Information
obesity" describes a condition whereby available information resources
are not being used in a productive and sustainable way by individuals or
communities. Like physical obesity, it is not just the result of consuming
too much, but is linked to declines in the information's quality, and
individuals’ and communities’ awareness of problems which arise
through over-consumption. Fitness and (mental) exercise also come into
play. The consequences of information obesity may be severe if left unchecked;
it will lead to a decline in our ability to manage knowledge, both in our
communities and our workplaces.
As
a teaching strategy, information literacy (IL) can partly help to combat the
condition. However, as traditionally defined, IL does not address the ways
in which the structure of organisations and our own innate cognitive
biases prevent us acting as independent and self-aware evaluators of the
information we find. This course will help participants understand these
biases and how, through work at the community level, they may be overcome,
in order that we start using information to sustain ourselves and our
communities, and not just consume it unthinkingly.
This one-day course will include time for plenty of discussion and
practical activity. Participants will be encouraged to share their
experiences with others and also to build a network of practice after the
event. Sessions will include:
·
Identifying
information obesity: structural, individual and community-level explanations
·
How
information literacy helps: and how it is limited
·
Cognitive
biases, and why they matter
·
How
organisations affect the way we think
·
The
holistic approach to IL: subjective, objective and inter-subjective value
·
Problem-based
learning; student- and community-led research projects
Who should attend?
Anyone
working with information in formal, non-formal or informal education, who
has an interest in enhancing their teaching of information studies and/or
knowledge management, to students or to colleagues as part of their
professional development work. This includes:
·
information
professionals;
·
teachers/lecturers
at any level of education;
·
managers
(particularly, but not only, those with responsibilities for information
and knowledge management and dissemination);
· other stakeholders in education.
Course Presenter:
Dr
Andrew Whitworth is the Programme Director for the MA:
Digital Technologies, Communication and Education at the
To register your interest in this
meeting, reserve a place, or request further details, please email
[log in to unmask] or visit the UKeiG website at www.ukeig.org.uk