Information Literacy, Diversity, and One-Shot “Pedagogies of the Practical”

Abstract

This essay examines the information literacy one-shot in conjunction with similar one-off training approaches often found in diversity education. Through this lens, we interrogate the ways that superficial approaches to complex issues such as misor disinformation and racism inhibit the kinds of engagement and (un)learning that transformative pedagogy requires as well as the structural conditions that give rise to such approaches. We find that information literacy and diversity one-shots emerged within the neoliberal turn in higher education and share a common philosophical foundation in liberalism and a belief that educated publics will come to consensus in the interest of the social good; they are based in narratives of individual deficiency, empowerment, and self-work. They are "pedagogies of the practical," practices that ultimately fail to challenge white supremacist structures in higher education. Because education is about affect, emotion, and beliefs as well as knowledge, transactional one-shots can never truly be transformational or liberatory. We conclude by considering the role of affect in teaching and learning, and how "pedagogies of emotion" might help us to better address power and race in the information literacy classroom.

Drama Queens: applying dramaturgy as an inclusive pedagogy within the one shot

“…One of the greatest difficulties librarians face in the current climate is encouraging students to slow down and critically consider their information choices. As librarians, we also feel difficulty in incorporating critical information literacy approaches into one-shot lesson plans (Nicholson, 2016). These observations and reflections indicate it is possible to engender these perspectives and behaviors in students even when time for instruction is limited to a one-shot format.…”

Critical Pedagogies and Critical Information Literacy in STEM librarianship: A Literature Review

“…Teaching students as future workers is pragmatic, but can align with the increasingly neoliberal orientation of education that has been much criticized in the literature (see for example Seale (2013), Bourg (2014), Beatty (2014), Nicholson (2016), andBeilin (2016)). Kuglitsch (2018) instead highlighted how critical engagement with STEM information can help in students' daily lives in a society where STEM has a huge and underexamined influence.…”

Critical workplace information literacy

“…With this, they demand the theoretical transformation of IL so that it addresses the ideologically and socially constructed nature of information (e.g. Kapitzke, 2003b;Mirza & Seale, 2017;Nicholson, 2016;Seale, 2013). This pertains to the criticism of reducing IL to (labour) market needs (Enright, 2013), problematic assumptions that the "adoption of information skills will automatically lead to favourable outcomes" (Tuominen et al, 2005, p. 333) (Nicholson, 2014;Street, 2003), including also better productivity and economic growth (Kapitzke, 2003b;Matusov & Julien, 2004), as well as to the criticism of the understanding that access to information will equip and empower individuals with the skills needed for successful work and citizenship (Doyle, 1994)-that is, of the generally perceived advantage of information itself, which idealises IL because it ignores the wider context (Hicks, 2018).…”