This presentation examines the metaliteracy framework developed by Tom Mackey and Trudi Jacobson. Metaliteracy will be examined as a reframing of information literacy. This presentation also reports on the successful Innovative Instruction Technology Grant (IITG) at SUNY that led to new metaliteracy learning objectives.

1. “What’s in a Name?: Information Literacy,
Metaliteracy, or Transliteracy”
Trudi E. Jacobson, M.L.S., M.A. Tom Mackey, Ph.D.
Distinguished Librarian Dean
University Libraries Center for Distance Learning
University at Albany Empire State College
SUNY SUNY
#acrlname
ACRL 2013 Imagine Innovate Inspire 1

2. Word cloud of “Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy” at Wordle.net.
2

3. In 1992 Henry Jenkins proposed “an alternative
conception of fans as readers who appropriate
popular texts and reread them in a fashion that
serves different interests, as spectators who
transform the experience of watching television into a
rich and complex participatory culture” (p. 23).
Textual Poachers: Television Fans & Participatory Culture
By Henry Jenkins (1992)
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4. “The New Media Literacies constitute the core cultural competencies
and social skills that young people need in our new media landscape.”
http://www.newmedialiteracies.org 4

5. Open Educational Resources (OERs)
Create. Share. Reuse.

6. The Coursera Revolution
6

7. First MOOC in SUNY System
Dr. Betty Hurley Dasgupta and Carol Yeager
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8. What is participatory learning?
• Active • Social
• Interactive • Convergent
• Networked • Emergent
• Connected • Adaptable
• Collaborative • Evolving
• Community • Transformative
• Global • Multi-modal
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9. ACRL Standard Definition of
Information Literacy (1989)
• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and
efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge
base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific
purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues
surrounding the use of information, and access and use
information ethically and legally
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm
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10. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/visualliteracy
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11. TRANSLITERACY
“is concerned with mapping
meaning across different media and
not with developing particular
literacies about various media.”
“Introducing transliteracy
What does it mean to academic libraries?”
Tom Ipri
College & Research Libraries
http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/10/532.full
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12. TRANSLITERACY
“It is not about learning text literacy
and visual literacy and digital literacy
in isolation from one another but
about the interaction among all
these literacies.”
“Introducing transliteracy
What does it mean to academic libraries?”
Tom Ipri
College & Research Libraries
http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/10/532.full 12

13. TRANSLITERACY
“is the ability to read, write and interact
across a range of platforms, tools and
media from signing and orality through
handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to
digital social networks.”
“Transliteracy: Crossing Divides”
Sue Thomas, et. al. (2007)
First Monday
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2060/1908
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14. Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
“Information and media literacy enables
people to interpret and make informed
judgments as users of information and
media, as well as to become skillful
creators and producers of information
and media messages in their own right.”
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15886&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
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15. 15

16. Mackey and Jacobson (2013)
Metaliteracy in the Open Age of
Social Media manuscript
Figure by Roger Lipera
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17. “Metaliteracy promotes critical
thinking and collaboration in a digital
age, providing a comprehensive
framework to effectively participate in
social media and online communities.”
Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson “Reframing Information Literacy as a
Metaliteracy” College & Research Libraries. January 2011 72:62-78.
http://crl.acrl.org/content/72/1/62.full.pdf
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18. “It is a unified construct that supports
the acquisition, production, and
sharing of knowledge in collaborative
online communities.”
Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson “Reframing Information Literacy as a
Metaliteracy” College & Research Libraries. January 2011 72:62-78.
http://crl.acrl.org/content/72/1/62.full.pdf
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19. “Information literacy is central to this
redefinition because information takes
many forms online and is produced and
communicated through multiple
modalities. ”
Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson “Reframing Information Literacy as a
Metaliteracy” College & Research Libraries. January 2011 72:62-78.
http://crl.acrl.org/content/72/1/62.full.pdf
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20. “The ability to critically self-
assess one’s own
competencies and to
recognize the need for
integrated or expanded
literacies in today’s
information environment is
a metaliteracy.”
Mackey and Jacobson (2013)
Metaliteracy in the Open Age of Social Media
(manuscript) Sofonisba Anguissola
Self-portrait at the Easel Painting
a Devotional Panel, 1556
Metaliteracy is Metacognitive 20

21. “This metacognitive
approach challenges a
reliance on skills-based
information literacy
instruction only and shifts
the focus to knowledge
acquisition in collaboration
with others.”
Mackey and Jacobson (2013)
Metaliteracy in the Open Age of Social Media Judith Leyster
(manuscript) Self-portrait, 1630
Metaliteracy is Metacognitive 21

22. “This requires a high level of
critical thinking and analysis
about how we develop our self-
conception of information
literacy as reflective learners in
open and social media
environments.”
Mackey and Jacobson (2013)
Metaliteracy in the Open Age of Social Media
(manuscript)
Rembrandt
Self-portrait, 1660
Metaliteracy is Metacognitive 22

23. “Both metaliteracy and transliteracy
challenge traditional skills-based concepts
of information literacy by recognizing the
role of emerging technologies, suggesting
that information technology is a central
component of students’ learning.”
“Connectivism: Learning Theory and Pedagogical
Practice for Networked Information Landscapes”
Michelle Kathleen Dunaway
Reference Services Review Vol. 39 Iss: 4
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24. “Metaliteracy and transliteracy are
frameworks for understanding information
literacy that emphasize the importance of
communities, connections, information
networks, and information technologies”
“Connectivism: Learning Theory and Pedagogical
Practice for Networked Information Landscapes”
Michelle Kathleen Dunaway
Reference Services Review Vol. 39 Iss: 4
24

25. UNESCO: “Conceptual Relationship of Information Literacy
and Media Literacy in Knowledge Societies” (2013)
“Metaliteracy provides an
integrated and all inclusive core
for engaging with individuals
and ideas in digital information
environments.” (Mackey and
Jacobson, Op. cit., p. 69)
-Toni Carbo, Ph.D.
“Consideration within the broader Mediacy
and Metaliteracy Framework”
A paper for UNESCO
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26. UNESCO: “Conceptual Relationship of Information Literacy
and Media Literacy in Knowledge Societies” (2013)
“This new paradigm, with its
broader perspective integrating
the many different forms of
literacy, is one that should be
explored in much more depth
across cultures and nations.”
-Toni Carbo, Ph.D.
“Consideration within the broader Mediacy
and Metaliteracy Framework”
A paper for UNESCO
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27. Survey Instrument
• Survey Monkey
• 26 Questions
• Likert scale
• Some open-ended comments
• Library and Information Science faculty and
librarians (listservs, LinkedIn groups, colleagues)
• 85.5% librarians
• 551 started survey
• 361 completed survey (65.5%)
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28. Literacy frameworks familiar with
N=413 28

29. Literacy frameworks related to
information literacy
N=419 29

30. Preparation for teaching new
technologies or IL concepts
Very unprepared
Unprepared
Neither prepared nor
unprepared
Well prepared
Very well prepared
0 50 100 150 200
N=368 30

31. Lack of knowledge or skills hinder
teaching new components?
No
Yes
0 50 100 150 200 250
N=360 31

32. Required technologies as part of
information literacy instruction
N=251 32

33. Most important change last 2-4 years?
Increased Increased
Incorporated
student centered emphasis on
social media
activities critical analysis
Shifted to online Augmented
teaching assessment
33

34. Metaliteracy in Practice
TEACHING STUDENTS
34

35. Understand Format Type and Delivery Mode
Evaluate User Feedback as Active Researcher
Create a Context for User-generated Information
Evaluate Dynamic Content Critically
Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson “Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy” College &
Research Libraries. January 2011 72:62-78. http://crl.acrl.org/content/72/1/62.full.pdf 35

36. Produce Original Content in Multiple Media Formats
Understand Personal Privacy, Information Ethics and
Intellectual Property Issues
Share Information in Participatory Environments
Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson “Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy” College &
Research Libraries. January 2011 72:62-78. http://crl.acrl.org/content/72/1/62.full.pdf 36

37. Active Metaliterate Engagement
Basic IL Course:
• Migration of individual paper-based research guide to
team-based guide using website
• Creation of information: “what information would you
have liked to find but didn’t?”
• Data visualization/visual literacy component
• Learn the technology on their own, as a team
• Sense of pride and accomplishment
• New skills, altered sense of participation

38. Team Project from Fall 2012

39. “Kindness Inspires Kindness in the Capital Region”
Anita Brown
Student Blog
http://anitabrown35.wordpress.com/2013/03/
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40. Metacognitive Practice
– Gain insights about the process of creating
original information
– Understand what one needs to know when
creating and sharing
– Recognize gaps in knowledge
– Seek new knowledge to adjust to challenging
situations
– Adapt to changing technologies
– Continuously self-reflect
– Demonstrate empowerment through
interaction, communication, and presentation
– Reflect on production and participation
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41. Innovative Instruction Technology Grants (IITG)
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42. SOSIUS Collaborative Space
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43. Trans-Metaliteracy Learning Collaborative
43

44. http://youtu.be/KKDC5INkE6E 44

45. http://metaliteracy.org/ 45

46. Individual Reflection
• Spend 2 minutes thinking about
how you might design an activity
or an assignment to meet one of
the objectives
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47. Sharing and Polishing
• Group with several people near you
• Share the ideas you each developed
• Select one to develop further
• Select a spokesperson
• Add to metaliteracy.org if time
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48. SHARING YOUR IDEAS
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49. QUESTIONS?
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50. New MOOC for Fall 2013:
#L4LLL
Literacies for Lifelong Learning
(a Metaliteracy MOOC)

51. Trudi E. Jacobson, M.L.S., M.A.
Distinguished Librarian
Head, Information Literacy Department
University Libraries
University at Albany, SUNY
Tom Mackey, Ph.D.
Dean
Center for Distance Learning
Empire State College, SUNY
Visual representation of “Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy”
from the null_sets site at the University of Tennessee.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nullsets/8587487783/
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