Category Archives: lilac23

lilac23, podcasting

Information Literacy and podcasting: teaching and learning through conversation

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Last week I was attending the LILAC 2023 conference in Cambridge. I was last at LILAC delivering a keynote on digital capability when it was in Dublin in 2016.

One session I enjoyed in Cambridge was the session on podcasting.

Podcasting is a widely used medium for communicating with an audience. Librarians are often innovative teachers however, the number of podcasts about aspects of information literacy is relatively small. This panel discussion is hosted by the creators of the new IL podcast “Chatting Info Lit” and will discuss what makes an effective podcast. This session is an opportunity to discuss the role of podcasting for teaching and learning and to compare it to other approaches to teaching information literacy.

Our panel of seasoned podcasters believe that learning how to create a podcast is a great way of developing your own and your student’s digital and information literacy skills to shift them from being consumers to content creators. The medium can also help disrupt exploitative power relations in universities by allowing the “next generation of researchers to think beyond the confines of our current academic structures” (Brehm, 2022). Podcasting is an accessible way of conveying your passion for a subject and can be applied to a wide range of disciplines – it’s not just about media studies or journalism. Not only is it a flexible medium for the listener, it’s also a great way of engaging your audience through conversation and storytelling (Carrigan, 2022).

The panel run the podcasts Copyright Waffle and Pedagodzilla, both focused on making complex subjects accessible and engaging. They will share their approach and some tips and tricks learnt along the way that help make a great podcast. We will also reflect on some of the approaches that have helped make us better teachers. During the workshop you will witness the recording of a podcast episode and get an insight into how the raw material gets turned into gold dust; and after the session the New Professionals will share an edited recording of the session as a podcast.

We will offer also you some ideas about how to get started with your own podcast and share some resources for those looking to teach podcasting to others (e.g. Copeland & McGregor, 2021). We’ll provide guidance on the equipment that you need, the platforms to use and some techniques for recording some high-quality audio.

I did a sketch note of the session.

sketchnote

I was name checked, mainly down to the podcast I had done with Jane and Chris back in 2016.

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Accessibility – what does it mean for libraries and education?

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I am attending the LILAC 2023 conference in Cambridge. I was last at LILAC delivering a keynote on digital capability when it was in Dublin in 2016.

The keynote on the second day was Accessibility – what does it mean for libraries and education?

Interestingly the session was pre-recorded in advance and the session on the day was a fully fledged Q&A session.

When you hear the word accessibility what initially comes to mind? What about accessibility in relation to libraries and education? How about how neurodivergent users in particular are impacted by accessibility, and their accessibility needs?
 
Accessibility is a broad area that in relation to education and libraries can cover access to and use of spaces, service design, access to and use of resources, digital accessibility and technologies, document design, and accessible approaches to teaching. 
 
Neurodivergent is a term that can be defined to mean people whose neurotype differs from those considered to be neurotypical, with all neurotypes sitting under the umbrella term of neurodiversity (Verywell Mind). Neurodivergent is an umbrella term itself that can be used when referring to, but not limited to, autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette’s, OCD and more. 
 
This keynote speech will touch on some of the key accessibility issues impacting educational settings and libraries, with a particular focus on accessibility in the context of neurodivergency. It aims to encourage attendees to more consciously assess and explore your own personal accessibility practices and those of your workplace, in order to improve accessibility practices.

 I did a sketchnote of the Q&A session.

Sketchnote

I was a little depressed to see that accessibility is still an issue, despite years of discussion about this topic and how universities can make what they do more accessible. In many ways technology has made some of this much easier.