Paper details
Intergenerational Learning and Information Literacy: How Media Generations Learn with, about, and from Each Other
Author
Heike vom Orde, International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI), Germany
Documents to download
Foto přednášejícího / Picture Poster Presentation
Abstract
The development of generational belonging and identity includes the media and communication technologies. This has an individual but also a collective dimension. At an individual level, media socialization influences whether, how and what media a person uses. For instance, media socialization of young people is influenced by parents, peers, educators, and the individual and social frameworks. The library is part of these frameworks and can contribute to their users’ empowerment by offering resources and activities that promote an information competent behaviour. But growing up with media also has a collective dimension as certain media experiences have an impact on a whole generation of media users. Generations are largely influenced by characteristics of the media landscape they inherit and grow into in their formative years. For example, the media generations of so-called “Digital Natives“ (born after the 1980s) and “Silver Surfers“ (adults aged 55+ using the web on a frequent basis) grew up in quite different media landscapes. But despite these different experiences both generations do have something in common: They both use and appreciate the web for socializing and communication purposes. While the social media help “Digital Natives” with their identity management, “Silver Surfers” use the web to keep in touch with friends and relatives. This might be one starting point (among several others) for libraries to connect the competences and preferences of two different age groups in order to support intergenerational learning. My poster summarizes research evidence and characteristics of these two media generations and highlights promising starting points for intergenerational information literacy activities.
Author's professional CV
CV Heike vom Orde Heike vom Orde (M.A. psychology and German literature, degree in academic librarianship) is head of documentation at the International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI), an international documentation and research centre on children's, youth and educational TV in Munich, Germany. She writes articles and gives presentations on topics of MIL and youth media research. She is standing committee member of IFLA section „Information Literacy“ and advisory board member of the UNESCO ALADIN network (Adult Learning Documentation and Information Network. She has delivered several presentations at international media, library and information science conferences (e.g. IFLA annual conferences, SLA, Internet Librarian International, IASL, IASA, INFORUM, ALA).
