Information Literacy and Critical Thinking: Using Perspective Transformation to Break Information Bubbles - Paperback

by Amanda Nichols Hess (Author)

Higher education is about transformation: research shows that the most well-prepared graduates are those who have experienced changes in how they think about and experience the world around them. Combined with flexible information-seeking and evaluation skills, learning ways to break information bubbles is essential for dealing with today's challenging, complex information environment. Jack Mezirow's transformative learning theory, which frames how adults think about and interact with the world around them, offers a way forward. Hess invites academic librarians to consider critical librarianship, pedagogy, and information literacy instruction in tandem with transformative learning theory, demonstrating tangible ways to integrate these concepts into their practice. Readers will discover

• an overview of critical library pedagogy and transformative learning theory, showing how reflection and action lie at the core of both ideas;
• in-depth exploration of the ten phases of the perspective transformation process and how they relate to key facets of critical librarianship, critical pedagogy, and critical information literacy;
• important theoretical and research viewpoints that elucidate perspective transformation;
• real-world scenarios modelling how one's own praxis can support learners; and
• a myriad of ideas, reflection questions, opportunities for action, and additional resources to spur readers to look beyond their own information bubbles and facilitate environments where learners can do the same.

Author Biography

Amanda Nichols Hess, Ph.D, is the Coordinator of Instruction and Research Help at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She holds a Ph.D in Educational Leadership, an Education Specialist certificate in Instructional Technology, and a Master's of Science in Information. Amanda's research focuses on information literacy, instructional design, online learning, and the intersections of these topics--particularly in library-centric professional learning. Her work has been published in College & Research Libraries, Communications in Information Literacy, Journal of Academic Librarianship, and portal: Libraries and the Academy, among other venues. Amanda also edited the three-volume Instructional Identities and Information Literacy series, and authored Modular Online Learning Design: A Flexible Approach for Diverse Learning Needs (ALA Editions, 2021) and Transforming Academic Library Instruction (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).