Wikipedia has undoubtedly changed the information landscape in a dramatic way. Just four years ago when I became a teacher-librarian many people, myself included, were telling the students to NEVER use Wikipedia when researching. The students were able to rote tell us that it included a lot of inappropriate and incorrect content. However, the reality continued that it was the first place they looked and they saw their parents (and many teachers) look when doing a simple google search. Plus there is the reality that as soon as you tell students not to do something, there will be some that become immediately interested! As Harris states, “Educators need to understand that students will go to Coogle and will use Wikipedia outside of school if not inside, no matter what alternatives we provide. It is in their best interests and ours to provide students with the intellectual tools for assessing what they find in those places “(2011, p.31).
Fast forward four years and I tell my students that it can be a useful place to start research as it will not only provide lots of information, but it can provide links to lots of credible, reliable and useful websites on a given topic. However, they still know that it is not a source I would expect to see in a reference list. Also, because I teach primary school students we often talk about how the content is not written in language that is always easy to comprehend for their age. Then I launch into the wonders of our online resources including Encyclopedia Britannica which has different reading levels to choose from, as well as an audio tool. We also subscribe to PebbleGo, which is a great resource for the younger students and in the senior school we have both Ebsco Host and JSTOR. However, often students can’t find the information they need on these online databases. This is why it is so important that teacher librarians and teachers work with students to help them to be discerning when they search for information online.
My readings this week included some articles on the Wiki debate which provide different perspectives and some really interesting information. I want to share the links here because I know that I will direct teachers and some of our older students to these articles. Cronon (2012) writes an interesting perspective in Scholarly authority in a Wikified world. He discusses the virtues of the largest, most comprehensive encyclopedia in all of human history that is in “270 languages and is written or edited by 82,000 active contributors”. Polson-Brown (2014) writes a blog The Wikipedia revolution: Whatever happened to Britannica? and compares the almost 6 million Wikipedia articles to the 40 000 in Britannica. He also argues the very interesting point, “Wikipedia has been shown to be more accurate than common belief would hold, and more accurate than traditional encyclopaedias. Wikipedia itself even has an article that lists studies into the reliability of Wikipedia (and yes they have a page on Criticism of Wikipedia for balance). There is also a page on Wikipedia FAQ’s for schools. ” Proffitt (2012) has some valid arguments in the article, Why Wikipedia doesn’t belong in the classroom.
If you decide not to use wikipedia here are some great alternatives: refseek; and Top 7 alternatives to Wikipedia. But if you decide to use it, these articles have some ideas on how to use it with students:
How to: Use Wikipedia in the Classroom Responsibly
Information literacy lessons in Wikipedia
To use or not to use? Wikipedia in the classroom
But don’t take my word for it, have a read of these articles and links and see for yourself! Then you can decide ‘to wiki or not to wiki?’
References
Cronon, W. (2012). Scholarly authority in a Wikified world. Perspectives on History. Retrieved from https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/february-2012/scholarly-authority-in-a-wikified-world
Harris, F.J. (2011). The school librarian as information specialist: A vibrant species. Knowledge Quest, 39(5), 28-32. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=61819926&site=ehost-live
Heckler, A. (2016). How to use Wikipedia in the classroom responsibly. Fractus Learning. Retrieved from https://www.fractuslearning.com/2013/05/13/wikipedia-in-the-classroom/
Mitchell, P. (2015). Information literacy lessons in Wikipedia. [Slideshare]. ASLA Online. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/ASLAonline/asla-wikipedia-webinar
Open Education Database. (2006-2017). Top 7 alternatives to Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/top-7-alternatives-to-wikipedia/
Polson-Brown, C. (2014). The Wikipedia revolution: Whatever happened to Britannica? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blog.iinet.net.au/wikipedia-revolution-happened-britannica/
Proffitt, B. (2012). Why Wikipedia doesn’t belong in the classroom. Readwrite. Retrieved from http://readwrite.com/2012/09/12/why-wikipedia-doesnt-belong-in-the-classroom/
RefSeek. Retrieved from https://www.refseek.com/directory/encyclopedias.html
Tomaszewski, J. (2012). To use or not to use? Wikipedia in the classroom. Education World. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/how-to-use-wikipedia-for-academics.shtml
The first few weeks of ETL504 have provided me with more food for thought on how the libraries are viewed in our school and in other schools I have worked in or observed. One aspect that I really want to reflect on is the importance of a library being an information service and not just an information source. Many schools have barriers to ensuring that this happens. These barriers include budgets and lack of trained staff, including not having a teacher librarian (TL) working in the library.
An information source includes a collection of data including books, ebooks and weblinks, all of which should be, and usually are, housed in a library. This can certainly be useful to some patrons, however, if service is added to these resources, then there are huge benefits to patrons. 21st century libraries should provide information services that add value by creating access, packaging and interpreting information sources and provide twenty-four hour access to all of their services (“Organisation Theory,” 2019).
There is a danger in all libraries that the library staff are so focused on doing the day to day work of cataloguing new books and managing the circulation of resources but they are not adding service. As soon as a patron has a request that should be the number one priority, regardless of how many other tasks need to be done. Excellent libraries also have staff that manage and maintain information, not just the information on the shelves but also the electronic information they are providing with Ebooks and links to websites and databases. This includes preserving and ensuring the accuracy and currency of all resources and educating patrons on how to find information and use it effectively. It would usually include creating and maintaining libguides, blogs and/or pathfinders so that patrons can access information 24/7. Library services also need to be innovative and responsive to new developments in IT and curriculum. TLs need to model, lead and support 21st century teaching and learning (“Organisation Theory,” 2019). After discussing this article with my colleague she shared with me a great blog, Library Grits, by Dianne McKenzie, who I know after attending a workshop she ran a few years ago. In her post, Airlines V’s 5 Star hotels (in Asia) she uses an analogy of comparing service in a library to the service provided in a hotel or by an airline.
In my library, I have also discovered the importance of advocacy. If there is not a TL leading training for staff on how to use the resources then they will not be effectively used in a school. In my school, many of our subscriptions, like our online Encyclopaedias or subscription to Press Reader, as a news source, are forgotten by teachers and students unless I highlight them and plan lessons involving them. A TL should also be very involved in teaching and planning lessons that involve 21st century and information literacy skills. In schools parent sessions by the library staff are hugely beneficial and in my experience a great tool for sharing knowledge with parents. Communication with all patrons is also a service that needs to occur regularly, including newsletters to highlight library services are important.
This subject is looking at the teacher librarian (TL) as a leader and it also made me reflect, if a TL is not working as a leader in a school then there is the danger that the library will be treated as just a resource and that service is not being provided. It also made me consider schools that do not have libraries, like some I worked at in London, and also those schools who have libraries but no TLs. In Australia, when budgets are tight libraries are often the first to lose staff or money for resources (“Organisation Theory,” 2019). With regards to my local context here in Singapore, the government has excellent public libraries and all schools have libraries on premises. However, different use of funding allocated by the Ministry of Education in Singapore means that libraries are designed and managed differently in each school. School libraries are not staffed by teacher librarians and only some school libraries are well designed, well-resourced and well used (Loh, 2019). In most cases, they are just operating as a resource, merely because there is not enough money put towards staffing. A teacher who usually has a very full workload is put in charge of overseeing the library but they are too time stretched to be able to do this effectively. Alternatively, a library assistant is the only person who works in the library and they just manage circulations, without having the time or expertise to provide added services. Colvin (2000) argues that many employees in organisations are treated like robots by management and they are unmotivated or lack opportunities to become knowledge workers who can use infotech effectively and have the capability to organise and deliver projects. When schools don’t employ library staff with the time to dedicate to the library and the required knowledge and skills then the library is unable to become an information source.
In comparison, many of the international schools in Singapore have multiple libraries that are well resourced and are almost always staffed by a qualified TL. However, Singapore seems to be at a tipping point when looking at its education system and there has been a recent study (Loh, 2019) and conversations are starting about the importance of school libraries with TLs. In a culture and education system that is very academically focused, people are interested to hear that students who read for pleasure get better grades in school. There is starting to be an understanding that there is a correlation between high academic results and schools that have a well-staffed and well-resourced library. Part of Loh’s study created the following framework for a 21st century library.
(Loh, 2019, p. 4)
This figure resonates well with me and I think it is a good summary of some of the multitude of roles a library has if it is to be an information source and not just a service.
References
Colvin, G. (2000). Managing in the info era. Fortune, 141(5). Retrieved from http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2000/03/06/275231/index.htm?iid=sr-link1.
Loh, C. E. (2019). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.32524.36489
McKenzie, D. (2019, February 13). Airlines vs 5 star hotels (in Asia) [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://librarygrits.blogspot.com/2019/02/airlines-vs-5-star-hotels-in-asia.html
Organisation theory. (2019). In Teacher librarian as leader [ETL504 module]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_42384_1&content_id=_2733066_1
