Community Informatics Studio: Designing Experiential Learning to Support Teaching, Research, and Practice

Abstract

IntroductionThis paper introduces a model of experiential to support teaching, research, and practice in library and science (LIS). concept we call (Cl) Studio uses studio-based (SBL) to support enculturation into the field of Community Informatics (Campbell & Eubanks, 2004; Gurstein, 2003; Keeble & Loader, 2001; Stoecker, 2005; Williams & Durrance, 2009). SBL approach is rooted in the apprenticeship model of in which students study with master designers or artists to learn their craft. This pedagogical technique is closely related to John Dewey's inquiry-based (Lackney, 1999). In this paper, we argue that the Cl Studio provides a novel research approach for examining LIS-led engagement by modeling actual environments where future LIS professionals can develop meaningful Cl projects.The paper begins with a review of the community and studiobased learning literature to provide a foundation for our research. We then briefly consider the research sub-questions, methodological approaches and findings from our three mini-case studies of the Cl Studio course offered over three semesters. study presents and discusses three related investigations that emerged from our overarching research question: How can the Cl Studio be understood as a model of experiential to support LIS teaching, research, and practice? goal of the paper was to provide an instructional model that can prepare future LIS-professionals to lead meaningful and civic engagement projects.This study is significant because federal agencies and foundations have recently called for public libraries to address needs by leading engagement efforts. The Promise of Libraries Transforming (Institute for Museum and Library Services, 2012), IMLS & MacArthur Foundation's Learning Labs (Institute for Museum and Library Services, 2011), and Knight Foundation's (2009) Needs of Communities in a Democracy are three recent examples recognizing the unique abilities that public, academic and school libraries offer to advance local and civic engagement. In this paper, we argue that the Cl Studio can provide LIS teachers, researchers and practitioners with a theoretical and methodological framework for advancing LIS-led engagement initiatives.Theoretical FrameworkWe begin the paper by introducing the CI and SBL literature as the foundation upon which we suggest a model for coupling these practices as a useful approach for advancing LIS teaching, research and practice with members.Community InformaticsCommunity examines how people in geographic locations interact with and communication technology (Williams & Durrance, 2009) and its application to enable and empower processes (Gurstein, 2007). researchers view informatics as the digitization of society, particularly as people's lives move online from physical to virtual spaces. O'Neil (2002) argued that theories for measuring the impacts of Cl projects fall into five key areas, including strong democracy, social capital, individual empowerment, sense of and economic development opportunities (pp. 78-79). Other scholars have argued that Cl can help support organizing projects and social justice goals. For instance, one area of study for Cl, which served as a project focus for each of the case studies in this paper, looks at the ways institutions such as public libraries, centers, social service agencies and churches can utilize public computing centers (PCCs) and media literacy workshops as interventions for addressing the digital divide, or the gap between the information haves and have-nots (National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1999, p. …