Thursday, September 24, 2009

U of T iSchool Courses that examine CY issues



Last year the CYA worked incredibly hard to encourage the availability of courses examining issues involving children & youth. Thanks to Wendy Newman, Brenda Halliday and Rhonda McEwen for creating courses (at times creating them with lightning speed) that give students the opportunity to learn more about children and youth within the context of information studies.
  • INF 2303H Issues in Chidren's and Young Adults' Services (Winter 2010)
  • INF 2139H Young People: Collection Development
  • INF 2196H New Media and Information Practices of the Young (Fall 2009)
The following courses is also still found on the course list so we look forward to seeing what next steps can be taken in with these courses in mind.
  • INF 2140H Young People: Current and Emerging Information Practices
  • INF 2180H Archives: Access, Advocacy and Outreach (will not be offered in 2010-2011)
 Beyond the Jump - full descriptions of courses









INF 2303H Issues in Chidren's and Young Adults' Services (Winter 2010)

This course focuses on program and policy issues in information services for children and young adults. The objectives are to ensure students' understanding of current issues and their contexts and to prepare them for professional leadership in service and facility design and management. The course draws upon guest experts in its exploration of issues. It combines in-person and online delivery. It is complementary to INF2139H (Young People: Collection Development) and INF2140H (Young People: Current and Emerging Information Practices).

INF 2139H Young People: Collection Development

Introduces students to a diverse range of materials produced for and created by young people from illustrated storybooks to webzines. Using a genre approach, emphasis is on the selection and evaluation of resources for collection development to support the multiple literacies of young people.

INF 2196H New Media and Information Practices of the Young (Fall 2009)

A critical examination of the information practices of children and youth, presented within the context of the social issues raised by technological resources in contemporary societies. This course examines media such as mobile phones, blogs, Facebook/MySpace, MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) Wikis, podcasts, and IM (instant messaging)—all considered powerful communication tools for teens. Through an investigation of recent research, students will consider the social consequences of new media on the experiences, culture, and representation of children and youth using Information Practices as a framework. The course pays particular attention to the use of new media by young people to reinforce and/or circumvent inequalities, such as gender, race, class, and social role. This course is designed to enhance the student's understanding of youth information practices in the multicultural, multifaceted, and multimedia environments lived in Canada and around the world.

The following courses are also still found on the course list so we look forward to seeing what next steps will be taken with these courses in mind.

INF 2140H Young People: Current and Emerging Information Practices

Introduces students to broad contextual considerations related to information resources and services for young people. Topics will include multiple information literacies and practices that correspond to the uses made by young people of existing and emergent technologies and media. Contexts related to the production, distribution and reception of information resources and services are examined including those related to recreation and popular culture, local community and international perspectives. Issues of intellectual freedom, ethics, and access to information are also examined. The objective of this course is to provide students with a contextual understanding of information resources designed for and appropriated by young people. Upon completion of this course students will have gained a historical and contextual perspective on library and information services related to young people.

INF 2180H Archives: Access, Advocacy and Outreach (will not be offered in 2010-2011)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the needs of archival users, and methods for facilitating access to archival material. The course focuses on information seeking behaviour in an archival context, and the principles, design, and implementation of access and outreach services in an archives. Topics covered are: the information needs of the major user groups including historians, genealogists, administrators, media specialists and school children; remote and on-site access services that meet the needs of various user groups; user education, public programming, outreach, and archival advocacy. 
 Pre-requisite: INF/FIS1330
 or permission of instructor


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