Suchergebnisse

Discusses the nature of (inter)disciplinarity & the development of a pedagogical approach to teaching scientific literacy that is based on its reconceptualization as "agential literacy." The nature of disciplinary knowledge & the need for joint conceptual shifts in basic understandings of scientific literacy are discussed. Agential realism is defined as an "epistem-onto-logical framework" that expands on the work of physicist Niels Bohr (1963) to focus on such things as the nature of scientific & other social practices; the essence of reality/matter; the role of natural, social, & cultural factors in scientific knowledge production; & links between the material & discursive. An exploration of the implications of agential realism for thinking about scientific literacy stresses that the making of science is not separate from the making of society, & teaching scientific literacy can no longer be seen as the sole responsibility of scientists. A course titled "Situated Knowledges: Cultural Studies of Twentieth Century Physics" was specifically designed to advance the agential literacy of science & nonscience majors. The course's approach & content are described. 24 References. J. Lindroth

While communication research has been particularly focused on examining the effects of algorithms on (public) communication processes, less attention has been dedicated to studying media users' understanding and perceptions of algorithms in online contexts. This contribution provides a first step into studying Internet users' competences in navigating algorithmically curated environments by proposing a theoretical concept on (lay) Internet users' algorithm literacy. Based on existing concepts in media literacy research, we present theory-driven dimensions to address algorithm literacy among Internet users. This is complemented by suggestions for an operationalization of these dimensions informed by findings from qualitative interviews with Internet users. As a result, the proposed concept of algorithm literacy comprises two cognitive dimensions, namely awareness & knowledge and the (critical) evaluation of algorithms, and two behavior-related dimensions, addressing individuals' coping behaviors and abilities for creation and design in terms of the use of algorithms.

Motivated by the growing importance of media education in schools, this article studies aspects associated with teachers' fostering of students' media and digital skills. For this, a regression analysis is conducted using a survey data sample of teachers. By taking six different areas of media-related competencies into account, the results show the factors that influence the fostering of digital skills in general and the factors that influence only specific competence areas. Two factors are significant in all models: the frequency of the media use for teaching purposes and the importance given to the competence areas. Furthermore, teaching STEM subjects and teaching in a Gymnasium are significant predictors in most models. Other predictors show significance only in single models, while how teachers evaluated the technical equipment available in their schools is not significant in any model.

Presents a methodology for developing economic literacy using popular education techniques, drawing on 1991/92 fieldwork conducted with a group of women in Peten, Guatemala. It is observed that the first step in any such program is a proper understanding of the economic, cultural, & political reality of women as it is experienced in their daily lives, which is translated into an educational program geared to respond to this reality. The next step is to provide a group experience that allows women to learn from one another & positively reinforces each individual's abilities & knowledges. Women are inspired to become independent learners who can construct concrete visions of their economic futures & act on those visions. Economic literacy must be attached to the availability of capital so that women can expand their enterprises in the context of their communities. It is suggested that this method encourages individual & community economic development & can be used as a stepping stone for women who live in poverty to become agents rather than objects of economic forces. 1 Figure. D. M. Smith

Personal recollections of a former developmental biologist focus on the intellectual alliances & boundary-crossing paths of an academic career that led to pedagogical reform involving a linkage of molecular biology, political theory, & feminist studies. The impact of B. Latour's (1993, 1996, 1999) notions of disciplinary boundaries as actor-networks, D. Haraway's (1988, 1997) theoretical framework of material-semiotic apparatuses, & M. Foucault's conception of freedom is discussed in relation to the formation of complex, boundary-crossing assemblages. The moral & political dimensions of questioning why humans are at liberty to realize how & why matter matters, & to whom, are explored. It is maintained that liberty has the properties of "making" rather than "made" &, as such, is not made practical with the help of science or technology. Rather, scientists are said to be "makers of liberty" by virtue of producing knowledge that allows freedom, even though scientists themselves are never totally free of the relations of politics & power. 26 References. J. Lindroth

This paper asks what skills migrants need to be able to deal with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in a self-determined way in their everyday lives. We propose a conceptual framework to empirically identify migrant's awareness and perceptions of possible discrimination through AI. Following Bucher (2017, 40), we argue that by experiencing AI systems in their digital environments, people develop AI imaginaries that shape their attitudes, interactions, and practices with AI. We assume that experiences of discrimination evoke affects, feelings, and emotions that at first glance are not associated with AI technologies. The paper provides relevant research questions that address AI imaginaries. In addition to studying knowledge about and perceptions of AI, research should increasingly focus on users' attitudes towards AI, their evaluations of AI, and their feelings, emotions, and affects related to AI. Subsequently, we elaborate on dimensions of digital literacy based on these AI imaginaries. Finally, we will describe the digital skills that are necessary to confidently cope with discrimination by AI technologies.

The proceedings of the Weizenbaum Conference 2021 "Democracy in Flux: Order, Dynamics and Voices in Digital Public Spheres" have been funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF) (grant no.: 16DII121, 16DII122, 16DII123, 16DII124, 16DII125, 16DII126, 16DII127,16DII128 – "Deutsches Internet-Institut").

The potential contributions of Afro-American women's literature to social, historical, & literary understanding are discussed, with specific focus on the value of Harriet Wilson's Our Nig & Alice Walker's The Color Purple. This literature offers unique & essential insights into the intersections between race, class, & gender, & its writers have experienced varied & overlapping forms of discrimination. For the early writers, literacy became a means of consolation through which the experience of oppression could be endowed with order & meaning. The synthesis of features from slave narratives & romantic novels in the work of both Wilson & Walker undermines the popularized belief that Afro-American women of their time were illiterate & uneducated. These works are also important in that they offer diverse depictions of the Afro-American female experience, which is too often categorized & homogenized by contemporary social science. T. Sevier

We develop an integrative conceptual framework that seeks to explain individual differences in digital skills. Building on practice engagement theory, this framework views the continued usage of digital technologies at work and in everyday life (ICT use) as the key prerequisite for the acquisition of digital skills. At the same time, the framework highlights that ICT use is itself contingent upon individual and contextual preconditions, most notably literacy skills. We apply this framework to data from two recent German large-scale studies (total N 5,281) that offer objective measures of adults' digital skills. Findings support our framework's view of ICT use as a key prerequisite for digital skills. Moreover, they demonstrate that literacy skills have strong associations with digital skills, largely by virtue of their indirect associations through ICT use. By comparison, regional digital cultures evince only limited explanatory power for individual differences in digital skills.

Offers a broad historical overview of the evolution of thinking & activism since the Middle Ages regarding the human rights of women & gender equality. Though focus is on the North, it is argued that the struggle for women's rights undoubtedly transpired similarly in the countries of the South; however, documentation is sparse until the 20th century. It is suggested that the earliest advocates of women's rights were those educators who believed that, by learning to read, women would be freed to explore the world outside the domestic sphere. This drive to define women's rights & eliminate sex-based discrimination is linked to larger movements toward democratization & concern over universal human rights. The 18th-century origins of feminism are traced, & major figures in the battle for women's rights over the next 2 centuries are identified. The insertion of larger political bodies (eg, the UN) into local & national struggles is described, & progress made toward ensuring that women have the same human rights as men is evaluated at the dawn of the 21st century. K. Hyatt Stewart

(Originally published in John A. Hall & Ian C. Jarvie [Eds], Transition to Modernity, 1992, see abstract 93c01707.) Builds on Ernest Gellner's theory (1983) that nationalism results from the development of impersonal, universalistic, context-free communication, which in turn develops from industrialization. The cases of France, England, Prussian Germany, & Austria in the 18th century are used to make a historical argument that industrialization arrived too late & too unevenly to give rise to nationalism in this period. The two principle causes of the rise of discursive literacy were the rise of commercial capitalism & its attendant universal social classes, & the development of the modern state & its armed forces & bureaucracy. The combined pressures of external fiscal & military competition & internal agitation for popular representation produced a variety of modern nationalisms. 39 References. H. von Rautenfeld

This book is the culmination of the COST Action CA15212 Citizen Science to Promote Creativity, Scientific Literacy, and Innovation throughout Europe. It represents the final stage of a shared journey taken over the last 4 years. During this relatively short period, our citizen science practices and perspectives have rapidly evolved. In this chapter we discuss what we have learnt about the recent past of citizen science and what we expect and hope for the future.

Financial gerontology can be defined as investigating relations between finances and aging. Authors such as Neal E. Cutler, Kouhei Komamura, Davis W. Gregg, Shinya Kajitani, Kei Sakata, and Colin McKenzie (Kajitani et al. 2017) affirm that financial literacy is an effect of aging with concern about the issue of finances, as well as stating that it is the effect of longevity and aging on economies or the financial resilience of older people.

Artificial intelligence (AI) strategies are exhibiting a shift of perspectives, focusing more intensively on a more human-centric view. New conceptualizations of AI literacy (AIL) are being presented, summarizing the competencies human users need to successfully interact with AI-based systems. However, these conceptualizations lack practical relevance. In view of the rapid pace of technological development, this contribution addresses the urgent need to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts of AIL and practical requirements of working environments. It transfers current conceptualizations and new principles of a more human-centered perspective on AI into professional working environments. From a psychological perspective, the project focuses on emotional-motivational, eudaimonic, and social aspects. Methodologically, the project presented develops AI testbeds in virtual reality to realize literally graspable interactions with AI-based technologies in the actual work environment. Overall, the project aims to increase the competencies and the willingness to successfully master the challenges of the digitalized world of work.