Learning technologies, information practice, and the Indian Residential School System

Students in LIBR 569A will tools in Blackboard Connect to reflect on problem-based scenarios that illustrate the disconnect between accepted library and archival practice and respectful engagements with Indigenous peoples and cultures. Course content will also introduce students to a range of technologies and how their use meets the needs of or conflicts with contemporary Indigenous initiatives.

Helen HalbertAlong with my supervisor Dr. Lisa Nathan, I am conducting a research project that involves students at the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS) enrolled in LIBR 569A: Information Practice and Protocol in Support of Indigenous Initiatives.

The inquiry focuses on the use, evaluation, critique and prototyping of online learning technologies, specifically attributes that encourage and support critical reflection in contexts of negative affect, for example when curriculum content can provoke emotions like guilt and anxiety when learning about the Indian Residential School System.

Students in LIBR 569A will use discussion boards, wikis, and journalling tools in Blackboard Connect to reflect on problem-based scenarios that illustrate the disconnect between accepted library and archival practice and respectful engagements with Indigenous peoples and cultures. Course content will also introduce students to a range of technologies and how their use meets the needs of or conflicts with contemporary Indigenous initiatives. Towards the end of the course students will engage in a series of participatory design workshops where they will first reflect on their experiences with the various online tools used throughout the course and then brainstorm, develop, and create mock-ups of new technologies related to an online portal and information system for the proposed Indian Residential School Research Centre at UBC.

Helen Halbert
helenhalbert@gmail.com