Transcript:
Q: How and why is ‘Shared Understanding’ a potential model and approach to enabling informed learning and information literacy in complex transdisciplinary contexts?
FM: Shared Understanding is a variant model of Informed Learning/Information Literacy that has emerged from outside of the library and information science field through my interactions as a social scientist researching transdisciplinary innovators both within and outside of educational contexts, in an effort to bring together the emerging disciplines of Information Literacy and Transdisciplinarity.
Shared understanding is underpinned by the principles of critical, creative and ethical use and engagement with information for learning. However, through my experiences and research (over more than a decade), I realized that the term ‘shared’ highlighted the collective, collaborative and partnership aspects of information literacy—and ‘understanding’ highlighted the dual rational and affective/intuitive learning aspects, and the ultimate learning outcome of ‘understanding’ as a higher level of thinking and deeper empathy with the differences in worldviews and unity of diverse knowledge—not just engagement with the informational aspects.
Shared understanding is meant to have undertones of peacebuilding, compassion, humility and overcoming polarized thinking, which we see as critical to highlight and include into our education systems right now, and more broadly into our social consciousness.
Shared understanding is offered as a way of expanding information literacy as a transdisciplinary discipline and practice, in our current and future contexts, particularly in areas where transdisciplinary approaches are paramount—scientific innovation, digital and AI ethics, sustainability and regeneration, and public health.
Shared understanding merges with other re-imaginings of information literacy such as metaliteracy, critical information literacy and transliteracy.