Digital Literacy

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Digital Literacy Contest

Sep 16, 2008

This post will turn out to be pretty wordy, so I’ll get to the point quickly. There is this Digital Literacy Contest held each year, hosted by a few universities. It is super cool and UIUC should host one.

From the website…

“The DLC is a fun, high-speed competition to find and evaluate information online hosted by university libraries. The contest is usually in the evening and lasts between 1.5 - 2 hours. Participants are encouraged to pre-register by coming to this website and creating a username.

Libraries either use computers in the library or in university computer labs. Participants log in to our web-based contest a few minutes before it begins. When the contest begins, they compete to answer questions such as, “How many images were in U.S. patent #2393676 by Buckminster Fuller?"

The contest is similar to Jeopardy in its grading. Answers are free response (i.e. the DLC is not multiple choice). Correct answers are worth between 1 - 5 points depending upon difficulty. Incorrect answers are penalized as equally as correct answers are rewarded. For example, answering a 3pt. question incorrectly penalizes you 3 points, whereas answering it correctly rewards you with 3 points. The highest score wins. These free response answers are graded in near real time by our staff. Winners are announced shortly after the contest ends."

Visit the website: http://www.digitalliteracycontest.org/

View the YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF66d9OWhKI&eurl=http://www.digitalliteracycontest.org/

And finally, I’m a sucker for unnecessary flattery. Perhaps you are too. Read about how the DLC could help your library…

“Dear Lovely Librarians,
Thank you for preserving humanity's accumulated knowledge and wisdom. Thank you for training people to thrive in our age of information overload. =)
We think highly of your profession's mission. That's why we're devoted to helping you empower individuals. We believe this contest most benefits libraries in these ways:
  • Engage patrons with an exciting new contest
  • Inform patrons of library resources
  • Create positive publicity in local news
It also benefits libraries the following ways:
  • Identify latest tools patrons use to find information online
  • Receive feedback with customizable surveys
  • Host a discussion after the contest about digital information literacy, the future of libraries, and how your library can better connect with students
  • Assess patrons' ability to find/evaluate information online
And it benefits society at large, too:
  • Raise awareness of the increasing importance of digital literacy skills
  • Provide a lightly competitive arena to sharpen and display these skills
  • Combine playfulness, fun, and learning
We agree with Thomas Jefferson when he wrote, "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every from of tyranny over the mind of man." What better way to strengthen the citizenry than to increase individuals' ability to find and evaluate information?...”