This paper was delivered at the SRHE Conference, 6th Dec 2017

1. Dr Ibrar Bhatt
Lecturer in Education
i.bhatt@qub.ac.uk ; @ibrar_bhatt
Dr Alison MacKenzie
Lecturer in Education
a.mackenzie@qub.ac.uk
Digital Literacy
&
Ignorance
SRHE Annual Conference, Dec 2017

2. Literacy & the production of knowledge
A social theory of Literacy
The role of Literacy in knowledge production
What a study of Literacy practices (of people, communities, etc.) can tell us about
how the world is understood
See the works of Brian Street, Harvey Graff, Deborah Brandt, David Barton, Mary
Hamilton, and others.

3. Literacy & the cultivation of ignorance
Section 11 – And it be it further enacted, That if any slave, negro, or free person
of colour, or any white person, shall teach any other slave, negro, or free person
of colour, to read or write either written or printed characters, the said free
person of colour or slave shall be punished by fine and whipping, or fine or
whipping at the discretion of the court; and if a white person so offending, he,
she, or they shall be punished with fine, not exceeding five hundred dollars, and
imprisonment in the common jail at the discretion of the court before whom
said offender is tried.
The Georgia Anti-Literacy Law, 1829 (in Williams 2014, p. 57)

4. Misinformation

5. Misinformation
“While the benefits of our hyper-connected communication systems are
undisputed, they could potentially enable the viral spread of information that is
either intentionally or unintentionally misleading or provocative. Imagine a real-
world example of shouting “fire!” in a crowded theatre. In a virtual equivalent,
damage can be done by rapid spread of misinformation even when correct
information follows quickly.
Are there ways for generators and consumers of social media to develop an
ethos of responsibility and healthy scepticism to mitigate the risk of digital
wildfires?”
(World Economic Forum Report 2013: p. 11)

6. Epistemic ignorance; epistemic harm?
Algorithms are ways of not knowing; or, rather, constructing and sustaining ignorance
Ignorance results from the configuration of interest
Knowing that we do not know/not caring to know – not linked to present interests
We do not know that we do not know – current interests/knowledge block such interests
Willed/willful ignorance – they do not know and don’t want to know
Types of ignorance as substantive epistemic practices

7. A current pilot study
An investigation of undergraduate writing and digital literacy (previous work
on assignment writing – see Bhatt 2017)
Cross disciplinary: Humanities, [Computer] Science, and Business subjects
Aims: How disciplinary knowledge is produced through writing (inc digital
literacy); How the Web and other media are used for information gathering,
managing and writing; How ignorance (of any type) is developed and sustained
through practices of writing and digital literacy, and the networks in which
those practices occur.
Methods: Focused interviews, journaling, screen recording

8. Final points
The study of digital and information literacy is intrinsically connected to the study of knowledge
production, and therefore also to the production and sustenance of ignorance.
Theories, frameworks, and research agendas surrounding digital and information literacy should
take into account the potential for epistemic harm.
What are the implications of ‘post-truthism’ for teaching around politically contentious issues
like climate change?
What are the challenges for the critical education of students from diverse backgrounds?
How should universities develop the capacity of students to engage and critique information
from contradictory sources?
How does/can teaching in universities prepare graduates as critical knowledge producers and
transmitters?

9. Bibliography:
Bhatt, I. (2017) Assignments as controversies: digital literacy and writing in classroom practice, Routledge Research in
Literacy
O’Neil, C. (2016) Weapons of math destruction: How big data increases inequality and threatens democracy. New
York: Crown.
Williams, H. A. (2014) American Slavery: A Very Short Introduction. NY: OUP.
World Economic Forum (2013) Digital wildfires in a hyperconnected world. Global Risks 2013: An Initiative of the Risk
Response Network. Geneva. from http://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-2013/risk-case-1/digital-wildfires-in-a-
hyperconnected-world/