The Information School of the University of Washington Metatheories, orientations, paradigms and frameworks for human information behavior INSC 510
The Information School of the University of Washington Discussion Metatheories, orientations, paradigms and frameworks? Does Information Science have successive, defining theoretical models and frameworks?
The Information School of the University of Washington Traditional/ Physical User oriented Cognitive viewpoint Sensemaking Social constructionism Human Information Behavior
The Information School of the University of Washington System oriented paradigm - physical paradigm; information transfer model, empiricism user oriented paradigm Cognitive view Sensemaking Social constructionism constructivist
The Information School of the University of Washington System oriented paradigm Objective view of information Users seen as mechanistic and passive User behavior predicted according to general variables - age, income Atomistic - focus on user’s interaction with system; point of contact only focus on external behaviors; contact with system is indication of need and behavior individuality regarded as chaotic quantitative
The Information School of the University of Washington User oriented paradigm subjective information constructivist active user situationality wholistic views of experience internal cognitions systematic individuality qualitative research
The Information School of the University of Washington The cognitive view… (B.C. Brookes) Any processing of information - whether perceptual or symbolic - is mediated by a system of categories or concepts, which, for the processing device, are a model of its world (De Mey) K[s] +i = k[s +s] Knowledge structure Information Modified knowledge structure
The Information School of the University of Washington The cognitive view (Ingwersen) The world model consists of knowledge structures. These are determined by the individual and social/ collective experiences, education and training etc.
The Information School of the University of Washington Sensemaking SituationUses (Helps) Gap faced Gap bridged Questions answered, ideas formed, resources obtained Strategies used info values sought Discontinuity Condition
The Information School of the University of Washington Sensemaking moment Situation GapUse (Help) Circling the experience Each moment is potentially a sensemaking moment
The Information School of the University of Washington Social Constructionism –The primary human reality is about people in conversation –communication and conversation are used to structure and organize social reality –focus on public and social not private and subjective
The Information School of the University of Washington Social contructionism Emphasizes the negotiation of meaning –reality construction through discourse –there is no versionless reality rejects monologism and replaces this with dialogism –the most important things take place in interaction, in discursive practices between people not within the individual cut off from his or her social relationships
The Information School of the University of Washington Social constructionism Assumes that we construct versions of reality between ourselves Knowledge is something people do together rather than an individual possession