Life with Google: LIS Educators, Generation Z, and the Transformation of the Information Age

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the iterative design and evolution of an undergraduate course at Florida State University that offers students the opportunity to explore how society’s increased reliance on information technology has changed the way in which we interact with each other and the world around us. Drawing upon course iterations covering a five-year period from 2015 to 2020, it explores what students need to know in order to question their assumptions about the use of information technology in modern society, discusses strategies for weighing the pros and cons of the socio-technical trade-offs we make as we work with information systems and services, and examines how LIS educators can help students become more responsible users and more informed consumers of information resources and technologies. The results provide insight into the effectiveness of different teaching approaches for encouraging undergraduate students to think critically about the information technologies they use every day, present key takeaways and lessons learned for students and faculty as they weigh the unintended consequences and socio-technical implications of information technologies, and explore our shared obligation to society as educators and students to prepare the next generation for life in the information age.