 Hello, everyone, and welcome to the 5.30 to 6.00 p.m. session of the 2017 Open Simulator Community Conference. As a reminder to our in-world and web audience, you can view the full conference schedule at conference.opensimulator.org and tweet your questions or comments to atopensimcc with the hashtag OSCC17. In this session, we are happy to introduce a wonderful session called Libraries and Learning and Literacy, Oh My! Our speaker today is Kevin Finen. Kevin is the president of Rockcliff University Consortium, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of knowledge, creation, and the pursuit of innovation within the educational field. His 30-year career has included application architecture, business transformation, management consultation, and policy development for both private and public sectors. Welcome, Kevin. Let's begin the session. Great. Thank you very much. I'd like to start by thanking the OSCC for this opportunity to present here today on Libraries, Learning, and Literacy. My digital literacy is about understanding our relationship to how technology is at once shaped by technology and also influenced by society. Centers of Education, including libraries, museums, science centers, and others need to go beyond simply presenting facts and figures. The future of these institutions require that we broaden the mandate to create a culture of enablement as compared to being passive observers. This presentation will help to establish some of the challenges facing the future of education in a culture that is quickly realizing digital literacy as a necessary core skill. What is digital literacy? The answer depends on who you ask and the context of the question. In general, digital literacy is a confluence of citizenship, functional skills, critical thinking, and communications. For example, MediaSmart defines digital literacy based on more than 20 different factors. The government of British Columbia uses six, and ISTI standards for students in education include seven. Many of these different standards or best practices contain similar components. For our purposes today, I'd like to focus on the following six skills as specific to the future of libraries and literacy. These are Personal Responsibility, Social Responsibility, Functional Computer Skills, Social Reasoning Skills, Communications, and the ability to collaborate effectively with others. The reason for focusing on these six skills is that they affect disruptive technology and innovation as we will see in a moment. In order to understand why digital literacy skills are so important, we need to understand the context in which those skills exist. In his book on changing social innovation, Hallad noted that the majority of issues that motivate innovation are complex, messy, interconnected, and not amenable to one-dimensional solutions. As a result, the process of innovation is not simply a linear approach to problem-solving, but an iterative one that I will refer to as the technosocial innovation cycle. I refer to the life cycle as being technosocial in that the innovation process is both socially and technologically driven. Simple paradigms provide a shared language that allow us to define classes of problems. Those classes of problems that are true necessities drive personal ambition towards inventing or reinventing ways in which those problems can be solved. The act of invention requires a reassessment both in the way in which we describe the problem and how we apply the existing technology around us to envision the problem itself. It is important to note that by technology we are not simply just referring to hardware or software. But the aggregation of information management, processes, operating procedures, observations and measurements, and continuous improvement. Such innovation results in new ideas on how people, processes, and things may be combined in new ways to solve the problems at hand. This confluence leads to social change within cultures that must either adopt or adapt to the new technology's disruptive influence. Such adaptation changes the way in which our social conversation evolves resulting in new and more effective paradigms. Because this process of innovation is iterative, for each iteration classes of problems that were once nice to solve are now within our reach to overcome. Further, the number of problems now considered necessities are not just more complex but they are also greater in number. Concurrently, there is also a technological life cycle that runs in parallel and yet is separate and distinct. The technology life cycle is based on the processing of information management through either mechanical work, information technology, or people processes. Information management leads to some form of action which has an observable and measurable outcome. Such measurement allows us to establish the controls and boundaries of the technology which can then be evaluated to reduce the level of errors and overall continuous improvement of the innovation. It is the integration of these two models which are important for understanding how the world around us continues to evolve. Paradigm plus information management drives necessity. Technology plus processes drives invention. Invention plus action drives technology. Technology plus observation drives social change. And social change plus continuous improvement drives new paradigm. Taken together, the technosocial innovation cycles reinforce each other allowing our society to solve problems at an increasingly accelerated pace. The technosocial innovation cycle is connected to digital literacy in that each of the core skills acts as a catalyst reinforcing the transition points in the life cycle. While each digital literacy skill has applicability to all life cycle elements, some skills have greater influence as a catalyst during these transition points than others. So where I indicate that the paradigm plus information management drives necessity, such necessity is only driven in the presence of personal responsibility as a catalyst. It is that inner motivation which allows individuals to determine the difference between problems which are necessities and those which are nice to solve. Personal responsibility catalysts also help determine whether there is a perceived benefit to resolving such problems that will yield a more relevant and immediate result. In the second case, necessity plus processes drives invention in the presence of creative reasoning and social responsibility as catalysts. Creative reasoning is crucial as it encourages us to think outside the boundaries of the existing paradigms on which the problem is based. Such innovations, however, are often constrained by the audience at which they are targeted, requiring that we consider our own personal expectations and those of others. In the third case, innovation plus action drives technology in the presence of functional skills and critical reasoning as catalysts. Not all innovations are possible in the here and now. Some are thought experiments that require specific functional skills or require logical puzzles to be solved before the technology is viable. In the fourth case, technology plus observation drives social change in the presence of effective communication. In order to drive social change, the technology needs to be effectively communicated in terms of education, skills, investment, and other hurdles that may prevent others from taking advantage of the new solutions. And then finally, social change plus continuous improvement drives new paradigm in the presence of collaboration. Paradigm exists where there is a large enough culture of people who adopt the new technology and then create a bond through symbolism, language, cultural tradition, and collective expression. The need for digital literacy skills, therefore, is a self-reinforcing requirement of our modern age and how we develop innovation. The upper boundary of the nature and types of problems that we are capable of solving through information management and information technology is beyond our capability to predict with no signs of stopping. These impacts of innovation will affect everyone everywhere. So what does this mean for libraries and other centers of curiosity, such as science centers and museums? While many of these institutions are attempting to modernize the way in which they are interacting with the general public, the types of creative engagement practices seems to continuously fall back on four primary activities. These are self-directed reading, presentation of audio or visual materials, engagement through various self-assessment tools, such as visual matching and multiple choice, and various gamification learning models, including the technology-driven and the imaginative. For example, in a recent visit to the California Museum as part of Rockliff's Eridition Conference, the museum had set up an interactive gamified approach to health and wellness. This allowed museum visitors to solve many quests and compare their results with other visitors. The interactive displays were not simply a matter of engaging in solving simple problems, but also attempted to show the implications of various choices based on how these various systems interacted with each other. These types of learning activities can also be found in places like the Ontario Science Centre, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and many others. While these types of activities are novel based on their use of technology, they are still using an old paradigm to try to solve a new problem. I would put forward the idea that the innovation-driven economy and libraries and other centres of curiosity need to go beyond the simple presentation of information and need to help lower the barriers that prevent people from adapting to ongoing innovation. Better the citations from the Quorum Group that indicate the top 10 disruptive technology trends on the chart behind me. In my own work with healthcare, five of the 10 trends indicated are major areas of concern. Artificial intelligence, connected health, focused IT services, visual intelligence systems, and data security are all key areas where regulatory policy and public awareness are years behind where the innovation currently is. Many of these trends have started to see major impacts within the last two years, and very few outside of those companies, which are acting as innovators, are actively engaged in promoting digital skills in these areas. This will change. This is changing. The fact that there is a major gap between disruptive technology and innovation and public awareness simply underlines the fact that disruptive technology is now the norm, not the exception. This means our libraries and creative centres for learning and imagination now need to embrace a new paradigm. The future of research and education needs to be based on an understanding of what will be and to foster a culture of innovation to support that goal. The next step for libraries and other centres of creative engagement is to adapt the models of how we work with others to develop the path of least resistance. When faced with an accelerating innovation and disruptive technology, it is no longer good enough to simply present information and hope that our charges will make the connection on their own. The future of libraries and literacy needs to be one where the libraries of tomorrow take a leadership role in helping make these connections. The P21 partnership for 21st century learning has established a supporting model for those wanting to succeed in work, life and citizenship. It combines knowledge and skills with the necessary support systems of standards, professional development and learning environments. The focus here is on lowering the barriers to skills development through real world connections and relevant personalised engagement. Libraries especially offer a unique space for such real world connections which can be nurtured and applied to authentic problems. This is after all the basis of our patron's interest in our services. Libraries offer a safe place to allow collaboration, connection communication and continuous perseverance towards realising new skills for tomorrow. The challenge is to extend our programs from simply being a space for curiosity and imagination to becoming a space for innovation and incubation of ideas. As a central goal, each catalyst in the technosocial innovation cycle needs to be supported by services that enable digital literacy skills in a way that reinforces active participation. Personal responsibility is enabled through a culture of life and career skills development. The more life and career skills we have, the greater our ability to recognise and overcome challenges as well as to take ownership over those challenges that we can control. Libraries and museums can help facilitate the development of skills by directing patrons to resources with partner groups to provide hands-on real world applications to nurture such skills. Social responsibility benefits from a sense of ownership within the community and shared sense of community values. For invention to be practical, there needs to be both an affirmation that the community will benefit from such innovation and a sense that one's contribution to it will be rewarded. Such rewards require having skin in the game, whereby ownership is legitimised through either expert knowledge of the innovation or referent power through interpersonal relationships in the community. Our libraries and museums can help facilitate interpersonal development through ongoing workshops and co-curated content that allows special interest groups a structure from which to organise a round. Functional skills are best developed through the apprenticeship and mentoring opportunities afforded through collaboration and engagement with other like-minded professionals. For any technology to be effective, whether it is the result of people, processes or things, functional skills of the underlying mechanics are essential. This requires opportunity to use both explicit, i.e. book smarts and tacit, i.e. street smarts, mechanisms to know and understand the craft on which the technology is based. Libraries and museums can help facilitate the exchange of knowledge through engagement of makerspaces, bringing specialists and amateur inventors together who have a passionate interest in the technology. Developing communication, supporting social change, requiring access to appropriate information and media and the tools to use them effectively. We generally never pass new knowledge on to others in large numbers in the early stages of development. This often requires trial and error to determine the barriers of any new technology and use. This includes understanding key informational messages and media required to effectively transfer knowledge. Libraries and museums can help facilitate the communication of ideas through permission-free spaces similar to a sandbox. That allows innovators an opportunity to engage with others as a community to exhibit new technological ideas and innovative methodologies. And finally, collaboration supporting continuous improvement requires collective access to standards and assessments to make informed choices and decision-making. There is an old adage that what gets measured gets done. However, in order to measure something, you need to have an understanding of the standards by which that measurement needs to take place. Measuring the wrong thing or using the wrong assessment tools can result in misinterpretation of the technology, how it is being used and how to improve upon it. Libraries and museums can facilitate by opening up a dialogue not just on the substance of how technologies are used but also on the standards of quality in which it is used. In essence, we need to be more engaged, not just in whether a technology is fit for purpose but also to answer the question, what does good look like? Take it together, a culture of innovation helps establish a positive environment that benefits all those that participate in the culture at multiple levels within the integrated innovation lifecycle. This participation results in better prepared patrons, informed and capable of adapting to changing work and social circumstances brought on by disruptive innovation. For the past year, we at Rockliffe have been examining various libraries and science centers and museums and where they can make more effective use of virtual and augmented reality. During this time, we've come to realize two essential concepts. One, while libraries and museums are embracing new technology, it is still being applied based on an old paradigm. That is, information and data are the same thing. And two, that the innovations in virtual and augmented reality have the greatest benefit when they streamline complex data, trending and forecasting rather than forcing it. This is a double-edged sword as too much reliance on technology can dull the senses and the capability to critically assess technology's implications. At the same time, information overload is making it more difficult to separate information from data. The Rockliffe Library and Avocon is a space where we would like to prototype these ideas to resolve this discrepancy. By using the Technosocial Innovation Cycle as a guide, we will be turning our library sciences program from a simple research tool into a center of innovation. Over the next year, Rockliffe will be developing new programs to leverage our digital collections to integrate new methods of remixing and our approach to library sciences. We have been delivering, sorry, we have been developing the needed technologies and back end infrastructure to make this a working concept. We are eager to engage with our members and others to help develop this concept. I would like to thank you for your time and I would appreciate any comments or feedback you may have on this presentation. Likewise, if you would like to collaborate with us to help move our future plans to innovate the Rockliffe Library, we would welcome your expertise, your experience and insight into re-envisioning what the future of library sciences could become. Thank you. Thank you, Kevin. We are out of time for questions, but you can always take your questions to text chat and continue the discussion there. Thank you, Kevin, for a great presentation. That was very interesting. As a reminder to our audience, you can see what's coming up on the conference schedule at conference.opensimulator.org. Also, we encourage you to visit the OSCC-17 poster expo in the OSCC-Expo 3 region to find accompanying information on presentations and explore the hypergrid tour resources in OSCC-Expo 2 along with sponsor and crowd funder booths located throughout all of the OSCC-Expo regions. Thank you again to our speakers and the audience. Our next session coming up is begin at 6 p.m. in this keynote region and is entitled the Digital Art Museum. Thank you again to our speaker and to our audience.