Raspberry Pi and Rubber Ducks: Digital Pedagogy and Computer Anxiety in the LIS Classroom

Abstract

The information professions demand digitally literate practitioners who can navigate the increasingly complex technological environments of libraries and archives. While basic literacy is presumed among graduate students, many students express fear and anxiety when approaching new technologies. These psychological barriers have not been addressed in the digital literacy discourse, yet they must be overcome if LIS educators are tasked with teaching future professionals to critically engage and evaluate the myriad technologies available for library systems and services. This article describes the introduction to computing course at University of Iowa that uses the Raspberry Pi (RPi) computer as a means for teaching critical digital literacy skills in the LIS curriculum. Designed to afford students opportunities to peer into the black box of the computer and build the confidence and knowledge to engage with unfamiliar technologies, the course adopts active learning pedagogy using the RPi. This article discusses the design and development of the course and presents the self-reported data from students regarding their perceived gain in experience and comfort with computing over the course of the term. While further research is required to fully understand the relationship between anxiety and computing, the findings suggest that adopting a critical digital pedagogy that focuses on the process over the end product provides space within the learning environment for students to take risks and develop heuristics for overcoming anxiety and building literacy skills.