Using design thinking to empower ethnic minority immigrant youth in their roles as information and technology mediaries

Fisher, Karen E.; Fawcett, Phil

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/42104 Copy

Description

Title

Using design thinking to empower ethnic minority immigrant youth in their roles as information and technology mediaries

Author(s)

• Fisher, Karen E.
• Fawcett, Phil

Issue Date

2013-02

Keyword(s)

• Design Thinking
• Teen Design Days
• Mixed Methods
• Immigrants
• Information Mediaries
• Survey
• Qualitative Methods
• Mobiles
• Libraries
• Youth
• Cultural Probes
• cultural informatics
• human-computer interaction
• information behavior
• information services
• research methods
• social and community informatics
• Infomediaries

Abstract

In the United States, almost one in nine people are foreign born (2010 U.S. Census). While diversity brings incredible richness, it also belies responsibility for helping immigrants participate fully in American life and culture versus isolating themselves within ethnic communities. Our past work funded by the U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation shows two-thirds of people use library computers to search for information on behalf of someone else (US Impact Study, 2011). These Information Mediaries (Infomediaries) tend to be young, non-white, non-native English speakers, suggesting ethnic minority youth are key for understanding the information needs of their respective populations, passing on needed information to otherwise hidden users (especially non-English speaking, non-library users). Our current research is over two phases supported by Microsoft and the Institute of Museum and Library Services we are employing design thinking (Brown, 2008, HBR, 2008), to study how ethnic minority youth serve as technology and information mediaries within their social networks. Our approach brings in perspectives from computer science, information science, design, information behavior, and uses research methods such as participatory design, action research, social networking analysis, rapid prototyping, and engineering. Our method integrates these perspectives and methods into a multi-day workshop format called “teen design days.”

Publisher

iSchools

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/42104

DOI

https://doi.org/10.9776/13399

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

• U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Copyright and License Information

Copyright © 2013 is held by the authors. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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