What do we talk about when we talk about algorithmic literacy? : A scoping review

Sammanfattning

Problem formulation, goal and objectives: Algorithms are ubiquitous in digital society, yet complex to understand and often hidden. Algorithmic literacy can be a useful concept when educating and empowering users. However, it is not uniformly defined or used, and the state of knowledge is unclear. The aim of this thesis is to examine algorithmic literacy as a concept, what other concepts are associated, and what empirical and theoretical knowledge exists on this topic. Theory and method: Information literacy research serves as theoretical perspective, focusing on the role of evaluative and explorative approaches of research. The scoping review is chosen as method. Included are peer-reviewed journal articles, published in English from 2018 to 2022, from LISA, LISTA, ERIC ProQuest, and Scopus. Empirical results: Algorithmic literacy is often placed in information, media, and/or digital literacies. Closely related terms are attitude, agency, trust, and transparency. Four themes were identified: the necessity of algorithmic literacy, algorithm awareness as the basis, teaching and learning, and studying algorithmic literacy. Demographic and socioeconomic factors play a role: lower age and higher eduaction correlated with higher levels of algorithmic literacy. Algorithmic literacy is learned via personal experiences and formal education at all levels. Conclusions: Algorithmic literacy research would benefit from a limited number of terms used, and clearly defined terminology. The relationship between closely related concepts needs to be examined further. Librarians and educators should develop and share interventions at regional or national levels. Various knowledge gaps have been identified that may serve as future research agenda.