Information-Seeking in Context (ISIC)

Back from the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC) Conference at McGill University. It was my second time attending ISIC, but my first time in Montréal.

This year, I presented two papers. The first, “Educational Technology and the Everyday Information Practices that Shape Student Thinking and Learning,” was part of an ongoing project with Reflective Educational Research. It examines how technology-rich classroom practices relate to students’ critical thinking and complex problem-solving, with a particular focus on the role of the SAMR model.

The second paper, "Platforms, Algorithms, and the Shifting Boundaries of Information Horizons," comes out of my dissertation work and is a conceptual paper suggesting an adaptation to information horizons theory for contemporary digital life, asking how platforms and algorithms structure what information people can see, trust, use, and share. It was one of the most challenging papers that I have ever written and presented due to its conceptual paper, but the reception was better than I could have imagined. Attendees shared their own reflections about information-seeking in today's digital contexts and how it impacts their decision-making.

I’m so grateful to the ISIC community for such a thoughtful and generous space to share work, learn from others, and make lasting friendships. I look forward to hopefully attending the next conference in 2028.

You can read the papers on Research Gate or using the links below:

- Educational Technology and the Everyday Information Practices that Shape Student Thinking and Learning: https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31ISIC65142

- Platforms, Algorithms, and the Shifting Boundaries of
Information Horizons: https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31ISIC65141