Hugh Samson’s research while affiliated with Western University and other places

Whether leaping or stumbling, writing is the final and arguably most difficult and important stage of the research process. Our evolving literature review reveals, however, that writing receives little attention as a practice within Library and Information Science’s methodological armamentarium. Accordingly, this panel engages the CAIS community in a constructive and serious discussion concerning writing within our discipline. An overview of the literature will be offered, accompanied by four presentations by writing strategists featuring distinct contemplative, critical, ethnographic, and institutional visions. The panel will conclude with questions, a discussion, and the brainstorming of potential positive interventions in writing practice.

This chapter examines the contours of the religious and spiritual information experiences subfield through a review and content analysis of selected contributions from the past two decades in both information science and related fields. The research question that guides this review is: How have spirituality and religion been conceptualized in information science? Our focus has been on the LIS literature along with the fields of information behavior/practice/literacy, as well as related fields such as human–computer interaction (HCI), media and digital studies, religious studies (including sociology and anthropology of religion or religious tourism). Our aim was to highlight the ways in which the information science literature has contributed to advancing these conversations (using a collections/service/user experience or practice lens), but also how the discussions around the sacred, lived religion, contemplation, conversion or techno‐spiritual practices (to name a few) have provided insights into information phenomena and processes. We also discuss the evolution of, and practices associated with, social media and digital practices as well as a discussion of representation (or the lack thereof) of less mainstream religious and spiritual traditions in the literature reviewed. We end with suggestions for future research directions.

Study objective: Students who engage with and learn from academic feedback have developed what is known as feedback literacy skills. Being able to learn from feedback is an exceptionally powerful way of growing as a student; however, the process of receiving feedback can be stressful. This can lead to behaviours such as avoidance, denial or diminishing the importance of feedback, which can impact learning. Providing students with the skills needed to learn from feedback and to manage feedback associated stress is therefore increasingly relevant to student success and wellbeing. Feedback literacy skills include managing affect (emotions), focus, and self-advocacy, which are skills that are supported by mindfulness. Mindfulness is being present, on purpose, and without judgement, and is a proven practice that helps to reduce and manage stress. This study is of post-secondary students’ perceptions concerning feedback literacy, mindfulness, and stress, and their thoughts on digital mindfulness tools intended to support students who experience feedback-associated stress. Hypothesis: Students with higher mindfulness skills will also have higher feedback literacy skills and will also have lower stress. Methodology: Students were recruited from across several disciplines (+1000 students), including Physiology and Pharmacology, Dentistry, Occupational Therapy, Information and Media Studies, and Law, along with students supported by the Learning Development and Success Centre at Western University. The study included an online survey ( n=237) and focus groups ( n=6). Gender and program were both included in the survey; however, due to limited sample size, no additional analysis of these factors was conducted. Coding and thematic analysis was conducted by three faculty and two graduate research assistants. Summary of results: The survey data demonstrates that students with greater mindfulness have significantly greater feedback literacy, as well as lower stress. Thematic analysis of focus group data shows a broad range of affective and behavioural responses were shaped by how students perceive their own abilities, circumstances, and feedback itself. Thematic analysis also suggests there is a developmental trajectory for both mindfulness and feedback literacy as graduate students discussed more mindfulness and feedback literacy skills. Discipline-specific views on mindfulness and stress were also apparent. Conclusion: Survey results indicate that students who are more mindful have higher feedback literacy skills; however, when mindfulness and feedback literacy were discussed in focus groups, data suggests that few students considered explicitly linking mindfulness to academic feedback. Students across the various programs expressed vastly different familiarity with mindfulness and feedback literacy. All students expressed interest regarding the development of digital mindfulness tools to alleviate feedback-associated stress and offered recommendations for their implementation. These recommendations were discipline-specific and included the development of program competencies with respect to feedback literacy and wellness. Internal grants from the University of Western Ontario and the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Addressing feedback-associated stress as a barrier to learning is increasingly relevant to student success and well-being. Mindfulness practices support stress management for students during the academic feedback process. Even if students receive high-quality feedback, the receiving end of feedback can be stressful, perhaps raising feelings of anxiety, confusion, or inadequacy. Feedback literacy and mindfulness practices complement one another. Mindfulness can potentially support feedback literacy by focusing one’s attention on the tasks needed to address feedback, instead of being distracted by emotions triggered by feedback. This study, comprised of an online survey (n = 237) and focus groups (n = 6), assesses post-secondary students’ perceptions concerning feedback literacy, mindfulness, and stress, and their thoughts about digital mindfulness tools intended to support students experiencing feedback-associated stress. Recruitment of students was from courses in Health Sciences, Medical Sciences, Media Studies, and Law. The survey data demonstrate that students with greater mindfulness have significantly greater feedback literacy as well as lower stress. Focus group data shows that a broad range of affective and behavioral responses are shaped by students’ perceptions of their abilities, circumstances, and feedback itself. Although students expressed familiarity with mindfulness practices, few considered explicitly linking mindfulness to their feedback process. Nevertheless, students expressed interest regarding the development of digital mindfulness tools to alleviate feedback-associated stress and offered recommendations for implementation.

This panel centers on presentations that address examples of spiritual and/or religious experiences through an information lens. The panelists will initiate a timely conversation about the ways in which individuals and communities make sense of their information worlds post pandemic and in contexts of high uncertainty (e.g., climate anxiety, increased polarization, AI developments, etc.). In examining coping strategies of the spiritual and/or religious kinds, the panel brings together scholars in a range of information fields to address several of the conference's themes, including new theoretical conceptualizations of the cultural, social, cognitive, affective, and situational aspects of information needs, searching, use, and sharing. As well, the session's examined contexts of everyday lived religion and spirituality can enrich our understanding of the intersections between health and well‐being, socio‐technical arrangements, and evolving and diverse information practices. The short presentations and interactive engagement bring together an international group of emerging and established scholars into conversation and will coalesce into the formulation of a research agenda on this topic. Speakers’ interventions will revolve around three connected questions: How can religious and spiritual experiences be theoretically contextualized within Information Science? What research approaches are most suitable for exploring spirituality/religion in our digital networked world? What ethical challenges do researchers encounter in undertaking this type of research (especially during a pandemic) and how can they be effectively addressed?

Ethnography has become a popular research design in LIS, with many creative implementations as well as concomitant problems. The seven panelists have expert perspectives to share about ethnography’s evolution and impact within our field. The panel begins with a succinct overall history of the method in LIS and a critical analysis of Chatman’s methodological innovations. Then, six inventive extensions are reported: sensory ethnography; visual ethnography; ethnography within an arts-informed paradigm; ethnography within a contemplative paradigm; critically-oriented participatory narratology and autoethnography intersections; and ethnography applied within information institutions. The presentations will systematically display ethnography’s wide-ranging colors and flavors, followed by in-depth discussion of its merits, complications, and future trajectories in LIS.

Contemplative inquiry is an introspective methodology that values first-person perspectives and diverse ways of knowing. This paper introduces contemplative inquiry as a promising methodology for information science research. The methodology is first contextualized within a discussion of research at the crossroads of information and contemplation and then elaborated utilizing examples from the author’s thesis research. Possible contributions of the methodology to information science are subsequently highlighted, as are potential future research applications. It is proposed that adoption of the methodology will offer information science researchers the techniques and tools necessary to explore fundamental questions regarding human contemplative experiences and growth.

In the spirit of contemplative pedagogy, this panel introduces The Tree of Contemplative Practices – a graphic representation that helps educators and students to understand the main principles and seven major types of contemplative practices. Using the Tree as a framework, enthusiasts can learn contemplative practices in a systematic, secular, and bespoke manner. Sequentially, the moderator and presenters will: 1) Encapsulate their commitment to contemplative pedagogy; 2) Recount an application of The Tree of Contemplative Practices in their teaching; and 3) Demonstrate several of the Tree’s major limbs (e.g. generative) and branches (e.g. loving-kindness meditation).