2023- 2024 SPIRAL Scholars

Student Partners for Information Research and Literacy (SPIRaL)

Program Overview

Are our choices really our own when our social media feeds can be manipulated to tell us how to think, feel, and act in the world?

Information is often used to confuse and disempower individuals and communities, threatening democracy around the world. It is of vital importance to society that individuals are able to navigate today’s algorithmically mediated information environment, which exacerbates the spread and the harms of mis and disinformation. SPIRaL researches the role information literacy may play in addressing these information challenges that impact society. Undergraduate SPIRaL scholars contribute to this work as full research partners, who make decisions that determine the purpose and direction of project outcomes. They learn with and from one another as part of a scholarly community. Undergraduate SPIRaL scholars do work with lasting impact as they shape the future of the program for the next cohort of SPIRaL scholars.

Research

In the 2023-24 academic year, SPIRaL conducted original qualitative research to study how undergraduate students perceive the relationship between social media algorithms and the ways they are able to engage democratically in digital spaces. We sought to better understand various student perspectives on the role algorithmic media and algorithmic platforms may play in shaping their civic attitudes, behaviors, and lives. This research may help identify new approaches for Libraries faculty to partner with students on algorithmic literacy efforts that reflect the digital experiences of college students and that aim to empower society to engage and participate democratically in today’s information environment.

Six undergraduate students joined research mentors from the Institute for Information Literacy at Purdue to conduct this research. The research team presented about the research at the 2024 Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference, winning second place in the Library and Information Studies poster category, and at the 2024 ID:EALS symposium. Watch our presentation on the Institute’s Youtube channel.

Learn more about our research and how to apply

For any questions, please email Rachel Fundator.