Transliteracy: Technical term for "Its all blurry?"

Some people really get into theory. Their eyes light up as they ruminate on the theory of something something something. I'm a little thick and I find theoretical thinking difficult. But it is good for me. Right? Just no more reading Foucault (though maybe a little more Derrida for Louis-Charles.)

I have the privilege of lecturing at the School of Information Management @ Dalhousie.  I teach a course called Managing Information Literacy Instruction.  We explore how to equip people to engage with information: to know when they need it, to find it, to evaluate it, and to use it effectively and ethically.  I have students who are much more intrigued with theory than I.  One concept we have engaged with is Transliteracy defined as "the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks." This is the new dimension to using information.

I've referred a couple of times to Chris Helland's distinction between "religion online" and "online religion."  The former is comprised of religion information accessible on the internet, like most church websites that are not really interactive. The latter are online environments where religion can be practiced. This is not just about virtual worlds, but includes interactive elements like online discussion and prayer groups. Chris developed this useful distinction around 2000.
But religious online engagement has changed: social media is being rapidly embraced, the pulpit is becoming more visual, and on Sunday I'll turn to my Bible app, while the service streams to the world.  When I attended the Conference on Media, Religion and Culture 2 years ago there was already much discussion around whether the distinction between online and offline still holds.  They are bleeding into each other.

Now enter transliteracy.  Does format matter anymore?  Is the medium fluid?  Is text now text+?  In September I was able to attend the #Influence12 Symposium on Measuring Influence of Social Media.  Sessions ranged from "Facebook's Influence on the Egyptian Revolution" and "Data Mining as Social Research."  It was a fascinating yet unsettling symposium.  The online and offline bleed together, and whether we like it or not, new medias (twitter, facebook, pinterest, etc) are transforming how we interact with each other, on personal and global scales.

• The challenge for the symposium was to understand the power of that impact.  
• The challenge for my students is to equip our communities to engage with this new world.  
• The question for me is to understand faith lived out where the online/offline bleed together. 

 The theory hurts my head; the practice...well, I'll get back to you on that.

InfoGraphic http://pinterest.com/pin/176344141629601788/