Location
Purdue University, West Lafayette
Description
Project Information Literacy’s 2024 Climate Study concludes that most college students are “Engaged”, or they are convinced of the existence of the climate crisis and believe it is their responsibility to stay informed through climate change information, news, and media. Building upon this study, we look to examine how engaged Purdue students are using information to facilitate climate change conversations with others. Using a semi-structured interview technique, we explored how students use information to talk productively with others and influence climate activism. Thematic analysis was used to observe four major themes: academic, personal, interpersonal, and collective. The personal approach illustrates the passion for climate change discussions that often lead to strong polarization among people who disagree. The interpersonal approach focuses on the barriers, hesitancy, or eagerness individuals feel when engaging in climate change conversations. This approach illustrates the emotional impact of climate change conversations and the innovation of effective communication strategies. The collective approach demonstrates a strong sense of shared responsibility, often fortified by lack of political and corporate action. Despite the difference in the rate at which participants are engaging in climate activism and conversations, the academic approach demonstrates that students similarly approach the information they encounter with a deeply evaluative and critical attitude shaped by firsthand academic experiences. Our study illustrates the how learned conversation strategies within the academic sphere exhibit and shape college students’ climate change emotions and sense of personal responsibility that are all encompassed by these major themes.
Document Type
Poster
Keywords
Climate change communication; information literacy; qualitative research
Climate Change Conversations: Evaluating the Role of Information Literacy in Student Communication
Purdue University, West Lafayette
Project Information Literacy’s 2024 Climate Study concludes that most college students are “Engaged”, or they are convinced of the existence of the climate crisis and believe it is their responsibility to stay informed through climate change information, news, and media. Building upon this study, we look to examine how engaged Purdue students are using information to facilitate climate change conversations with others. Using a semi-structured interview technique, we explored how students use information to talk productively with others and influence climate activism. Thematic analysis was used to observe four major themes: academic, personal, interpersonal, and collective. The personal approach illustrates the passion for climate change discussions that often lead to strong polarization among people who disagree. The interpersonal approach focuses on the barriers, hesitancy, or eagerness individuals feel when engaging in climate change conversations. This approach illustrates the emotional impact of climate change conversations and the innovation of effective communication strategies. The collective approach demonstrates a strong sense of shared responsibility, often fortified by lack of political and corporate action. Despite the difference in the rate at which participants are engaging in climate activism and conversations, the academic approach demonstrates that students similarly approach the information they encounter with a deeply evaluative and critical attitude shaped by firsthand academic experiences. Our study illustrates the how learned conversation strategies within the academic sphere exhibit and shape college students’ climate change emotions and sense of personal responsibility that are all encompassed by these major themes.
Comments
This was a poster presentation related to the SPIRaL undergraduate research program.