See, hear, and speak no evil: A content approach to evaluating multicultural multimedia materials

Reference and User Services Quarterly

Volumn 39, Issue 3, 2000, Pages 255-263

  Chu, Clara M ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0034342941     PISSN: 10949054     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (44)

1. Angelos Agalianos and Peter Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software," Journal of Education Policy 9, no. 1 (1994): 35-45; Karen Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software," Computers and Education, 20 no. 4 (June 4, 1993): 283-90; and C. A. Bowers, The Cultural Dimensions of Educational Computing: Understanding the Non-Neutrality of Technology (New York: Teachers College Pr., 1988).
2. Angelos Agalianos and Peter Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software," Journal of Education Policy 9, no. 1 (1994): 35-45; Karen Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software," Computers and Education, 20 no. 4 (June 4, 1993): 283-90; and C. A. Bowers, The Cultural Dimensions of Educational Computing: Understanding the Non-Neutrality of Technology (New York: Teachers College Pr., 1988).
3. Angelos Agalianos and Peter Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software," Journal of Education Policy 9, no. 1 (1994): 35-45; Karen Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software," Computers and Education, 20 no. 4 (June 4, 1993): 283-90; and C. A. Bowers, The Cultural Dimensions of Educational Computing: Understanding the Non-Neutrality of Technology (New York: Teachers College Pr., 1988).
4. Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software," 36.
5. Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
6. The following works examine the biases found in cyberspace: Clara M. Chu, "Multicultural Information Services Using the Internet: Impact on Professional Work and Service," in "Library Service in a Multicultural Society," Papers for the IFLA Satellite Meeting 26-28 August 1997 (Special Issue of "Brogede Blade"), ed. Niels E. Pedersen (Hillrød, Denmark: The Union of Danish Librarians - Professional Group on Library Services for Immigrants and Refugees, 1997); Nancy Nelson Knupfer and others, "Gender Equity On-Line: Messages Portrayed with and about the New Technologies," in VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (Cheyenne, Wyo.: Oct. 1996), ED 408994; Judith Blanchette, The Culture of Computer Technology in Education and Research: A Canadian Perspective, Paper presented at the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) (Leeds, England, 1996), ED407929; "Brits on the Net," IT Link 9 (1996): 6; "World Library Leaders Gather in NYPL," Library Times International 13 (1996): 1-2; and World Wide Web Consortium, "Internationalization/ Localization: Non-Western Character Sets, Languages, and Writing Systems." Accessed June 8, 1997, www.w3.org/International/ 1997.
7. The following works examine the biases found in cyberspace: Clara M. Chu, "Multicultural Information Services Using the Internet: Impact on Professional Work and Service," in "Library Service in a Multicultural Society," Papers for the IFLA Satellite Meeting 26-28 August 1997 (Special Issue of "Brogede Blade"), ed. Niels E. Pedersen (Hillrød, Denmark: The Union of Danish Librarians - Professional Group on Library Services for Immigrants and Refugees, 1997); Nancy Nelson Knupfer and others, "Gender Equity On-Line: Messages Portrayed with and about the New Technologies," in VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (Cheyenne, Wyo.: Oct. 1996), ED 408994; Judith Blanchette, The Culture of Computer Technology in Education and Research: A Canadian Perspective, Paper presented at the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) (Leeds, England, 1996), ED407929; "Brits on the Net," IT Link 9 (1996): 6; "World Library Leaders Gather in NYPL," Library Times International 13 (1996): 1-2; and World Wide Web Consortium, "Internationalization/ Localization: Non-Western Character Sets, Languages, and Writing Systems." Accessed June 8, 1997, www.w3.org/International/ 1997.
8. The following works examine the biases found in cyberspace: Clara M. Chu, "Multicultural Information Services Using the Internet: Impact on Professional Work and Service," in "Library Service in a Multicultural Society," Papers for the IFLA Satellite Meeting 26-28 August 1997 (Special Issue of "Brogede Blade"), ed. Niels E. Pedersen (Hillrød, Denmark: The Union of Danish Librarians - Professional Group on Library Services for Immigrants and Refugees, 1997); Nancy Nelson Knupfer and others, "Gender Equity On-Line: Messages Portrayed with and about the New Technologies," in VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (Cheyenne, Wyo.: Oct. 1996), ED 408994; Judith Blanchette, The Culture of Computer Technology in Education and Research: A Canadian Perspective, Paper presented at the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) (Leeds, England, 1996), ED407929; "Brits on the Net," IT Link 9 (1996): 6; "World Library Leaders Gather in NYPL," Library Times International 13 (1996): 1-2; and World Wide Web Consortium, "Internationalization/ Localization: Non-Western Character Sets, Languages, and Writing Systems." Accessed June 8, 1997, www.w3.org/International/ 1997.
9. The following works examine the biases found in cyberspace: Clara M. Chu, "Multicultural Information Services Using the Internet: Impact on Professional Work and Service," in "Library Service in a Multicultural Society," Papers for the IFLA Satellite Meeting 26-28 August 1997 (Special Issue of "Brogede Blade"), ed. Niels E. Pedersen (Hillrød, Denmark: The Union of Danish Librarians - Professional Group on Library Services for Immigrants and Refugees, 1997); Nancy Nelson Knupfer and others, "Gender Equity On-Line: Messages Portrayed with and about the New Technologies," in VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (Cheyenne, Wyo.: Oct. 1996), ED 408994; Judith Blanchette, The Culture of Computer Technology in Education and Research: A Canadian Perspective, Paper presented at the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) (Leeds, England, 1996), ED407929; "Brits on the Net," IT Link 9 (1996): 6; "World Library Leaders Gather in NYPL," Library Times International 13 (1996): 1-2; and World Wide Web Consortium, "Internationalization/ Localization: Non-Western Character Sets, Languages, and Writing Systems." Accessed June 8, 1997, www.w3.org/International/ 1997.
10. The following works examine the biases found in cyberspace: Clara M. Chu, "Multicultural Information Services Using the Internet: Impact on Professional Work and Service," in "Library Service in a Multicultural Society," Papers for the IFLA Satellite Meeting 26-28 August 1997 (Special Issue of "Brogede Blade"), ed. Niels E. Pedersen (Hillrød, Denmark: The Union of Danish Librarians - Professional Group on Library Services for Immigrants and Refugees, 1997); Nancy Nelson Knupfer and others, "Gender Equity On-Line: Messages Portrayed with and about the New Technologies," in VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (Cheyenne, Wyo.: Oct. 1996), ED 408994; Judith Blanchette, The Culture of Computer Technology in Education and Research: A Canadian Perspective, Paper presented at the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) (Leeds, England, 1996), ED407929; "Brits on the Net," IT Link 9 (1996): 6; "World Library Leaders Gather in NYPL," Library Times International 13 (1996): 1-2; and World Wide Web Consortium, "Internationalization/ Localization: Non-Western Character Sets, Languages, and Writing Systems." Accessed June 8, 1997, www.w3.org/International/ 1997.
11. The following works examine the biases found in cyberspace: Clara M. Chu, "Multicultural Information Services Using the Internet: Impact on Professional Work and Service," in "Library Service in a Multicultural Society," Papers for the IFLA Satellite Meeting 26-28 August 1997 (Special Issue of "Brogede Blade"), ed. Niels E. Pedersen (Hillrød, Denmark: The Union of Danish Librarians - Professional Group on Library Services for Immigrants and Refugees, 1997); Nancy Nelson Knupfer and others, "Gender Equity On-Line: Messages Portrayed with and about the New Technologies," in VisionQuest: Journeys toward Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (Cheyenne, Wyo.: Oct. 1996), ED 408994; Judith Blanchette, The Culture of Computer Technology in Education and Research: A Canadian Perspective, Paper presented at the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA) (Leeds, England, 1996), ED407929; "Brits on the Net," IT Link 9 (1996): 6; "World Library Leaders Gather in NYPL," Library Times International 13 (1996): 1-2; and World Wide Web Consortium, "Internationalization/ Localization: Non-Western Character Sets, Languages, and Writing Systems." Accessed June 8, 1997, www.w3.org/International/ 1997.
12. Nancy Larrick, "The All-White World of Children's Books," Saturday Review 48 (Sept. 11, 1965): 63-65, 84-85.
13. For works that fall into this category, see for example John T. Gillespie and Ralph J. Folcarelli, Guides to Library Collection Development (Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1994), 66-72.
14. See for example Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Our Friends, Our World: An Annotated Guide to Significant Multicultural Books for Children and Teenagers (New York: R. R. Bowker, 1992) and Hazel Rochman, Against Borders: Promoting Books for a Multicultural World (Chicago: American Library Assn., 1993).
15. See for example Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Our Friends, Our World: An Annotated Guide to Significant Multicultural Books for Children and Teenagers (New York: R. R. Bowker, 1992) and Hazel Rochman, Against Borders: Promoting Books for a Multicultural World (Chicago: American Library Assn., 1993).
16. Publications by the Council on Interracial Books for Children, Racism and Sexism Resource Center for Educators include Human and Anti-Human Values in Children's Books: A Content Rating Instrument for Educators and Concerned Parents (New York: Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1976) and Stereotypes, Distortions, and Omissions in U.S. History Textbooks (New York: Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1977).
17. Council on Interracial Books for Children, Racism and Sexism Resource Center for Educators, 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism (New York: Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1979).
18. Janice J. Beaty, Building Bridges with Multicultural Picture Books: For Children 3-5 (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997), 24; See for example Suzanne Lo and Ginny Lee, "Asian Images in Children's Books: What Stories Do We Tell Our Children?" Emergency Librarian 20 (1993): 14-18, and Barbara J. Kuipers, American Indian Reference and Resource Books for Children and Young Adults, 2d ed. (Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995).
19. Janice J. Beaty, Building Bridges with Multicultural Picture Books: For Children 3-5 (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997), 24; See for example Suzanne Lo and Ginny Lee, "Asian Images in Children's Books: What Stories Do We Tell Our Children?" Emergency Librarian 20 (1993): 14-18, and Barbara J. Kuipers, American Indian Reference and Resource Books for Children and Young Adults, 2d ed. (Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995).
20. Janice J. Beaty, Building Bridges with Multicultural Picture Books: For Children 3-5 (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997), 24; See for example Suzanne Lo and Ginny Lee, "Asian Images in Children's Books: What Stories Do We Tell Our Children?" Emergency Librarian 20 (1993): 14-18, and Barbara J. Kuipers, American Indian Reference and Resource Books for Children and Young Adults, 2d ed. (Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995).
21. In addition, educational standards with which education districts must comply might be available at the state level. For example, technology resources used to teach that the California K-12 curriculum had to comply with standards established by the California State Department of Education, "Appendix D: Legal Compliance. Standards for Evaluation of Instructional Materials with Respect to Social Content," in Guidelines for the Evaluation of Instructional Technology Resources for California Schools. Accessed April 13, 2000, http://clearinghouse.k12.ca.us, 1996.
22. Donna Gollnick, Myra Sadker, and David Sadker, "Beyond the Dick and Jane Syndrome: Confronting Sex Bias in Instructional Materials," in Sex Equity Handbook for Schools, eds. Myra Pollack Sadker and David Miller Sadker (New York: Longman, 1982), 60-95.
23. Gary C. Powell, ed., Educational Technology 37, no. 2 (1997). Special issue for those who wish to make educational technology more responsive to learners' diverse backgrounds.
24. Thomas C. Reeves, "An Evaluator Looks at Cultural Diversity," Educational Technology 37, no. 2 (Mar./Apr. 1997): 27. Reeves offers a rating scale to determine multicultural sensitivity in instructional materials but does not state what rating value is indicative of strong multicultural sensitivity.
25. James A. Banks, Teaching Strategies for Ethnic Studies, 6th ed. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1997), 124.
26. National Association for the Education of Young Children, "NAEYC Position Statement: Technology and Young Children - Ages Three through Eight," Young Children 51 (Sept. 1996): 11-16.
27. Daniel D. Shade, "Software Evaluation," Young Children 51 (Sept. 1996): 17-21, and Virginia A. Walter, "Starting Early: Multimedia for the Tricycle Set," Book Links 6 (May 1997): 26-33.
28. Daniel D. Shade, "Software Evaluation," Young Children 51 (Sept. 1996): 17-21, and Virginia A. Walter, "Starting Early: Multimedia for the Tricycle Set," Book Links 6 (May 1997): 26-33.
29. Barbara L. Flynn, "Developing Media Collections to Serve Multicultural/Multiethnic Communities," The Acquisitions Librarian no. 9/10 (1993): 29-40; Lyn Miller-Lachmann, "Bytes and Bias: Eliminating Cultural Stereotypes from Educational Software," School Library Journal 40 (Nov. 1994): 26-30; Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software"; Bill Bigelow, "On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of 'The Oregon Trail' CD-ROM," Language Arts 74, no. 2 (1997): 84-93; and Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
30. Barbara L. Flynn, "Developing Media Collections to Serve Multicultural/Multiethnic Communities," The Acquisitions Librarian no. 9/10 (1993): 29-40; Lyn Miller-Lachmann, "Bytes and Bias: Eliminating Cultural Stereotypes from Educational Software," School Library Journal 40 (Nov. 1994): 26-30; Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software"; Bill Bigelow, "On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of 'The Oregon Trail' CD-ROM," Language Arts 74, no. 2 (1997): 84-93; and Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
31. Barbara L. Flynn, "Developing Media Collections to Serve Multicultural/Multiethnic Communities," The Acquisitions Librarian no. 9/10 (1993): 29-40; Lyn Miller-Lachmann, "Bytes and Bias: Eliminating Cultural Stereotypes from Educational Software," School Library Journal 40 (Nov. 1994): 26-30; Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software"; Bill Bigelow, "On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of 'The Oregon Trail' CD-ROM," Language Arts 74, no. 2 (1997): 84-93; and Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
32. Barbara L. Flynn, "Developing Media Collections to Serve Multicultural/Multiethnic Communities," The Acquisitions Librarian no. 9/10 (1993): 29-40; Lyn Miller-Lachmann, "Bytes and Bias: Eliminating Cultural Stereotypes from Educational Software," School Library Journal 40 (Nov. 1994): 26-30; Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software"; Bill Bigelow, "On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of 'The Oregon Trail' CD-ROM," Language Arts 74, no. 2 (1997): 84-93; and Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
33. Barbara L. Flynn, "Developing Media Collections to Serve Multicultural/Multiethnic Communities," The Acquisitions Librarian no. 9/10 (1993): 29-40; Lyn Miller-Lachmann, "Bytes and Bias: Eliminating Cultural Stereotypes from Educational Software," School Library Journal 40 (Nov. 1994): 26-30; Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge: The Non-Neutrality of Content-Specific Educational Software"; Bill Bigelow, "On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of 'The Oregon Trail' CD-ROM," Language Arts 74, no. 2 (1997): 84-93; and Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
34. Biraimah, "The Non-Neutrality of Educational Computer Software."
35. Ibid., 283.
36. Ibid., 284.
37. Agalianos and Cope, "Information Technology and Knowledge."
38. Bigelow, "On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of 'The Oregon Trail' CD-ROM," 90-91.
39. Evaluators require cultural preparedness and sensitivity; otherwise, they can miss nuances - temporal, regional, or contextual. In cases where there is absence of cultural expertise, assistance in evaluation is recommended. Evaluators can draw on individuals (e.g., community members, faculty, etc.); ethnic electronic discussion lists (see for example ALA's Web page at www.ala.org); and ethnic community, library, or educational organizations (e.g., Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, http://public.csusm.edu/campus_centers/csb/1999; National Association for Bilingual Education, www. nabe.org).
40. Evaluators require cultural preparedness and sensitivity; otherwise, they can miss nuances - temporal, regional, or contextual. In cases where there is absence of cultural expertise, assistance in evaluation is recommended. Evaluators can draw on individuals (e.g., community members, faculty, etc.); ethnic electronic discussion lists (see for example ALA's Web page at www.ala.org); and ethnic community, library, or educational organizations (e.g., Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, http://public.csusm.edu/campus_centers/csb/1999; National Association for Bilingual Education, www. nabe.org).
41. Evaluators require cultural preparedness and sensitivity; otherwise, they can miss nuances - temporal, regional, or contextual. In cases where there is absence of cultural expertise, assistance in evaluation is recommended. Evaluators can draw on individuals (e.g., community members, faculty, etc.); ethnic electronic discussion lists (see for example ALA's Web page at www.ala.org); and ethnic community, library, or educational organizations (e.g., Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents, http://public.csusm.edu/campus_centers/csb/1999; National Association for Bilingual Education, www. nabe.org).
42. Libraries collect and provide access to multimedia materials that address diverse topics. Therefore, general selection criteria for multimedia materials, which are readily available, are not addressed here, e.g., the consideration of the cost, technical expertise, and equipment necessary to use and maintain multimedia materials, the extent of interactivity, the ease of use of an interface, the capacity to hyperlink, the quality of the packaging, and the durability of the product.
43. The criteria attempt to be broad to examine the multisensory media, text, sound, and graphics of multicultural multimedia materials (refer to working definitions in the first section of this paper) of any reading level, audience, language, and cultural topic. Text refers to written language, meaning or knowledge represented in the text used, and the use of lyrics in one or more languages. Sound deals with spoken language, music, and other aural elements. Graphics deal with illustrations, photographs, videoclips, animation, icons, written script, colors, and other visual elements.
44. The criteria are made up of concepts to allow for a qualitative critical review, because the types of multimedia, topics, and uses and objectives of the materials can be varied. Quantitative methods, such as a checklist or rating system, are more suitable for evaluation with a narrower focus on a particular type of multimedia, content, or audience. These criteria are not meant to provide a conclusive decision for each work in all circumstances but to allow for informed decision making in order to meet the multicultural needs of a targeted community or specific situation.