Philosophy Colloquium Series presents Learning Management Systems Are The Enemy of Information Literacy: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In The Digital Age

Friday, April 3, 2026
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Allendale Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff, Students

Distrust of experts, information overload, overreliance on social media, shortened attention spans: these are the conditions facing many students today. To meet these conditions, we need to transition from a content-delivery to a skills-development model of the classroom. However, learning management systems do not fit this model well. First, they perpetuate the idea that all knowledge can be mediated through screen-based technologies, moving the source of insight from the activity of the (distractible) mind to the content on our (distracting) machines. Second, they provide instant access to content via hyperlinks and embedded files, mirroring the fast-paced information environment of social media and the open web, and reducing opportunities for students to practice, in slow and sustained ways, critical analysis of information sources and creative integration of their contents. Third, once the semester has ended, they restrict access to the knowledge they allegedly provide, not simply putting it behind a paywall but blocking students from it altogether. Fourth, they reinforce the tendency to view classroom knowledge as a one-and-done affair, as opposed to a foundation for continued reflection and synthesis, through features like quantitative measures of course completion and predictive grade calculators. For these and other reasons, Visiting Professor of Philosophy Quinn Harr suggests that educators need to seriously consider transitioning away from learning management systems if we are to meet this critical moment. And Harr will provide some practical ideas, drawn from their own evolving classroom practices, for how we might begin to do so.

Location Information

Mackinac Hall

10880 N Campus Drive

Room B-1138

Allendale, MI 49401

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Contact Information

If you have any questions, please call 616-331-2114, email [email protected], or email [email protected]

Hosting Department, Organization, or Business

GVSU Philosophy Department

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This event was added to the calendar by Allyssa Wetzel (wetzelal@gvsu.edu) on Monday, March 30, 2026 and was last updated on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 9:13 a.m.

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