Learning and teaching information architecture: The current state of IA education

摘要

Editor's Summary Hitting the mainstream in the late 1990s, the concept of information architecture (IA) grew within library and information science, but it is closely tied to multiple fields, making an organized approach to learning and teaching a challenge. A World IA Day 2013 session explored IA through a survey and town hall meeting for insight into how and where people learn the craft. Survey responses showed four in five information architects come from other than information and library disciplines, but about half took a college course in the field. The vast majority of survey respondents and town hall attendees cited practical experience as critical. Without a consensus on core concepts and skills in IA, educators have no clear direction as they try to prepare students for work. Until agreement is established, input from multiple disciplines and ona??thea??job learning will remain key, though inconsistent, parts of IA education.