Exercise 4: Information Evaluation Skills for Your Students We are already knee deep in information, and the gusher shows no signs of stopping. In addition to the content we convey from our disciplines, we need to ensure that our students are skilled at evaluating new information as they encounter it. In this exercise, you'll begin to draft an exercise which would give your students a taste of that skill.
The Task
First, you'll take a look at several resources that are concerned with information literacy skills, especially those involving the analysis and critical evaluation of web-based information. Then you'll track down some web pages of varying credibility connected with your discipline that would be a part of an exercise that you could build into a course.The Process
Each group will consist of those seated in the same row in the lab.
- As a group, divide up the task of reading the information literacy skill links listed below.
- Next, summarize the reading for the other members of your group. Walk them through the page and point out what you regard as the most important points.
- Then, using the advanced search features of AltaVista, identify three or four sites within your discipline that might serve as good sites to be analyzed by your students.
- Be prepared to report orally on what you found and what ideas you've generated for an exercise for your students.
Resources
Here are the sites about information literacy and information analysis.