As the sources and globalization of information increase, we as educators (and parents) need to guide our children to effectively evaluate and legitimize what is published online. There are several ways to do this. Meta-web information can help to distinguish the content and origin of the information by analyzing URLS, links and search engines. By understanding more about who or what sponsors a particular site, as well as what other organizations connect themselves to it in various ways, we can help our students evaluate its legitimacy and content. The simple task of determining if a site is a personal directory or university-backed space, for instance, can immediately help to distinguish the site's content.
Another way to discern and evaluate information is to learn more about the author or contributors of a site. Doing searches and background digs on the architect of a site will give us valuable insight as to whether or not they are legitimate experts on a topic or, even more importantly, what there purpose for publishing their information is. Finding other published sources of an author or examining links to contributing organizations helps provide a better picture of the information source.
Lastly, we need to teach our students how to evaluate the purpose of a site. Is something being sold, promoted, supported, evaluated, compared, or criticized? Just as in other forms of literacy, distinguishing author's purpose helps to get a clearer perspective of what information is put forth to us and allows us to better evaluate, synthesize and compare the content.
We need to teach our children (and ourselves) how to be investigators as we navigate through these sites. For example, Wikipedia accounts need to be closely examined for the same clues as I mentioned previously. Who are the authors and what are ther connections? Who is collaborating? When was the information posted and updated? The need to research and then further research is the best way to evaluate and legitimize what is online.
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Maryann, I generally agree with your statements, however was a little concerned about your (at least how I read it) notion that a university-backed site is immediately a reliable source. When I was a grad physics student I was able to create a .edu extension website that could have had incorrect information. Aside from that minor point, whether it's a disagreement, or I misread your comment, I think your insight into the remaining topic of educating youth about checking the validity shows a lot of prior thought, which may have come due to your tenure as a mother, and having to worry about these concerns on a prior and more personal level. Well done.
ReplyDeleteMatt