The Spring 2022 Feature article in the Full Circle Kit examines the lines between incompetence and fluency using the results of a study conducted by 21cif at Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development.
The data suggests that a minimum competency for someone to be identified as 'literate' is a 60% success rate on search and retrieval tasks. The point at which fluency starts is less clear.
Fifty years ago, the national networks CBS, ABC and NBC dominated television screens in America and were the primary way voters obtained information. Each network, along with newspapers and radio, told its audience facts first, and all agreed on what the facts were. That meant Americans had a shared understanding of the truth — which is what led to the erosion of both Democratic and Republican public support for then-President Richard Nixon during the Watergate investigation.
But the time of Democrats and Republicans agreeing on facts is no more. In the early 1980s, cable news networks emerged. The late ‘80s and early ‘90s brought the internet, and Six Degrees became the first social media platform later in the ‘90s. With each development, avenues for information grew more abundant. People weren’t confined to newspapers and the three news stations for information. Instead, we gained the ability to access information anywhere — and with less and less scrutiny.
Online Security Guide for Parents
- cyberbullying (how to recognize and mitigate it)
- online predators, grooming and private message etiquette
- online privacy, content exposure and boundaries
- monitoring Internet exposure and filtering media
- managing screen time and fostering healthy relationship
If you are looking for helpful tips to share with parents or students, give it a read.
For a long time we've emphasized the importance of fact checking. But even facts that 'check out' can be used (incorrectly) as weapons in information wars.
A quick recap:
When 'conclusions' like these are amplified on social media they really do have an impact, even if they are misinformation based on verified facts.
The need for information fluency and not taking for granted everything we read is as true today as it was when the Internet first appeared. The article offers guidelines in terms of questions that are good to ask of any information. Here are just a few:
When facts are used as weapons (e.g., to vilify a political party, a scientific finding, a leadership decision, etc.) the task of not falling prey to misinformation requires more than reading. If recent events have taught us anything, is that information can't be taken at face value without some degree of risk. Unless readers exercise care and learn to evaluate facts on their own, they are increasingly at risk.
Patrick Dennis, an Adobe associate, contacted us with a resource he helped develop on the topic of Plagiarism. It's an excellent overview of the subject, including these sub-sections:
What is plagiarism?
Types of plagiarism
Consequences and results of plagiarism
How to identify plagiarism
Using plagiarism detection tools
Recognizing common detection-avoidance tactics
How to prevent plagiarism
Prioritizing proper citation
Focus on time management
Understanding the gray areas
Resources for students and educators to avoid plagiarism
Also in this issue: The Importance of Information Fluency by Anna Medina
By Anna Medina
Information fluency is a skill that not many people know of. And yet, it is by far one of the most important things you should know to be able to succeed today professionally and even more so as a researcher.
Information fluent individuals are able to consume information in a more critical and efficient way which allows them to become better learners, researchers, and professionals in their respective fields. Hence, here’s everything you should know about information fluency and how you can develop it in yourself.
To put it simply, information fluency (or information literacy) is a skill that allows you to evaluate and filter digital information before consuming it. In a way, information fluency is actually a set of skills. Once you have developed all of them, you become information fluent and can be more efficient when working with all kinds of information.
When it comes to the process itself, information fluency is applied at every stage of your research. It helps you locate and identify useful information, then retrieve and assess it, and finally use it to solve problems. Moreover, information fluent individuals are better learners are able to be more independent and critical while consuming information.
In some cases, information fluency is separated from information literacy. In this sense, information fluency is seen as a symbiosis of critical thinking, information literacy, and computer skills. Nevertheless, the essence of information fluency stays the same as it helps you achieve a particular set of goals.
What are the biggest benefits of information fluency?
Natasha Rooney, an expert in paper writing, says, “I do a lot of research on a daily basis. Every review of essay writing services I proofread has to be accurate and reliable. This is why I consider information fluency one of the most important skills in my arsenal. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to do my job right and to consume information while actually filtering it rather than doing so absent-mindedly.”
Indeed, information fluency is extremely useful for doing research. But besides that, there are some other benefits to having this skill, namely:
What are the most important information fluency skills?
George McConaughey, an expert from an essay editing service reviews site, explains, “Information fluency can’t really be simplified to a single skill. It’s a set of different skills you need to develop to truly understand how to work with information effectively. It’s valuable both for researchers and for professionals in all kinds of fields.”
The most common information fluency skills include:
If you build and develop these skills enough, you will be able to determine your information needs and set appropriate goals. Then, you will be able to find and evaluate information. Once you have the information, you will be able to use it to solve problems. Lastly, you will be able to analyze your learning process and correctly reference the information you used.
All in all, information fluency is definitely a much-needed skill set for many researchers and professionals. By developing the skills associated with information fluency, you will be able to consume information more critically and efficiently. Use the tips in this article to help you get started and begin working on your own information fluency.
Anna Medina has enjoyed writing ever since her university years. Upon graduating from the Interpreters Department, she realized that translation was not as interesting as freelance writing. She practices her skills writing on a variety of topics.
Source: https://21cif.com/fullcircle/winter2022/feature2
For years, we've used the endangered Pacific Tree Octopus as a test case to teach investigative searching skills:
Now you can test your investigative savvy using six criteria: Author, Publisher, Bias, Freshness, Backlinks and Fact Checking.
Give it a try. If you've never read about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus before, you really owe it to yourself.
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