Here's an insightful piece on critical news literacy and how education is a solution. How do you teach critical news literacy? Feel free to share thoughts.
We've created a new category to our Annotated Links that currently has one listing by the University of Denver that covers a range of topics related to financial apps:
Each section provides helpful step-by-step instructions to help reduce financial risk when using online resources.
If you have similar resources to suggest, please send the links to our Help address.
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
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