WikiInfoLit EOI Unit 1
Events of Instruction
1 - Gain Attention
Present video: Information Transliteracy in the 21st Century Classroom
This video introduces what information literacy is (although it doesn't pause to just define it) and the importance of critical thinking in the context of choosing and evaluating sources. It mentions the idea that authority is subverted or irrelevant in the contemporary information environment, and that format is also irrelevant, but this only means that students need to update and enhance their evaluative abilities.
2 - Describe Goal
In Unit 1, you will develop a background knowledge of information literacy and critical thinking, and how they relate to Wikipedia.
3 - Stimulate Recall of Prior Knowledge
As educators, we are all aware of the importance of critical thinking. Many educators have studied John Dewey's classic, How We Think. You may want to read or reread Chapter 1. Dewey called it reflective thinking, felt it was important for optimal learning, and identified several key features:
- suspending judgment
- detaching from personal preferences and emotions
- attitude of inquiry and exploration
- testing hypotheses
- relating new knowledge to prior knowledge
- relating new knowledge to knowledge from other domains
- "finding ones way"
- examining alternatives
- accepting ambiguities
Dewey was a huge influence on our educational system. In recent years, the importance of his reflective thinking, or what we now call critical thinking, has been emphasized more and more. Critical Thinking is one of the 4 Cs of the Common Core.
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Screenshot from the P21 Common Core Toolkit. Please click to enlarge, and read.
It is also part of the Middle States accrediting organization's Standard 12 for higher education.
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Screenshot from the Middle States Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education. Please click to enlarge, and read.
Unless you are a librarian, you may only be peripherally familiar with Information Literacy. This is fine, because you probably already know and teach many aspects of it. Information Literacy is the way librarians systematize the kinds of knowledge and skills necessary to (among other things)
- search for information
- evaluate and select information to use
- understand the context in which information is created and communicated and used.
Here is the definition of Information Literacy from the Association of College and Research Libraries:
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Screenshot from Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. Please click to enlarge, and read.
Also read the definition of Information Literacy from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Research Information Network (RIN):
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Screenshot from What Is Information Literacy? Please click to enlarge, and read.
4 - Present the Material to be Learned
Read this article: "Using Wikipedia to Teach Information Literacy". (You will need to download it and open it with a PDF reader such as Adobe Reader, which is free.)
5 - Provide Guidance for Learning
Here are some questions to reflect on after reading the article. Please share your reflections on at least two of the questions with other learners in our WikiInfoLit Google Group under the topic "Unit 1, Question 1".
- What have you told your students about Wikipedia in the past? Have you allowed them to use Wikipedia for their assignments? Did you have any exceptions to your rules, and if so, what were they?
- What would you consider the strengths and weakness of Wikipedia? Compare them with the strengths and weaknesses of a published textbook or reference book.
- Do you agree with the article? If so, what do you think are the strongest points it makes, and why? Did the article change your beliefs in any way? If so, describe the change. If you disagree with the article, justify your beliefs.
6 - Elicit Performance Practice
Briefly outline a lesson plan about evaluating web pages using critical thinking. In it, you may encourage your students to use Wikipedia, discourage them from using Wikipedia, or tell them they can use Wikipedia under certain circumstances. However, you must justify your choice. Post your lesson plan and justification to the WikiInfoLit Google Group under the topic "Unit 1, Question 2."
7 - Provide Informative Feedback
Provided by me and peers in the Google Group.
8 - Assess Performance; Test if Lesson Has Been Learned
Done by me, by reading the Google Group posts.
Need a rubric!
9 - Enhance Retention and Transfer
Go to the Wikipedia article on Critical Thinking. Identify the following:
- The References section
- The Further Reading section
- The External Links section
- Annotations on the page as to its problems or need for improvement
- The Talk page
Then read the Talk page.