WikiInfoLit Unit 3 Page 3
The Concept of Cognitive Authority
Read these excerpts from Ira Socol's "Irreconciliable Authority: Cognitive Authority, Technology, and the 21st Century Classroom", published by the Ira David School of the University of Michigan in 2007.
As you read this first excerpt, make note of each way that cognitive authority can be assessed:
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It is not necessary for every information source to look good by every one of those measures. Selecting resources that have adequate cognitive authority is more of a whole-picture thing.
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Click to enlarge, and read.
Unit 3, Activity 1
Post your answers to the following question in the WikiInfoLit Google Group under Unit 3, Question 1.
- Imagine that your student, who is supposed to be writing a research paper on a science topic, is arguing that she should be able to use this web site as a source. Use two or more of the criteria mentioned in the first excerpt from "Irreconciliable Authority" to explain point by point why that would not be a good idea.
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of traditional cognitive authority (credentialed authors, established publishers) with the advantages and disadvantages of "crowd-sourced" cognitive authority as is found in Wikipedia.
- Answer Sokol's question, "How do we create communal cognitive environments in schools which can both rely on and challenge the development of peer authority?"