Digital Literacy – Searching for information online

So it is true!

Indigenous people from the Arctic

have 100 different words for snow.

That's an amazing fact!

Or is it!??

Everybody knows that we can

use digital resources

to find information we need.

Think about how many times

we do this in a day…

What's the next train home?

What will the weather be like tomorrow?

What messages have I received

from my tutor

on my distance learning course?

We all use online information services, but

are we using them effectively?

Hmmm. We need to think about

effective ways to search for information.

Today, we are looking at

using the internet

to search for information

and do research

for our distance learning studies.

But the internet is so

full of so much information:

what is the best way to find information -

and how far can we trust what we find?

Think about all the ways

you find information online.

You probably use a search engine like

Google or Bing

or one that is popular in your country.

Search engines are fantastically

useful, but they usually

show links to other websites,

so you need to critically evaluate

those sites to know

if the information there is reliable.

Imagine if you used incorrect

information you found

online in one of your university assignments.

You won't get

good marks like that.

Luckily, your academic institution

may provide you a list of trusted sources.

As a good distance

learner, you are expected

to do additional research

to find additional information, so

you need to critically evaluate

what you find online.

As well as websites, many people now

use social media

as a source of information.

We need to be even more critical

here to avoid

incorrect, false

or even deliberately fake information.

It's a good idea to question

everything you find online,

in all areas of your life -

as well as for your distance learning needs!

So, why should we be so cautious when using

online for searching for information?

To put it simply,

you could easily find incorrect information.

If the information you find is wrong,

then you will get poor marks

in your assignments.

Just the same as if the train times you find

online are wrong,

you could be in for a long walk home!

So, let's talk about how to make

sure you are finding

and using information online correctly.

Firstly, you need to build

up your list of trusted sources.

These are sources that you know

have a high level of credibility.

Your tutors can help you with this,

but you also need to be able to evaluate

sources you find online.

Many distance learners

use online forums and

wikis such as Quora, Yahoo Answers and Wikipedia

to find information.

Now, for everyday life these

can be useful resources.

But for distance learners

they should only be used as a starting

point for study.

You can research more fully

by going to the sources referenced in articles

on sites like Wikipedia.

If they are reputable

then you can use them as a resource.

You can also use academic search engines

such as Google Scholar or REFSEEK.

Similarly, we need to avoid untrusted sources.

Unfortunately, social media

is full of examples

of incorrect information.

So: just because somebody posts

a story on social media, don't

just accept it as fact -

you need to do more research

to see if the information is credible.

Another important aspect of online research

is avoiding online plagiarism.

Plagiarism

is an important word for all students.

It means 'taking other people's work

and claiming it is your own'.

This is a serious matter in academic study

and can result in serious consequences.

It's fine to look at other people's work

and use it as a source, but you have

to cite your references.

This means stating

exactly where the information has come from:

another important skill for students!

Citing references is

a requirement for all academic institutions,

so your distance learner provider

will supply you with

guidelines on how to do it.

So that's an introduction

to finding information online.

There is a world of resources out there,

but always be careful in how you use it!