Source Evaluation, Comprehension, and Learning in Internet Science Inquiry Tasks

Abstract

In two experiments, undergraduates' evaluation and use of multiple Internet sources during a science inquiry task were examined. In Experiment 1, undergraduates had the task of explaining what caused the eruption of Mt. St. Helens using the results of an Internet search. Multiple regression analyses indicated that source evaluation significantly predicted learning outcomes, with more successful learners better able to discriminate scientifically reliable from unreliable information. In Experiment 2, an instructional unit (SEEK) taught undergraduates how to evaluate the reliability of information sources. Undergraduates who used SEEK while working on an inquiry task about the Atkins low-carbohydrate diet displayed greater differentiation in their reliability judgments of information sources than a comparison group. Both groups then participated in the Mt. St. Helens task. Undergraduates in the SEEK conditions demonstrated better learning from the volcano task. The current studies indicate that the evaluation of information sources is critical to successful learning from Internet-based inquiry and amenable to improvement through instruction.

Sourcing in the reading process: introduction to the special issue

“…In many situations, adolescent and adult readers fail to notice source information, and when they do notice sources, they often do not consider them for evaluating the content (e.g., Barzilai, Tzadok, & Eshet-Alkalai, 2015;Britt & Aglinskas, 2002;Eysenbach & Köhler, 2002;Kobayashi, 2014;Stadtler & Bromme, 2007, 2008Steffens, Britt, Braasch, Strømsø, & Bråten, 2014;Strømsø, Bråten, Britt, & Ferguson, 2013;Wineburg, 1991;Wiley et al, 2009). These findings raise the question of why readers frequently omit sourcing activities.…”

“…Hence, sourcing is required to form an integrated and complete mental representation of the topic that accounts for the multitude of perspectives (Rouet, 2006;Perfetti et al, 1999). Previous research has confirmed a positive relationship between sourcing activities and multiple-document comprehension (e.g., Bråten et al, 2009;Strømsø et al, 2010;Wiley et al, 2009). For instance, in a study by Strømsø et al (2010), students' memory for source information after reading a set of documents about climate change predicted their deep text comprehension, assessed through a sentence-verification task.…”

Comprehension of Multiple Documents With Conflicting Information: A Two-Step Model of Validation

“…A third approach to foster multiple document comprehension is training readers to become more aware of source information and to evaluate the quality and validity of the sources (e.g., Braasch, Bra ten, Strømsø, Anmarkrud, & Ferguson, 2013;Brem, Russell, & Weems, 2001;Britt & Aglinskas, 2002;Macedo-Rouet, Braasch, Britt, & Rouet, 2013, Stadtler & Bromme, 2007Wiley et al, 2009). Such trainings aim at educating readers on how to discriminate reliable from unreliable documents based on source attributes, such as publication type or date of publication.…”

Trusting Trust in the Context of Higher Education: The Potential Limits of the Trust Concept

“…This procedure will include the effects of excessive trust in written documents (for example, curricula), Internet sources and teachers, exploring whether the levels of trust are related to metacognitive thinking, including creative and critical thinking. In other words, we are attempting to examine empirically the manner in which trust in written sources (for example, source evaluation processes; Bråten et al, 2009;Wiley et al, 2009) might influence students' modes of cognitive processing.…”