Evaluating Resources for Perspective
This page discusses how to locate sources and evaluate them for perspective. Perspective basically means the position or slant toward which an author shapes information. In locating information, it is important to be able to understand that different sources hold certain perspectives, what information makes sense, and how to make sure the information you have received is accurate, reliable and credible.
According to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2016), when evaluating a source for perspective, it is important to ask what perspective is present in the source. This can be understand by answering following questions:
Who is the source trying to teach? Scholars; the general public; students in school, college or university
What is its tone and mission? To provide information; to persuade; to entertain; to sell a product or service
Does it shows indication of problematic bias? Opinions; facts; objective information; subjective information
According to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2016), when evaluating a source for perspective, it is important to ask what perspective is present in the source. This can be understand by answering following questions:
Who is the source trying to teach? Scholars; the general public; students in school, college or university
What is its tone and mission? To provide information; to persuade; to entertain; to sell a product or service
Does it shows indication of problematic bias? Opinions; facts; objective information; subjective information
Media Literacy
Due to technology, information spreads very quickly and therefore understanding news has become more important than ever. Media coverage can often be biassed or from a particular political point of view or perspective.
Here are 5 questions to ask anytime when viewing media:
Here are 5 questions to ask anytime when viewing media:
But it is necessary to pause and think- Is it true?
How to spot fake news? BTN Video
How to spot fake news? BTN Video
Summary so far
Throughout this website you have been learning how to evaluate information using four criteria (relevance, accuracy, credibility and perspective). Another way of looking at this, is that you have been developing your information literacy. As the information sources you have been evaluating have been online, you have been developing your digital literacy which includes media literacy and web literacy.
Web literacy is defined as the ability to read, write and participate on the web.
" Read" is how we explore on the web.
"Write" is how we build the web.
"Participate" is how we connect on the web.
The ability to evaluate and analyse web resources is important in our 21st century environment of continual technological change.
The standards on this infograph are another way of looking at how to evaluate web resources:
Web literacy is defined as the ability to read, write and participate on the web.
" Read" is how we explore on the web.
"Write" is how we build the web.
"Participate" is how we connect on the web.
The ability to evaluate and analyse web resources is important in our 21st century environment of continual technological change.
The standards on this infograph are another way of looking at how to evaluate web resources:
Domain
Does the website have an .edu, .org, or .gov ending in its URL?
A URL can show perspective. Where is it published?
Objectivity
Does the website have advertisements or commercials?
Ask yourself why was this written and for whom? Is it accurate?
Authority
What are the author’s credentials or organisation affiliation?
Does it appear that the author is a credible source?
Currency
When was the information published or posted?
Is the information and publication date current? This will show relevance.
Coverage
Is it free or is there a fee to obtain information?
Does it require any software to view the information?
Now let's watch a video to recap what we have learnt:
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