Module 11: Blog Reflection – “The web is not just a source of information, but a birthplace of information.” Student Information Literacy skills

The two videos displaying the “sharing open data movement” for the spreading of incredibly detailed, explicit information around the world are mind-boggling. (See www.TED.com Tim Berners-Lee and Gary Flake) At the touch of a key, data can be reorganized allowing a user to find the particular, unique details s/he requires; this absolutely changes the way students can use information for their research and projects, because it goes beyond just searching and browsing. Because the students will be navigating the Web at a more sophisticated level, they need to develop their information literacy skills to encompass non-linear navigation, being able to discover patterns in the information they are analyzing in order to gain quality and meaningful information, accessing and reviewing data on a global level, and, exercising higher-order, reflective thinking skills and a superior level of responsibility.
In the future, learning will lean heavily on the student’s ability to find and recognize appropriate information online, in other words, the quality of the student’s research skills. This includes being able to choose, evaluate and use appropriate online tools to find the required information, applying this information to solve a problem or to complete a project, knowing how to use an online library and databases, how to choose appropriate internet sites, having the know-how to sift through the information obtained, categorizing this information and successfully utilizing this information for one’s own purposes.
All of the tools, concepts and skills mastered at the primary and secondary school level can be applied at the students’ workplace in the future.