Content Evaluation

Submitted by Gina Trask on March 24th, 2022
Share this on: 
Short Description: 

This lesson actively engages learners in the process of evaluating an information source using the SIFT technique, designed by Mike Caufield. The approach uses lateral reading techniques and the lesson encourages learners to apply and reflect on the technique as it pertains to a specific information need.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Activitydisplayed 1599 times27.11 KB
Example scenarios of information needs for the activitydisplayed 1668 times84.89 KB
Lesson plandisplayed 1873 times101.13 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Learners will be able to evaluate a website or online source to determine if it is appropriate to use for a specific information need.

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This lesson has been taught for multiple audiences: first-year and senior college students for a specific course assignment, as a drop-in virtual workshop with college students of all levels, and as a continuing education workshop with public school educators. The lesson has also be adapted as an asynchronous module in a learning management system.

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

Caulfield, M. (2019, June 19). SIFT (The Four Moves). Hapgood. https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/

Caulfield, M. (2017). Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers. https://webliteracy.pressbooks.com/

Lesson materials adapted from: Citizen Literacy by Robert Detmering, Amber Willenborg, and Terri Holtze for University of Louisville Libraries is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

 

Assessment or Criteria for Success
(e.g. rubric, guidelines, exemplary sample paper, etc.): 
AttachmentSize
Rubric for Activitydisplayed 1178 times81.95 KB
Assessment Short Description: 
The activity for this lesson serves as the assessment. The rubric can be used to assess the competency of the learners in regards to the SIFT technique. It may be appropriate for some learners to be at the "beginner" or "developing" stage and for others to aim for "exemplary" stage.
Suggested Citation: 
Trask, Gina. "Source Evaluation via SIFT Technique." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2022. https://projectcora.org/assignment/source-evaluation-sift-technique.
Submitted by Kendall Faulkner on July 14th, 2021
Share this on: 
Short Description: 

Annotated bibliographies have become a popular assignment in college courses and a way to scaffold research papers. Gathering a bibliography before turning in a completed research project allows students to focus on searching strategically and get feedback on the sources they obtained. Annotating that bibliography requires them to think critically about the sources they choose and their relationship to the research at hand. While there are numerous guides and examples that show students the format of an annotation, there are very few that connect annotations to research questions or guide students through making those connections. This lesson plan Uses Joseph Bizup’s BEAM Method from the realm of rhetoric studies to help students think about how sources are used and adds an additional layer of support. This support bridges the gap between a student recognizing a source is generally related to their topic, and thinking critically about how that source is used to answer a research question. 

 

Bizup, Joseph. "BEAM: A rhetorical vocabulary for teaching research-based writing." Rhetoric Review 27, no. 1 (2008): 72-86.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Handout_AnnotatedBibActivity.docxdisplayed 1376 times20.4 KB
Lesson Plan_Annotated Bibliographies with BEAM.docxdisplayed 1335 times11.99 KB
Slides_BEAMAnnotated Bibliographies.pptxdisplayed 1485 times3.49 MB
Sample Annotated Bibliography-Accessible.docxdisplayed 921 times23.93 KB
Learning Outcomes: 
    • Describe the purpose and structure of an annotated bibliography

    • Analyze an information source for its ability to help answer a research question and articulate that in an annotation. 

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This lesson was developed for a History course, and has also worked well in Ethnic and Area Studies classes. 

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

The class activity works best when using an assigned source (book, article, primary source, etc.) the students have already read/viewed as part of the class. If you don’t have that option, a book review can be a good stand in and even help students consider how to assess sources before reading them. Alternatively, or a short article or primary source can be used.

Suggested Citation: 
Faulkner, Kendall . "Annotated Bibliographies: Shining a Light on Source Evaluation with the BEAM Method." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/annotated-bibliographies-shining-light-source-evaluation-beam-method.
Submitted by Keely Kiczenski on December 10th, 2020
Share this on: 
Short Description: 

This lesson is intended as a one hour, single-session overview of one aspect of information literacy: evaluating the trustworthiness of resources, particularly online. The lesson is designed for a group of 10-25 adults in a public or academic library, or is also suitable for high school students. Instructor will teach students how to investigate a source and apply three small but powerful information literacy tools to evaluation: SIFT, PIE, and SMELL.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Information Literacy Lesson Plan with Appendix.pdfdisplayed 3447 times263.93 KB
IL Lesson Plan Appendix (separate).pdfdisplayed 2107 times163.28 KB
Information Literacy Lesson Plan.docxdisplayed 1033 times56.03 KB
Learning Outcomes: 
  • The student will be able to distinguish between standard evaluative criteria and apply appropriate criteria to an information source to determine its quality and relevance. 
  • The student will be able to detect misinformation and defend the credibility of a source by using relevant evaluative criteria and verifying claims externally.
  • Students will be able to locate a variety of sources about a topic and discern which would be most useful in fulfilling their information need.

 

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 
Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 
Suggested Citation: 
Kiczenski, Keely. "Who Can I Trust? – Questions to Ask When Evaluating Information Sources (featuring SIFT, PIE, and SMELL methods)." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2020. https://projectcora.org/assignment/who-can-i-trust-%E2%80%93-questions-ask-when-evaluating-information-sources-featuring-sift-pie.
Submitted by Krista Bowers Sharpe on November 20th, 2017
Share this on: 
Short Description: 

This lesson is intended as a single session within a major’s research methods course. Rather than using a shorter “scholarly vs. non-scholarly” comparison worksheet, this activity asks students to work in groups to systematically examine a scholarly article in depth, identify and evaluate its various components visually and in writing, and then compare it to a non-scholarly article on the same topic. Groups then report back to the entire class. Discussion is guided so as to touch on the processes by which sources are created, what these methods say about their authority, and to consider contextually appropriate uses for them.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Worksheet displayed 2299 times140.94 KB
AttachmentSize
BowersSharpe_AutopsyLessonPlan2017.docxdisplayed 1574 times18.64 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

● The student will be able to identify the standard elements of scholarly writing.
● The student will be able to distinguish scholarly from non-scholarly literature.
● The student will be able to select the appropriate type of source to use in various contexts.

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

Although the activity was developed for students taking two social science majors' research methods courses (SOC 323 and ANTH 305), it could be adapted to any setting that lends itself to in-depth examination of information creation processes, the construction of authority, and the contextual appropriateness of sources.

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

Lesson plan with tips for guided discussion.

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
The librarian and the teacher of record will evaluate students’ learning based on the verbal reports of their article comparisons and the resulting discussion between groups. Additional assessment will take place after the session by examining the written worksheets and marked-up articles.
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Unless seating allows for sitting in circles, pairs work better than groups of three for this activity; Some groups/students will spend too much time on some questions, so time-keeping and pacing are necessary; it is difficult to fit this activity into a 50-minutes session.

Suggested Citation: 
Bowers Sharpe, Krista. "Scholarly Article Autopsy." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/scholarly-article-autopsy.