Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry: Reflection

Before taking this class, supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom (Walden University), I took for granted that my high school aged students, when asked to do a research project, would automatically know how to formulate clear questions for research, navigate the internet, choose valid web sites for their research , and know the importance of citing and referencing work taken from others. I feel that the most striking revelation came when I realized that just because a student knows how to read a textbook does not mean automatically mean he knows how to navigate through the internet with ease. After taking this course I have found that even those students who are avid successful readers of textbooks need help to successfully evaluate and decipher all the information that they find on the internet.

The first piece of information that I will pass on to my students is the mnemonic device "REAL", (November, 2008). "REAL" stands for: Read the URL, Examine the content, Ask about the author and owner, Look at the links (November, 2008,p.31). The use of this mnemonic device allows teachers to help students evaluate valid websites. With the amount of biased and inaccurate websites and information on line, students need skills to help them make good choices in the materials they choose to use in their research.

Once valid websites have been selected, students will need to gather the information needed for their research projects and correctly cite and reference that information. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach and model the importance of citation and referencing. Many of our students feel that just because the information was found on line they do not need to cite the author. The importance of referencing and citation should be taught as early as elementary school and its importance should be continually stressed.

This course has helped me to rethink the way I assign research projects. In stead of just giving my students a rubric with my expectations and bringing them to the computer lab where they work on their own, starting next school year, I plan to incorporate lessons and activities which will help my students to: create clear research questions, evaluate and validate web sites, and review the importance of citation before I assign the first research project.

No more taking for granted that my students have the skills needed to successfully navigate the internet. I will make a conscious effort to review procedures and check for understanding. Identifying any problems at the start of a project will make for a less stressful learning environment and allow students to take ownership and pride in their research projects.


November,A. (2008). Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand oaks, California: Corwin Press