Be perceptive

  • 5 minutes

The American Library Association defines information literacy as a "set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.” Today, educators and learners alike face an abundance of information online, some false and inappropriate. Educators and learners must employ information literacy skills, skills of perception, to evaluate authenticity of facts to filter out misinformation and inappropriate content. 

Today’s learners are part of a generation that realizes information is easily accessible and limitless. They value creativity and collaboration and understand that being connected to a wide range of information all the time means they can seek new information much more easily than generations before them. But, do they fully understand how to use technology tools to find, evaluate, and use information for their needs?

One model that helps online information-seekers solve problems and make decisions about information is the Big6 model. In this model, learners use six stages to find, process, and use information effectively: 

  • Task definition 
  • Information seeking strategies 
  • Location and access 
  • Use of information 
  • Synthesis 
  • Evaluation 

Another skill today’s online users need is the ability to recognize and avoid phishing scams in which an online attacker pretends to be a reputable person or company to steal sensitive data such as passwords or other personal information. Educators and learners use information provided by the Federal Trade Commission to discover how to recognize and be protected from phishing attacks and what to do if a phishing attack is realized.

Educators and learners must be competent in information literacy skills, use the Big6 stages to evaluate sources for misinformation or bias as they learn to understand multiple perspectives, and they must understand the importance of avoiding phishing schemes.

Tools to build skills of perception and information literacy

  • Bing Safe Search uses advanced technology to filter out inappropriate web content from search results, including text, images, and videos. Turning on Safe Search allows learners to focus on the quality of information retrieved and avoid information that does not meet search expectations.
  • Factcheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, uses a community of scholars to address public policy issues. The organization's goal is to use best practices of journalism and scholarship to increase public knowledge and understanding. Educators and learners use this site to assess whether information found online is accurate.
  • The Microsoft Edge browser includes built-in privacy and security features, making web searching more effective for both educators and learners. Microsoft Edge uses extensions, such as ad blocking extensions or Microsoft Editor, to improve online searches and remove distractors.
  • The Focused Inbox for Outlook separates the Inbox into two tabs: Focused and Other. Available for Microsoft 365, Exchange and Outlook.com, the Focused Inbox holds important messages, as defined by the user, while other messages stay out of the way. The Add to Safe Senders option filters messages from known contacts, which helps users avoid messages from senders of phishing scams.