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Infowhelm

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Have you been overwhelmed by the vast amount of information available online? You are not alone. This is feeling so prevalent that it has been given the term 'Infowhelm'.
Overwhelmed when searching the internet?
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Watch: Infowhelm and Information Fluency
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Global Digital Citizen Foundation 2013
What to do?
To overcome infowhelm today's students need to be armed with information literacy skills. These skills include being able to locate information by using sophisticated search techniques to refine their searches. They also include critical thinking skills to evaluate whether information sources are credible and reliable so as to determine fact from opinion. In addition, they need to be able to navigate the digital minefield safely and responsibly as digital citizens.

​Where to start? Explore the links below:

The Research Process 

Online Search Techniques

Evaluating Sources

Critical Thinking

Digital Citizenship
​

Copyright and Fair Dealing


Need more help?
Contact Ms Costello your Teacher Librarian
References and further reading

Benson, B. (2016). Cognitive bias cheat sheet. Better Humans. Retrieved from https://betterhumans.coach.me/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18#.oa8b5fv8o


Global Digital Citizen Foundation. (2012). Surviving InfoWhelm: Information Fluency to the Rescue. Global Digital Citizen Foundation. Retrieved from http://globaldigitalcitizen.org/surviving-infowhelm-information-fluency-to-the-rescue/

Global Digital Citizen Foundation. (2013). InfoWhelm and Information Fluency. Vimeo. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/55495939

Hider, P.  (2012). Information resource description: creating and managing metadata. London: Facet. 

Hough, M. (2011). Libraries as iCentres: Helping Schools. ACCESS, 25(1) 5-9.

Kharbach, M. (2012). What Teachers Need to Know about Infowhelm. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/03/what-teachers-need-to-know-about.html

McGrew, S. (2016). Why Students Can't Google Their Way to the Truth. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/11/02/why-students-cant-google-their-way-to.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news2-RM

O’Connell, J. (2012). So you think they can learn? Scan, 31(2) 5-11.

OECD (2011), Pisa 2009 Results: Students online: Digital Technologies and Performance, (Volume VI). Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Retrieved from: http://www.ecdl.org/media/PISA_2009_Results.pdf
​

Thomas, N. P., Crow, S. R., & Franklin, L. L. (2011). Chapter 3: The Information Search Process: Kuhlthau’s legacy. In Information literacy and information skills instruction: Applying research to practice in the 21st century school library (3rd ed). Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.22-58.

Images

Fire Hydrant : Braxton, B. (2016). Technology. 500 Hats. Retrieved from http://500hats.edublogs.org/?s=technology

Infowhelm: 
Global Digital Citizen,. (2013). InfoWhelm and Information Fluency. Vimeo. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/55495939


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Our Virtual Library by Cathy Costello is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Cathy Costello teacher librarian virtual library
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Virtual Library last updated 8 October 2019
Website Author: Cathy Costello B.A., Dip. Ed., M. Ed.

Virtual Library by Cathy Costello is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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