Evaluating Sources Activity for First-Year Composition

Authors

  • Beth Bir Fayetteville State University

Keywords:

information literacy, composition

Abstract

Although many first-year students enter college believing they have strong information literacy skills because they regularly navigate the internet, they often are not critical of the credibility of their sources nor of the material found therein.   In real life situations as well as in academic and professional scenarios, students will be asked to make reasoned arguments, backing their ideas with information they have not only found but also evaluated for credibility and relevance.  This classroom activity is designed for use in a first-year composition course, and its goal is to introduce students to the concept of evaluating source material by giving students a plausible scenario and writing assignment based on evidence taken from given source material, some of which is not credible nor relevant.  This activity forms the foundation for future application of the concept as students later evaluate sources found in their own research.

Author Biography

Beth Bir, Fayetteville State University

Assistant Professor of English

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Published

2013-01-07

Issue

Section

Tool Box