ERIC Number: ED434213
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 4
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Consumer Education for the Information Age. Practice Application Brief No. 4.
Kerka, Sandra
Now that the Internet has increased the potential for deception and misinformation among larger numbers of people, consumer education has a new role to play in helping people develop the skills needed to deal with the challenges of the Information Age. In the current information environment, consumers need the blend of skills and abilities that has been variously referred to as information literacy, critical literacy, media literacy, or digital literacy. This form of literacy combines the skills of locating, selecting, organizing, and synthesizing information with critical analysis, interpretation, and application of the results to solve problems and make decisions. Several approaches to teaching the World Wide Web (WWW) have been proposed, including an eight-step modular approach that includes the following: (1) basic concepts; (2) using the WWW for research; (3) basic WWW searching; (4) comparing WWW subject directories; (5) comparing WWW search engines; (6) advanced WWW search techniques; (7) evaluating WWW resources; and (8) synthesizing WWW research strategies. Other resources available to help consumer educators teach the critical literacy skills needed to navigate the WWW safely and successfully include a set of lesson plans and activities that are especially suited to adults and detailed checklists for teaching information source evaluation. (Contains 26 references.) (MN)
Descriptors: Computer Literacy, Consumer Education, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Educational Needs, Educational Resources, Information Literacy, Information Skills, Literacy Education, Problem Solving, Relevance (Education), Role of Education, Teaching Methods, Thinking Skills, World Wide Web
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Publication Type: ERIC Publications
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, Columbus, OH.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A