This blog post for the EDCI 136 course will cover week 3’s lectures including lectures from Jeff Hopkins which focused on the inquiry process and Mike Caulfield which focused on the SIFT methodology and misinformation.
Jeff Hopkins spoke about the inquiry process for university students. Hopkins talked about the openness of students and the errors that students can make by lacking asking questions and inquiring about subjects on a deeper level. For example, Hopkins said that some students don’t take certain classes because they may lack knowledge in that subject, however, being able to inquire and gain knowledge on an unfamiliar topic is essential for developing a strong inquiry process in education and learning. Furthermore, by taking unfamiliar subjects it allows students to develop unfamiliar skills, such as a computer science major taking english courses to develop stronger communication, writing, and citation skills.
Mike Caulfield spoke on misinformation and disinformation and the SIFT Method. Mis/dis-information is a prominent issue with verification on the internet relating to the spreading and publication of false information. Caulfield used the example of how we previously received information from known sources in a physical world, such as receiving the morning newspaper from your local publication company. Presently, due to the internet, information sources need to be judged and evaluated because there are so many papers and information sources to be found.
Misinformation refers to incorrect information that is not intended to be wrong, essentially, it’s information that is mistakenly incorrect. Disinformation is false information that is intentionally wrong and intended to manipulate and guide people/organizations in the wrong direction.
The SIFT method by Caulfield is an evaluation method designed to analyze and educate yourself against mis/dis-information. The acronym SIFT, stands for Stop, Investigate the source, Find better Coverage and Trace claims/quotes/media to the original context