Choosing and using multiple information sources: Some new findings and emergent issues

Key Information-Problem Solving Skills to Learn in Secondary Education: A Qualitative, Multi-Case Study

“…In the same line, Goldman (2011) found that the amount of time spent on a site was another key difference between novice and expert searchers. The former ones spent more time on reliable sites whereas the novice did not differentiate them.…”

“…Previous studies have examined how students use the WWW to solve IPS tasks and their chellenges to do that (i.e., Britt & Aglinskas, 2002;Goldman, 2011;Lorenzen, 2002;Wallace et al, 2000). Some studies, for instance, have focused on how students assess the information or sources found on the Internet (i.e., Walraven, Brand-Gruwel, & Boshuizen, 2009).…”

Epistemic cognition when students read multiple documents containing conflicting scientific evidence: A think-aloud study

“…Even at university level, students may struggle to make judgments about information's relevance and reliability and obtain a balanced picture when reading rich, often conflicting information, located in multiple sources (Bråten, Strømsø, & Salmerón, 2011;Britt & Aglinskas, 2002;Mason, Boldrin, & Ariasi, 2010b;Wiley et al, 2009). Although ill-structured problems concerning, for example, unsettled scientific issues of potentially great personal and social relevance may require particular skills in assessing knowledge and evaluating knowledge claims, our understanding of how students approach such problems is still in its infancy (Goldman, 2011). To contribute to the building of a knowledge base in this area, our study investigated undergraduates' spontaneous epistemic cognition when working with multiple documents on the controversial social-scientific issue of cell phones and potential health risks.…”

The seduction of easiness: How science depictions influence laypeople’s reliance on their own evaluation of scientific information

“…Whether making up one's mind about undergoing a particular medical treatment or deciding whether certain behaviors are detrimental to the environment, laypeople must judge scientific claims and the arguments provided to support such claims. While the Internet has reduced problems of access to scientific information, a major challenge remains in the evaluation of this information, regarding its acceptability, usefulness and sufficiency for solving a problem at hand (Blair & Johnson, 1987;Brand-Gruwel & Stadtler, 2011;Bromme, Kienhues, & Porsch, 2010;Goldman, 2011;Kienhues, Stadtler, & Bromme, 2011;Mason, Ariasi, & Boldrin, 2011;Wiley et al, 2009). One reason why evaluation presents such a challenge lies in the specific nature of science knowledge.…”