UNIV 2001 24 (Karrer): Cross Cultural Perspectives: Home

There are a number of different definitions of information literacy and media literacy, and some combined definitions. Here is one definition:

"Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to developed informed views and to engage fully with society." (Secker, 2018)

Here are some questions to think about:

When evaluating the credibility of a media message, consider the following questions:

1. Who is the author of the message?
2. What is the motivation or the reason for creating the message?
3. How is the media message composed re: the specific information it offers the reader?

         (Hobbs, 2011, p.16)

Misinformation and Disinformation defined

Experimenting with emerging technologies to broaden your own understanding can be valuable, time-saving, and can help you to connect the dots in ways that you may not have been able to do so on your own.

Be aware that your own thoughts and voice are unique and exercising them frequently by critically thinking and reading is an opportunity to flex your creativity, to challenge systemic bias, and to come up with novel ideas. In the long term, not practicing critical thinking, particularly on a larger human scale may have unintended consequences. You can read dozens of news articles every day about the advancements of algorithms and generative AI and the implications this will have on just about every aspect of human society.

Here are a few hopefully thought provoking examples about surprising ways humans are shaping information technologies, and technologies are shaping human systems:

Wikipedia

• Wikipedia: Misconceptions & Benefits (Butler, Introduction to College Research)

• Wikipedia: List of policies and guidelines

• Wikipedia: Systemic Bias on Wikipedia

Google Translate

• Gothamist - Google Translate blamed to linking NYC agency with 'Communist Party of China'

Generative AI (ChatGPT, etc.)

• Bloomberg - Generative AI takes stereotypes and bias from bad to worse

• Forbes - The Hollywood Writers' Stirke: 3 reasons not to back down on AI

Algorithms and Bias

• Algorithms and polarization (Butler - Introduction to College Research)

• Algorithmic Justice League

• Brookings - Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation: Best practices and policies to reduce consumer harms

"Algorithms are step-by-step instructions that computers follow to complete tasks, solve problems, and make automated decisions. They use data to make predictions about people, including their preferences, attributes, and behaviors. Algorithms power nearly everything we see online, including search engines, social media, video games, online dating, and smartphone apps. They are used to shape and filter content on the platforms many of us interact with daily, such as Google, YouTube, Instagram, Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and Spotify. For example, algorithms determine which websites you see first in your Google search results, which posts you see on Facebook, and which videos YouTube “recommends” and autoplays for you." (Butler, W. D., Sargent, A., & Smith, K., 2021, ch. 1)

Algorithms, Bias and Polarization

• Algorithms and more defined, Penn State Libraries

• Algorithmic Justice League

• Launching the AI Elections Initiative, Aspen Digital

• Brookings - Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation: Best practices and policies to reduce consumer harms

Butler, W. D., Sargent, A., & Smith, K. (2021). What are algorithms? In Introduction to college research. essay, LibreTexts.

Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering Learners with Digital and Media Literacy. Knowledge Quest, 39(5), 12–17.

Secker, J. (2018). The revised CILIP definition of information literacy. Journal of Information Literacy, 12(1), pp. 156-158. doi: 10.11645/12.1.2454

Critical reading

• Get ready to question everything you read, but with a mind open to learning from trusted sources!

  • Skepticism, but not cynicism (Reading on the dangers of information cynicism)

Critical Reading Toolkit

• Ask questions of the text as you are reading as if you are having a conversation with it - if you are conducting research this will give you a natural segue into what research questions you want to investigate and support with outside evidence (sources) 

• Hunter College - Guidelines for Critical Reading

• Wikihow: Understand a Word Without Using a Dictionary

• The 5 W's and 1 H - "To help me understand details of what I read"

Fact Checking

• Evaluate and investigate the arguments, evidence given to support arguments, opinions, biases, etc. in the sources you encounter

• SIFT Method - Seek verification from multiple, credible sources and trace original sources of evidence

• Stanford History Education Group - How Fact Checkers Evaluate Information Online

Here is the presentation for Professor Karrer's UNIV 2001 class held on 11/1/2024. Misinformation and Disinformation Presentation If you have any questions or need to reach out to me, my email at the library is michelel@fdu.edu.