Why Information Literacy Matters?

1. Introduce yourself. Please introduce yourself in a professional manner to the class and to me.

• What are your educational goals? Please also share something you consider interesting about yourself.
• What do you think will be the most challenging thing for you as an online student? How will you overcome that challenge? What do you hope to gain from this class (CO1)?
• Just for fun, you might also add an image or hashtag that represents who you are and where you are in the educational process.

2. Share your thoughts about how we create an online community.

• What key elements do you think supports our ability to build an effective learning community (CO7)?
• Share your ideas, perspectives and thoughts. How can we use this platform to evolve as learners?

For this week’s forum, we are exploring websites that check information for bias, misinformation, and possible fake news misinformation. Go to the following websites and review the methodology they use to test information for accuracy.

• Our Process at FactCheck.org
• Methodology at Media Bias/Fact Check
• Transparency at Snopes.com

After you have looked over these websites and reviewed the methodology of each website, please answer the following:

• Which website do you find has the best way to review information for accuracy?
• Do any of these websites have any gaps in their methodology?
• Why is it important for everyone to be able to evaluate information?

Plagiarism is not something that just might occur in college papers; there are social and financial consequences to plagiarism in the real world (CO4). Please review the following plagiarism cases:

• Jayson Blair and the New York Times.
• Jonah Lehrer and the New Yorker.
• “Surfin’ USA” and “Sweet Little Sixteen.”

Choose one of the above examples and answer the following:

• Describe the plagiarism that occurred.
• What are the ethical issues related to this plagiarism?
• Find another example of real world plagiarism and share it with the class.

Part of being successful in college is being able to reflect on your educational journey. This is an optional forum so feel free to respond to any of the following prompts:

• Describe your academic journey so far in your life and how it has changed who you are.
• Share with the class a book that you greatly value and explain why it is important.
• How are you going to improve your writing and communication skills while you are at APUS?
• How are you going to improve your critical thinking skills while you are at APUS?
• How are you going to improve your problem solving skills while you are at APUS?

Information and digital literacy impacts the decision-making process in multiple ways from academic research to personal interest. More than ever before, information is at our fingertips and coming at us with lightning speed. How do we sift and use this information (CO1)? Step 4 of the Big 6 model relates to our use of information and the process of engaging and extracting relevant information. Next, Step 5 of the Big 6 approach focuses on synthesis of information (CO8).

Your instructor will set-up four (4) conversation groups this week in which you will select one or more topics to discuss which are of high interest to you.

• Health and Wellness
• Buying a Car
• Hobbies
• Vacations

To begin engaging in this forum, choose one of the conversation groups. Select a topic reference source from the web, which you deem credible and reliable. Read the source, extract the information and consider how you will engage your group members in the topic and information from the source. Be sure to include source attribution. As you are reading your source, consider the following:

• How will you synthesize and present the content of the source to share?
• What do you want your group members to know, and what do they need to know?
• How will you share the information so that the content is clear and concise?
• This is an opportunity for you to practice use of information and synthesis as you share with one another your own knowledge combined with a supporting source.

At a minimum, participate in one group, although you are welcome to participate in all group threads. Once the conversation is flowing, participate substantially with your peers to teach one another.

In the news we are constantly hearing about security breaches, invasion of personal privacy, and the increasing prevalence of our digital footprint. The increased availability of digital information presents concerns and challenges of privacy, accuracy, intellectual property rights, security, and censorship. As a global citizen, you need to be aware of these issues and how they impact your life (CO6).

Your instructor will set-up two (2) conversation groups this week in which you will select one topic to discuss which interests you.

• Conversation Group: Privacy
  • Privacy, as it relates to social media, video surveillance, drones, digital footprint or other topics as they relate to digital privacy.
  • How does the electronic environment impact one’s right to privacy?
• Conversation Group: Security
  • Security, as it relates to social media, video surveillance, drones, digital footprint or other topics as they relate to digital privacy.
  • How does the electronic environment impact one’s personal security?

Using the Richard G. Trefry Library or another credible source, locate and read a quality article regarding digital privacy or security. Be sure to provide attribution for your source in the forum. As you are formulating your initial post consider the following questions:

• What is the issue? Tell us about it as if we know nothing on the topic.
• What are the pros and cons of the issue?
• Why is the issue important?
• How might the issue impact your life?

You are required to participate in one group, and are welcome to participate in the other. Once the conversation is flowing, participate substantively with your peers to teach from one another.