Selecting and Using Information for Argumentation in Science: Investigating a Web-Based Multiple Document Task

• In Event: How Learners Use, Integrate, and Evaluate Multiple Sources of Information

Abstract

We investigated the extent to which students need to be instructed in order to assess documents found on the internet for source reliability. This study extends prior research by tracking the use of information from unreliable source documents during a multiple document argumentation task on a scientific topic. These results suggest that students may not have the necessary knowledge to assess source information. Providing a shallow level of instruction simply directs attention to source information. Providing a deeper level of instruction that allows for practice and feedback affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge. Participants who received this deeper level of instruction incorporated more information in their arguments from reliable sources compared to those who did not.

Authors

• Kristopher Jon Kopp, University of Notre Dame

• Anne Britt, Northern Illinois University

• Keith Millis, Northern Illinois University

• Jean-Francois Rouet, CNRS and University of Poitiers