Module 1. Information and data literacy. E-book

Scope

The scope of this module is to introduce the DigComp area of competence Information and Data Literacy. It also goes through the second dimension of competences that it entails as a part of searching, assessing and managing the type of information and data found in the digital environment.

This module is moreover intended to acknowledge and capacitate educators and, through them, adults to be independent digital users. The focus of the module is on the quality of the information searched, especially the distinction between opinion and fact, which is difficult to detect when the user is not proficient.

All the strategies and techniques useful for the purpose are explained and listed in the format of tips, or even steps to follow and teach gradually the proposed area of competence to a non-digital native adult.

Course content

Information and Data Literacy is an area of competence in the European DigComp framework that requires a set of skills, attitudes and knowledge, and the practice of those all, to be developed with proficiency. In today's digital age, where vast amounts of information and data are available, it is essential to have the skills to navigate, evaluate, and effectively use this wealth of resources. Information and Data Literacy empowers individuals to become critical thinkers, discern reliable information, and make informed decisions based on evidence.

This competence area encompasses the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, and ethically use information and data across various digital platforms and technologies. It involves understanding the nature of information, its sources, and its reliability. Data literacy, on the other hand, focuses on understanding and interpreting data, including statistical information and visualizations, to draw meaningful insights and conclusions.

Developing Information and Data Literacy skills enables individuals to become active participants in the digital society. It allows them to critically assess information, distinguish between fact and opinion, detect biases, and make informed judgments. Moreover, it helps individuals effectively manage and organize data, ensuring its accuracy, security, and privacy.

To explain the Information and Data Literacy competence further, we can break it down into a 2^nd dimension of competences:

1. Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital content. This competence involves the ability to search for information effectively using search engines, databases, and other digital resources, and developing an own method to do that. It includes using appropriate search techniques, refining search queries, and assessing the relevance and credibility of the information retrieved.
2. Evaluating data, information and digital content. Evaluating the quality, reliability, and relevance of information is crucial in the digital era since the amount of created information is outstanding. This competence focuses on assessing the authority and expertise of sources, analyzing bias, and critically evaluating the accuracy and currency of information. For this purpose, interpreting the collected data is important, especially in understanding different types of data, interpreting statistical information, and analyzing data visualizations to draw insights and support decision-making.
3. Managing data, information and digital content. Once information is gathered, organizing and structuring it in a meaningful way is important. This competence involves techniques for categorizing, tagging, and organizing digital information for efficient retrieval and future reference. Moreover, it is part of this competence to the ethical use of Information and Data, emphasizing the respect of intellectual property rights, adhering to privacy and data protection principles, and promoting responsible digital citizenship.

When it comes to browsing, searching, and filtering data, information, and digital content, there are several useful strategies and tools that can be employed, above listed:

Browsing Techniques:

1. Start with a clear objective. Define what you are looking for before you start browsing. Having a specific goal in mind will help you focus your search. For example: “chocolate cake recipe”.
2. Utilize bookmarks and preferences. Save websites or pages that you find valuable for future reference by using bookmarking features in your web browser.
3. Explore related content. Look for suggested or related content on websites, as it can provide additional information or different perspectives on the topic. For example: “vegan chocolate cake”.

Search Strategies:

1. Use appropriate keywords. Choose keywords that accurately represent the information you are seeking. Be specific and include relevant terms to narrow down your search.
2. Utilize advanced search operators. Most search engines support advanced search operators that allow you to refine your search. Examples include using quotation marks for exact phrases, using the "site:" operator to search within a specific website, or excluding certain terms with the "-" symbol.
3. Explore different search engines. While popular search engines like Google are commonly used, consider trying alternative search engines that may provide different results or specialize in specific types of content. For example, when searching for academic and/or educational materials based on research, Google Scholar can provide you with authoritative sources and articles of specific interest.

Filtering and Refining Results:

1. Utilize search filters. Many search engines provide filters to refine your search results based on criteria like date, location, file type, or language. These filters can help you narrow down results to find the most relevant information.
2. Assess credibility. Evaluate the credibility of sources by considering factors such as the author's expertise, the publication's reputation, and the presence of citations or references. Be cautious of biased or unreliable sources.
3. Explore different media formats. When searching for information, consider different media formats such as images, videos, or audio recordings, as they can offer diverse perspectives and enhance understanding.

Digital Content Management:

1. Use content aggregators. Gather and organize content from various sources in one place.
2. Employ note-taking and organization tools. Use digital note-taking apps, bookmarking tools, or cloud-based storage services to save, categorize, and organize digital content for easy retrieval.
3. Stay updated with alerts. Set up email alerts or notifications to receive updates on specific topics or keywords of interest.

Critical evaluation of information is everything during the browsing and searching process. Verifying information from multiple reliable sources, and considering cross-referencing to ensure accuracy and objectivity is something that should always be done before inspiring the content creation from those sources.

When it comes to evaluating data, information, and digital content, it's important to adopt a critical mindset and employ effective evaluation strategies. Here are some useful tips for evaluating the credibility, reliability, and relevance of data, information, and digital content:

Source Evaluation:

1. Assess the author or creator. Consider the expertise, credentials, and reputation of the author or organization responsible for producing the content. Look for indications of their qualifications and experience in the subject matter.
2. Examine the publication or website. Evaluate the credibility and trustworthiness of the publication or website hosting the content. Investigate their reputation, editorial processes, and whether they have a transparent review or fact-checking policy.
3. Check for bias or conflicts of interest. Investigate any potential biases or conflicts of interest that could influence the content. Look for indications of sponsorship, advertising, or affiliations that might compromise the objectivity of the information.

Accuracy and Reliability:

1. Cross-reference with multiple sources. Verify the information by comparing it with multiple reliable sources. Consistency among different sources increases confidence in the accuracy of the content.
2. Look for citations and references. Check whether the content provides citations, references, or links to supporting evidence. These indications of research and sourcing contribute to the credibility of the information.
3. Consider the timeliness. Evaluate the currency and relevance of the information. Depending on the subject matter, outdated information may be less reliable or accurate. Follow the usual procedure of searching for sources not older than 5 years, unless the found data are the only ones available.

Content Evaluation:

1. Analyze the tone and language. Pay attention to the tone and language used in the content. Assess whether it is objective, balanced, and free from excessive emotional or sensationalistic language.
2. Check for logical reasoning. Evaluate the coherence and logical flow of the content. Look for evidence-based arguments, clear reasoning, and avoidance of logical fallacies.
3. Consider the intended audience. Assess whether the content is appropriately tailored for its audience. Content that is overly simplistic or excessively technical may indicate a lack of depth or accuracy.

Fact-checking and Verification:

1. Use fact-checking resources. Consult reputable fact-checking organizations or websites that specialize in verifying the accuracy of claims or debunking misinformation.
2. Verify data and statistics. Scrutinize data and statistics presented in the content. Assess whether the data sources are provided, and consider whether they are reliable and from reputable organizations.
3. Adopt a critical mindset. Employing multiple evaluation strategies will help you make informed judgments and ensure that the information you rely on is trustworthy and reliable.

Managing data, information, and digital content efficiently represents the front door for individuals and organizations to make use of that information, and possibly take inspiration for their own digital content. Here are some useful advice on effectively managing these assets:

Data Organization and Storage:

1. Categorize and label data. Develop a consistent and logical system for categorizing and labelling data. This makes it easier to locate and retrieve specific information when needed.
2. Use folder structures. Organize digital files and documents into a hierarchical folder structure that reflects the content's subject matter or purpose. Consider using meaningful file names to aid in quick identification.
3. Implement version control. Maintain different versions of files or documents to track changes and ensure that the most up-to-date version is accessible. Version control systems or software can assist in managing these variations effectively.
4. Backup and data redundancy. Regularly back up your data to protect against accidental loss or corruption. Consider utilizing cloud storage or external hard drives to maintain redundant copies of important files.

Information Retrieval and Search-ability:

1. Implement metadata. Attach relevant metadata to digital content, including information like title, author, keywords, and descriptions. Metadata improves searchability and facilitates accurate retrieval.
2. Utilize search tools and features. Make use of search tools available within operating systems or software applications to locate files and information quickly. Become familiar with search operators and advanced search techniques to refine search queries.
3. Tagging and keyword usage. Employ tags or keywords to associate relevant information with files or digital content. This aids in organizing and retrieving specific data efficiently.

Data Security and Privacy:

1. Implement access controls. Determine appropriate access levels for different individuals or groups to ensure data security and privacy. Restrict access to sensitive information to authorized personnel only. For example, a picture provides certain content to be analyzed, but that picture can also be accompanied by other data on the searched information, like the date the picture has been shot.
2. Regularly update security measures. Stay updated with the latest security patches, antivirus software, and firewalls to protect against potential threats and vulnerabilities.
3. Data encryption. Implement encryption techniques to safeguard sensitive data, both during transmission and storage. Encryption adds an extra layer of protection, making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access the information.

Content Lifecycle Management:

1. Establish retention policies. Define retention periods for different types of data or digital content based on legal requirements and needs. Regularly review and dispose of data that is no longer needed or has reached the end of its lifecycle.
2. Archive and preservation. Identify valuable or historical data and content that should be archived for long-term preservation. Use appropriate formats and storage solutions to ensure the integrity and accessibility of archived materials.
3. Data governance and compliance. Develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards regarding data management, privacy, and security.

Collaboration and Sharing:

1. Collaboration platforms. Utilize collaboration tools and platforms to facilitate teamwork, document sharing, and version control among team members. This improves efficiency and ensures everyone has access to the latest information.
2. Secure sharing methods. Implement secure methods for sharing sensitive or confidential data, such as password-protected files or encrypted file-sharing services. Be mindful of data-sharing policies and adhere to any legal or organizational restrictions.

Implementing effective data, information, and digital content management practices, allows individuals and organizations to enhance productivity, protect sensitive information, and ensure efficient retrieval and use of valuable assets. In fact, these latest tips are widely employable to the adult education system, especially when dealing with updating processes, classroom creation, and using collaborative tools.

By developing competences in Information and Data Literacy, individuals can effectively navigate the digital landscape, critically analyze information, and harness the power of data for personal, professional, and social benefit. More specifically, in the case of 55+ adults, it is necessary to learn such competence since, more often, this audience makes use of social networks, websites and platforms without distinguishing the reality from the fake.

Detecting the difference between fact and opinion in the digital environment can be challenging due to the abundance of information and the spread of misinformation. However, there are several strategies you can employ to help discern between fact and opinion:

1. Consider the source. Assess the credibility and reputation of the source providing the information. Look for well-established and reliable sources such as reputable news organizations, scientific journals, or government agencies. Be cautious of biased sources, lack transparency, or have a history of spreading false information.
2. Evaluate the evidence. Examine the evidence presented to support a claim. Facts are typically backed by verifiable evidence, such as scientific studies, statistics, or official records. Opinion, on the other hand, relies on personal beliefs, experiences, or subjective interpretations. Look for reliable sources of evidence and cross-reference information to validate claims.
3. Look for objective language. Facts are usually presented neutrally and objectively, devoid of personal emotions or biases. Opinions, on the other hand, tend to include subjective language, emotional appeals, or value judgments. Pay attention to the language used in the information you come across and assess whether it leans more towards presenting verifiable information or expressing a viewpoint.
4. Check for consensus. Consensus among experts or multiple reputable sources can indicate a higher likelihood of factual information. If the majority of credible sources agree on a particular claim, it is more likely to be factual. However, it's important to be cautious of echo chambers or sources that rely on each other without external verification.
5. Fact-checking tools. Utilize fact-checking websites or tools that specialize in verifying claims and debunking misinformation. These platforms often provide assessments of the accuracy of certain statements, along with explanations and references. Some well-known fact-checking websites include Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact.
6. Develop critical thinking skills. Enhance your critical thinking abilities to evaluate information critically. Be sceptical, ask questions, and seek additional sources of information before accepting a claim as a fact. Consider the context, biases, motives, and possible alternative interpretations of the information presented.
7. Stay curious. Question information, and continually update your knowledge base to navigate the digital environment effectively. Detecting the difference between fact and opinion requires ongoing vigilance and critical analysis.

Practical exercise

Title: Evaluation of information and data

The exercise is about the evaluation of information and data on a certain given topic. For an educator, it is more difficult to transmit the assessment skill, than the searching and managing information and data since the reliability of the sources is tricky to detect, even for a more expert eye.

The exercise directly refers to the adult learner, and it follows the common 5-W questions used by the press.

You are given two links from your educator. Your job is to enter both of them and distinguish between fact and fake news, as a practice to be able to detect true and verified information from personal opinions.

• https://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/octopus-tree-of-oregon

What is really existing? A tree octopus or an octopus tree?

How to verify such information and cross-check the provided data?

Follow these steps:

Ask yourself where this information is coming from. Observe the URL. Does it look credible?

• You should acknowledge that verified URLs are ending with .org, .com, .edu, .net.
• Some fake URL sounds incomplete or similar to famous websites but with some different letter.

Check when the last update of the webpage has been made. Was that recent?

• Sometimes the dates do not even exist on the calendar, such as the 30^th of February.
• Some information could be just old, and we cannot take it as still valid.

Search for who created that information. Any metadata that can help you understand it?

• Another type of media, such as pictures can help us understand whether the information is edited by a person or that has been artificially created for the purpose (think about artificial intelligence).
• Check if the publisher is somehow related to other better-known and trusted authors.

Analyse what the website is talking about, and the appearance it has. Does it look professional?

• Read carefully and highlight possible misspellings and grammar errors. In case you find some, the author definitely doesn’t write for a job, but he/she better expresses a personal opinion.
• Analyse the layout and the overall appearance of the web, and its sections: wrong information usually lies on impersonal webpages where no author claims the content, or strange names appear.

Think why that content has been delivered. Do you think that makes any logical sense?

• Remember that when it is too good to be true, maybe that information or data is simply not.
• Attempt to cross-check the information by researching the same content on more reliable sources.

Once you have answered all those questions, make your own conclusion, before sharing it with the group.

Definitely, a tree octopus sounds amazing and quite a scientific discovery, but the website that contains that information has a strange name, a cartoonish layout, and, overall, a set of illogical data, almost against nature. Moreover, there is no certain identity of the content author, and the images have a weird quality, which indicates a possible edition of the same.

On the contrary, the octopus tree information seems quite accurate, and the website is trustworthy for its appearance and layout. What is more, the images and the metadata provide the reader with specific information, which can be cross-checked and verified through other sources.

Key takeaway

Information and Data Literacy represents a very important area of competence for the citizen to develop and improve through the practice of browsing, searching, evaluating and managing the information found or to be found in the digital environment. These competences, altogether, should allow each apprentice to become an individual user of technology and all sorts of multimedia content to that related. Finally, the quality of the content searched and found has to be verifiable before its methodical organization, and open to the analysis and identification of whether the information and data are real or just the fruit of personal opinion.

Advice

Whenever this course is provided face-to-face, it is important for the educator to possess visual support to show and explain the content of the training (a PowerPoint presentation, a hard copy of the theoretical part, and enough PCs for the users to do the exercises by themselves).

Moreover, a group dynamic is advisable, especially when performing the practical exercise, so as to gather opinions, knowledge and responses to the general input provided by the educator.

References

Digital Competences Framework (DigComp 2.2) update published - Empleo, Asuntos Sociales e Inclusión - Comisión Europea. (n.d.). https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=es&catId=89&newsId=10193&furtherNews=yesn

Korim, V. & Topcoach. (n.d.). Media literacy, fake news, etc. [Slide show; Powerpoint presentation]. COMmunication INclusion Erasmus+ project - LTTA February 2023, Bratislava, Slovakia. 

Facilitation sheet