Subjects
information literacy, composition studies, misinformation, source evaluation, bias, higher education, instruction
Document Type
Research Article
Abstract
Concerns about the spread and adoption of misinformation abound, and academic librarians have played a part in trying to stem the tide through information literacy instruction. However, teaching students how to evaluate sources can be complicated—teaching fact-checking skills may be insufficient if it increases students’ overall cynicism about information ecosystems. This study explores how teaching fact-checking and lateral reading skills, along with instruction about “bias filters,” can help to reduce the cynicism of first year writing students, while also increasing their misinformation detection skills. Results are mixed, but teaching about the information creation process and “bias filters” is especially promising. The authors also recommend faculty-librarian collaborations as an effective strategy for teaching students how to evaluate sources.
DOI
10.15760/comminfolit.2025.19.1.5
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43761
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Goodsett, M., & Gagich, M. (2025). From Cynicism to Trust: Strategies for Teaching Students Source Evaluation Skills. Communications in Information Literacy, 19 (1), 69–92. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2025.19.1.5