Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

NLB programme to help children assess quality of online information

SINGAPORE — They are quick to go on the Internet to do research for their schoolwork, but as soon as they find nuggets of information, many do not cross-check its veracity against other resources. Many also cut and paste information they find without attributing the source, committing plagiarism in the process.

SINGAPORE — They are quick to go on the Internet to do research for their schoolwork, but as soon as they find nuggets of information, many do not cross-check its veracity against other resources. Many also cut and paste information they find without attributing the source, committing plagiarism in the process.

These are the observations of a facilitator running an information literacy programme for schoolchildren, overseen by the National Library Board (NLB).

Ms Goh Lee Kim, one of the facilitators for the Source-Understand-Research-Evaluate (SURE) programme, said many of the 1,300 or so students who have participated since 2013 take part thinking they are Internet-savvy.

“It is very difficult to regulate content online to know what is credible and what is not. When people use inaccurate information, it will decrease the quality of their work and what they are writing, and this will affect creativity and productivity due to inaccuracies,” she said.

To help students become more discerning when they source for information online, the programme holds workshops and talks at schools on the correct methods for research.

For instance, they are taught how to check if the source of information is credible and reliable, how to exercise fair judgment and how to differentiate between facts and opinions.

Its newest workshop, titled Historical Scene Investigation, sees participants playing detective to solve authentic local historical mysteries, such as why trolley buses disappeared from Singapore. They are introduced to primary sources, such as Mr N I Narayanan, an expert on trolley buses, as well as secondary sources, such as books and online resources.

Through the activities, students learn about Singapore’s history while picking up information literacy and problem-solving skills, said Ms Goh.

They also learn not to rely solely on information from the Internet, but to turn to other resources, such as books, databases and audio recordings, she added.

Mr Adib Mohd Salleh, 14, a Riverside Secondary School student who has gone through the programme, said he had learnt how to make better inferences and make use of sources and clues through the workshop. The hands-on experience would help him apply to his schoolwork the tips he picked up, he added. JORDON SIMPSON

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.