Be Skeptical, Save Time: Teaching Generation Z To Determine The Credibility Of Online Information

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to explore sixth-grade students' reasoning as they conducted their online inquiry research projects while the teacher simultaneously taught them the skills necessary to evaluate the information obtained from the Internet. The author of this qualitative study played a dual role as the researcher and sixth-grade English language arts teacher. Using critical participatory action research, she worked with her colleagues to observe, reflect and design a new curriculum to meet the challenges of supporting sixth graders to conduct research using Web 4.0 technologies. The research question guiding this study asked what happens when Generation Z students conduct inquiries on the Internet when teachers are instructing them to evaluate information and reason online. Data sources included: interviews, observation, and multiple artifacts collections. Employing Erickson's interpretive research methods, three assertions were found: 1) Generation Z students rely on heuristics when deciding what to trust online, 2) Generation Z students need instructional support to determine the credibility of online information, and 3) Generation Z faced challenges offline which often became challenges online. Due to these findings, it is suggested that educators recognize the online inquiry heuristics guiding Generation Z's decision-making and use that knowledge to empower students to access credible information. This will require a comprehensive approach to critical media literacy focused on explicitly teaching and providing practices to middle school students as they learn to take a skeptical stance toward online information and read laterally to confirm the credibility of online information.