Cognitive Authority in Everyday Life: From Small Worlds to Virtual Worlds

The very nature of information seeking in today's world suggests that credibility is an important factor in how one goes about seeking and using information. The proliferation of Web-based resources and the ability for nearly anyone to publish on the Web force individuals to make judgments of q...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Knowledge quest 2010, Vol.38 (3), p.48
Main Author: Meyers, Eric M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Children
Credibility
Epistemology
Evaluation
Information Seeking
Information Sources
Internet
Libraries
Metacognition
Parents
Role
Social Networks
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Summary:The very nature of information seeking in today's world suggests that credibility is an important factor in how one goes about seeking and using information. The proliferation of Web-based resources and the ability for nearly anyone to publish on the Web force individuals to make judgments of quality and authority as they flow on- and offline in the search process. Studies of everyday-life information behavior suggest that preteens and teens use a variety of print, electronic, and interpersonal sources as they answer everyday questions. What still merits further exploration is how young people judge information, and how their personal theories of knowing interact with sources and questions. Epistemic thinking, as a form of metacognition, is a foundational capacity of the information-literate student in a digital age. In this article, the author discusses some recent findings in which preteens (ages nine to thirteen) discuss issues of authority and trust in everyday-life situations. The author also suggests how new immersive online spaces for young children are pressing issues of cognitive authority on younger children, as well.
ISSN:1094-9046