A Final Reflection... The End... Fin... An Deireadh

The final project won’t be used for my dissertation, but it would be an exciting study to develop with my librarian peers. There is a need for a study such as this to explore a specific tool and showcase how proper instruction on information literacy is necessary for students. I am proud of what I have done for this project, and parts of what I have completed can be applied to my dissertation. For example, the discussion of Knowledge Management and Technology Transfer Theory could be integrated into my dissertation about AI ethics by expanding on how AI has changed knowledge management, and we have entered into what I call the sixth estate. 

Speaking from experience as an educator, librarian, and parent, I see in my students and my children a need for the ability to identify credible resources and apply digital entertainment skills to educational settings. For example, today, my daughter told my son about Justin Timberlake’s recent arrest and why he was arrested. I asked her what her source of information was, and it was a tabloid she read in the nail salon. This was a teachable moment; we discussed reliable sources of information and that the tabloid likely is not one unless they fact-check their sources. Another conversation I have had with my children and students is the use of YouTube and Wikipedia as sources of information. We have discussed that anyone can go onto YouTube and post a video claiming to be an expert.

Similarly, we have discussed Wikipedia and how anyone on the Internet can edit it, which means it should not be a primary source of information. YouTube can be used as a primary source of information because reputable websites like National Geographic post informative videos. In that situation, the user should be able to identify whether the channel is reputable. This is where information literacy skills come in because students learn through information literacy-focused instruction in settings like the library to identify reliable sources of information and how to filter through search results for information to answer their questions.