Cultivating networked literacy: Second language writers and the development of online source evaluation strategies

Abstract

The internet contains a wealth of informational resources. To use online information sources effectively, though, writers must know how to evaluate their credibility. This article reports on an effort to enhance source evaluation skill among a group of second language writers. Researchers used interviews, authentic writing tasks and screen-recording to chart the source use and evaluation practices of participants before and after their first year of university. In the interim, participants were introduced to online research skills including lateral reading, a popular source evaluation technique. We found that when asked to engage in research writing, these writers consistently turned to non-academic sources, especially online news sites and for-profit companies. They deployed seven types of source evaluation strategy and over the course of the study, as a group, traded weaker strategies for stronger ones. These findings provide a glimpse of the current online information ecosystem, as well as a framework to help teachers and researchers better understand how novice writers make choices in networked space. They suggest that the pedagogy offered was a limited success and provide guidance as to how it might be improved.