2. Digital Literacy and Information Fluency

Information fluency is the “ability to unconsciously and intuitively interpret information in all forms and formats in order to extract the essential knowledge, perceive its meaning and significance, and use it to complete real-world tasks”

The information fluency process may be used to analyze this groundbreaking archeological finding.

Ask: Relevant questions must be asked in order to receive relevant information. One must ask what species the fossil belongs to, and how this new information could influence the knowledge already developed that relates to this species. Applicable questions need to be asked about the fossils: How old is the fossil? What species does it belong to? Is the fossil male or female? Can this fossil contribute more information to add to the theory of evolution?

Acquire: Information is obtained by scientists leading the expedition. This is done by studying the fossil remains in a professional manner in order to acquire information such as how old the fossil is, whether the fossil is male or female, whether the fossil displays human-like characteristics or not and how large the fossil’s brain was.

Analyse: One must analyze the information which has been acquired in order to authenticate, organize, and arrange it all. You have to decide whether the information acquired about the fossil is trustworthy and if it can be used to make statement about the theory of evolution.

Apply: Information acquired has to be applied, and evaluate whether or not the fossil found by Professor Lee Berger is in fact important for the theory of evolution and if scientists can use the information gathered to further their studies on the human species.

Assess: Measuring whether the process of analyzing the groundbreaking archeological findings could have been carried out more efficiently, for example by using more advanced technology to study the remains.

Global Digital Citizen Foundation. (2016). Information Fluency | Global Digital Citizen Foundation. [online] Available at: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies/information-fluency  [Accessed 24 May 2016].