Theme 3 Blog Post: Print vs. Digital Reference Resources

 Theme 3 Blog Post: Print vs. Digital Reference Resources

Image source

Theme 3 looks closely at a wide range of print and digital reference resources. These include but are not limited to encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, atlases and other geographical reference materials, indexes, databases, and wikis. Emphasis was put on the importance of preparing learners to navigate this wealth of information with a mindful awareness of bias, misleading information, and reliability. This awareness is important when utilizing both print and digital resources, but digital resources present many opportunities for accuracy to be questioned for various reasons. Some resources are crowd-sourced while others can be created and widely shared by anyone. As curators of reference resources, teacher librarians must be aware of the means available to them to assess the reference materials in their collections and when acquiring new resources. When assessing print and digital resources, Riedling (2013) advises us to consider:

·       Content Scope

·       Accuracy, Authority, and Bias

·       Arrangement and Presentation

·       Relation to similar works

·       Timeliness and permanence

·       Accessibility and Diversity

·       Cost

These factors must all be considered when evaluating and purchasing reference resources for LLC collections. Asselin et al. (2003) suggest the collection has a “wide range of material available to students that is within the range of their cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills, and reflects student interest and the cultural background of the student population”. These factors must be considered alongside those given by Riedling when making decisions of which reference resources to include in our collections. 

Module 8

In module 8, a critical discovery for me was the differentiation between the surface web (visible web) and the deep web (invisible web). I was shocked to see an image of the ‘web iceberg’ and how the bulk of information on the web is below the surface. The “Deep Web is at least 1000 times greater than the Surface Web, leaving the bulk of all “searchable” information out of a common search engines’ reach” (Research help, n.d.).

Image Source

Much of the deep web is password protected or membership needs to be obtained to access information. The deep web also includes websites that contain search boxes, and the information behind these search boxes can't be accessed by search engines. The surface web consists of the websites, search engines, and apps that can be accessed by a search engine (for example, Google). The surface web is also where many students in elementary, middle, and high school will default to obtain answers to their information questions, but it's not necessarily the best source of information. We need to teach learners how to access the vetted and quality reference resources offered through the LLC, instead of defaulting to google searches on the surface web. 

     As educators, it is our responsibility to teach students how to use the internet to find information effectively, critically, and responsibly. We need to teach students how to evaluate the source of their information and consider its reliability and validity. I am a primary teacher and feel that very little time is spent teaching students about responsible use of the internet. In the primary grades, we are so pre-occupied with teaching students how to de-code, read fluently, and comprehend that it’s a struggle to move past these reading basics and into evaluating and analyzing what we read. A tremendous amount of brain power is spent performing these foundational reading tasks, to add a higher level of thinking might be too much to ask of these young learners (for the most part). According to Bloom's Taxonomy, I think the majority of primary students are in the remember/recall level, while intermediate students can work in the Evaluate and Analyze levels.

Image Source

    I think the intermediate grades (grade 4, 5, and 6) are a great place to start teaching students to be mindful users of the internet and not to be passive recipients of information, but to question and be critical of what they read on the internet. Based on conversations I’ve had with my colleagues who teach the intermediate grades, very little is being taught to prepare students to be critical of the content they consume on the internet. This is something that needs to change, so that students don’t go to middle and high school thinking that everything they see on the surface web, TikTok, and read/view on Twitter and Instagram is true.

Module 11

I found Module 11 particularly interesting because of the debate over the validity of established encyclopedias (Encyclopedia Britannica) and crowd-sourced encyclopedias (Wikipedia). I enjoyed reading Berinstein’s article Wikipedia and Britannica? The Kid’s Alright (And So’s the Old Man) because it infused human interest and a little drama into something that might seem dry to the untrained eye. I learned a lot about how Wikipedia functions and the checks and balances that are in place to ensure the content found on its website is reliable, accurate, and up to date. The people who work for Wikipedia are of particular to me. It seems in the present day a many people are obsessed with making  more and more money, and getting credit/glory for their work, I love that the contributors of Wikipedia are volunteers who receive no recognition for their work as their articles aren't signed. Berinstein found many of the volunteers at Wikipedia "participate as a hobby or learning experience" or for "public interest and community spirit" (Berenstein, 2006). We need more of this in the world, people who work for the greater good, not for the recognition, money, or glory! I hope as time goes on, this type of open access, collaborative, bottom-up structure becomes the norm.

Riedling (2013) suggests that “the Web has become the most important reference tool in the digital age, providing may of the electronic information sources required for reference services such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, informational Web sites, and search engines used for ready-reference and inquiry learning activities”. My experience is consistent with this as I have seen a bias toward digital resources in my school’s LLC and others. This is not surprising as currency is an essential aspect to consider when evaluating reference materials. According to Riedling, most print sources (encyclopedias, science, technology related, inventions and medicines, and newspapers and magazines) are replaced every 5 years, while psychology, business, history, and education print sources are replaced every 10 years. Financially, this recommendation isn’t feasible for the LLC at my school, and based on our small group discussion, there is not funding for this at other schools. Digital resources offer a unique solution to this dilemma. Digital Resources are constantly being updated and are far more affordable than preplacing sets of print reference materials every 5 years or less.

Works Cited

Ashtari, H. (2022). Dark web vs. Deep web: 5 key differences. Spiceworks. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.spiceworks.com/it-security/security-general/articles/dark-web-vs-deep-web/amp/

Asselin, M., Branch, J., & Oberg, D., (Eds). (2003). Achieving information literacy: Standards for school library programs in Canada Links to an external site. Ottawa, ON: Canadian School Library Association & The Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada. https://accessola.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2003-AchievingInfoLiteracy.pdf

Berinstein, P. (2006). Wikipedia and Britannica: The Kid's All Right (And So's the Old Man)Links to an external site.. Searcher 14(3), 16-26.

Riedling, Ann. (2013). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips, (Third Edition). Linworth. 

Schulte, L. (2018). Print vs. Digital Course Materials. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://foreword.mbsbooks.com/print-vs.-digital-course-materials-1#gsc.tab=0

Shabatura, J. (2022). Using Bloom's taxonomy to write effective learning outcomes. Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/