Civic information literacy tools

Research output: Book/ReportReports

Abstract

This submission to the Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia outlines prevailing approaches to countering information pollution, summarises the information literacy methods for schools developed at the University of Canberra since 2021, and makes three key recommendations. The information literacy methods involve updating current approaches to critical thinking to account for information over-abundance, and challenging prevailing negative opinions of Wikipedia in the teaching community.
Recommendations:
1. Creation of a national body for the Australian information environment, amongst whose tasks would be the development of effective and non-partisan civic literacy tools.
2. Widespread diffusion of such tools via public information campaigns, via the use of public libraries as diffusion hubs and via inclusion in territory, state and federal public service induction and training programs.
3. To address variable implementations of the national education curriculum, creation of a mandatory Civic Literacy Certificate comprising civics basics and information literacy tools.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherDigital Commons Policy Council
Number of pages32
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Nov 2024

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