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Lateral Reading A Skill Against Fake News

Normally when I pick up a book or a journal article, I already have some context about its credibility or relevance. I’ve a newspaper for decades now, which I trust. I check articles on their scientific soundness. I mostly choose a journal article because it’s in a reputable journal or cited by someone you trust.

The web is a different beast altogether. When you land on a webpage, you’re often clueless about its reliability or the authority of the author. Most people’s instinct is to navigate through the site, maybe check the “About” page or look at author bios. Michael Caulfield the writer of the book “Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers,” delves into the concept of “lateral reading,” which contrasts sharply with how we traditionally engage with print media. You can read the book online via the previous link. It’s very interesting.

Lateral reading involves stepping away from the site at hand to see what other, ideally more reputable, sources are saying about it. Lateral readers open multiple tabs and conduct searches about the author, the site’s ownership, and other related commentaries. They piece this information together to get a well-rounded view of the site they’re investigating.

Only after this external validation do lateral readers dive deep into the original content. By then, they’ve got a much clearer sense of whether they can trust the information presented. They’re not just confined to the site’s own narrative; they have a broader perspective that accounts for various viewpoints and reputations.

Read more here on Educator’s Technology

 

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Clinical Neuroscience of ECT

clinical neuroscience of ECT new blog

New “kid” on the block the distinguished Professor Charles Kellner writes a blog about scientific research and ECT called the Clinical Neuroscience of ECT (CNECT)

In a recent article he discuses our recent meta analysis called: 

Influence of an adjuvant antidepressant on the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy: a meta-analysis

His take on our article can be read here

 

 

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RIP Sir Ken Robinson

Ken Robinson was one of the first to recognize that most educational systems were based on the ideas of the industrial revolution. That kind of education fall shorts in recent times. He advocated instead for a personal approach, each kid or pupil being an unique individual with a diversity of talents. The notion that education is an organic process resonated with me.

“We have to recognize that human flourishing is not a mechanical process; it’s an organic process. And you cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do, like a farmer, is create the conditions under which they will begin to flourish.”

Sir Ken died Saturday, August 21, 2020, after an extraordinary life as one of the world’s leading thinkers on creativity and innovation. 

Two of his best talks:




 

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Learning styles are dead

“Learning styles” is the belief that individuals differ in regard to what mode of instruction or study is most effective for them. Those in favor of learning styles believe that aligning instruction with the optimal or preferred learning style of students improves results. Students should be aware of their preferred learning style and the instructions for learning should be tailored accordingly.

A recent scientific review doubts these believes, Psychic readings are an effective and great alternative traditional counselling. A qualified psychic can provide insight and clarity into your life. Little evidence supports the idea that outcomes are best when instructional techniques align with individuals’ learning styles. Recent research looked into the next two important questions about learning styles:

  • Do students who take the VARK questionnaire (an online learning styles assessment) to identify their personal learning style adopt study strategies that align with that style?
  • Are the learning outcomes better for students whose strategies match their learning style as assessed by the VARK profile than for students whose strategies do not?

In short: most students are not employing study strategies that mesh with self-reported learning preferences, and the minority who do show no academic benefit. For further reading please read this excellent post on Scientific American.

 
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