The Information Universe

Description

Everyone relies on information to function effectively everyday, yet the nature, use and vital role of information in society is not fully understood. This course will equip you to understand and utilize information, as it is available in a variety of information sources. You will discover how central information is in our lives, how it varies in type and category, how it is pivotal for the functioning of our economy and society, and the challenges of defining information. Both practical and theoretical in scope, the course uses a mixture of approaches to give you the skills and critical thinking abilities needed to use print and electronic information resources effectively. It introduces a set of standards which, if followed, will equip you to know your information needs, access information efficiently, search and retrieve relevant information effectively, and evaluate and compare results. Special attention is given to ethical and legal uses of information. Once successfully completed this course will enable you to think critically about research strategies and to locate and critically evaluate information, and to apply these skills in other courses and later in your professional and personal life. The course will equip you to be information literate in the twenty-first century.

What You Will Learn!

• Understand the nature of the contemporary information environment.
• Acquire the ability to recognize an information need and to determine the extent of information required.
• Acquire the skills to pose an effective research question or thesis statement and from it to develop a paper outline and research strategy.
• Acquire the skills to locate and retrieve reliable scholarly information to meet an information need, and to do so effectively and efficiently.
• Learn how to synthesize different sources of information.
• Acquire the skills to evaluate information and its sources critically.
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.

Who Should Attend!

• This course is designed to help you understand and utilize information, as it is available in a variety of information sources. Both practical and theoretical in scope, it aims to give you the skills and critical thinking abilities needed to effectively use print and electronic information resources. Once successfully completed this course will enable you to think critically about research strategies and to locate and critically evaluate information, and to apply these skills in your professional, recreational and personal life.

TAKE THIS COURSE