In the time of globalization, the blast of technologies is affecting the world in more ways that can be envisioned. The quick transmission of data and information has empowered cross-border collaborations to be more effectively executed, subsequently permitting organizations to be run more proficiently.
Technology has encouraged nowadays bringing an outlook change in the way education used to be worked. Creative and critical thinking as well as and problem solving skills are now much more in demand. According to the demand of human beings, educators are also emphasizing these new skills in educational curricular reviews. The use of information and communication technologies in education is seen as a way to produce a more educated knowledge-based work force. World Education Report of UNESCO noticed that the new advancements challenge traditional originations both of teaching and learning and by reconfiguring how educators and learners access information can possibly change teaching and learning processes.
Education has never been met with so much change so quickly as in the era of technology. Educators also take the challenges to cope up with these constant changes and acquire various skills that are needed to move with these rapid changes. In this time of Information and availability all members of the society, whether student, teacher, or parent need to know where to find out exact information. After getting information we need the skills to assess whether the information is valid or not. Finally making good judgment about how to use the information in our lives, personally and professionally, to improve ourselves and the world around us is imperative. So, we can say that, for searching information on the Internet certain skills are required which are called Info Savvy Skills. These skills help us to acquire definite information through internet. It is helpful for a student to build him/her a successful teacher in future.
Info- Savvy Skills implies thinking systematically and objectively, analysing scientifically, able to use quantitative and qualitative procedure in data collection and interpretation, able to assess and compute by applying digital media, ICT and also naturally. When one is having all these skills is known as Info-Savvy. It also involves use of internet and keeping oneself up to date regarding searching a matter on Internet.
There are five Info-Savvy skills like Asking Skill, Accessing Skill, Analysing Skill, Applying Skill and Assessing Skill.
- Asking Skill:
Asking Skill is the first or initial skill of Info-Savvy Skill. Here, teacher represents a topic in front of the students and tell them to ask questions from the topic to the teacher. Teacher uses internet resources to reorganize the question related matter. This skill has following components –
- Identifying the Specific Problem: Firstly we have to identify the topic related problem.
- Identifying exact Key-words and Forming related Question: After identifying the problem we have to identify the key-words related to the problem also frame the questions around that problem.
- Brain-storming: With the help of Brain-storming technique, we have to conceptualize various things related to the problem and also shape their key words and questions more systematically.
- Divergent Thinking: We don’t think in one direction only for the problem but think for various alternatives also. They frame many hypotheses on that particular questions related to the problem.
- Listening properly, Viewing sharply and Speaking critically: To get the correct information, we should Listen Properly, view all the details related to the problems sharply and also speak in proper structure, socially acceptable phrases, words etc.
- Refine Information from Noise: We have to filter out information which he/she get from their environment.
- Sharing Personal Knowledge and Experience: We always share our personal knowledge and experiences with others.
- Accessing Skill:
Accessing as such from the very name it implies reaching to the sample of the study from where data can be gathered. This skill has following components –
- Determining the Source of the Information: We have to find out the source of the information i.e. Newspaper, Library, Internet, etc.
- Determining Necessary Skills to locate the Information: We have to acquire necessary skills to locate the information on various media. We need to have skills of surfing the Internet, if the information is located on Internet.
- Using both Manual and Electronic Sources: We have to collect the relevant information from variety of media, such as, radio, print, over head projector, television, Internet etc.
- Using Proper Searching Strategies: For getting information we have to select proper Searching tool which depends upon the nature of information.
- Skimming and Scanning resources for Relevant Data: We have to use Skimming and Scanning Approaches to check the whole information by each and every bit.
- Taking Pertinent Notes: We need to take pertinent notes related to the information.
- Analysing Skill:
Analysing is organising data for a systematic result. After checking the relevancy of Data, then we begin the process of converting data into usable information. Here, we have to determine if the collected data is sufficient to answer the questions, or whether more data is needed. This skill has following components –
- Split Up the collected Data into Various Categories: We have to divide the available data in a manner that which are relevant and which are irrelevant with respect to the context.
- Identification of Appropriate Data: We have to identify the relevant data from the set of collected data.
- Find Authenticity and Credibility of the Data: We have to find authenticity and credibility of the data and then establish it.
- Differentiate Facts from Opinion: We have to differentiate the necessary facts from the opinion.
- Establishing Relationships among Various Data Set: When we find out so many data, then we have to find out relationship among the data.
- Applying Skill:
Here, Applying is nothing but the presentation of the collected data. Presentation can be done by using the various formats of information like Text, Image, Audio and Video. As the presentation is developed, it completes the procedure of converting Data into Information and usable knowledge.
- Assessing Skill:
This is the final skill of Info-Savvy skills. When all the activities are done properly then these are being evaluated. This skill assesses the whole procedure with the help of certain questions like –
- Is the problem identified in appropriate manner?
- Are relevant questions asked?
- Is acquired data sufficient?
- Is data analyzed accurately?
- Is information applied conveniently?
- Is problem solved?
So in conclusion it can be said that a person in order to do any scientific, systematic and objective work needs to be info-savvy that implies he or she must have acquired those five skills. Knowledge of the five skills like Asking, Accessing, Analyzing, Applying and Assessing will not only help the person who uses it but also indirectly help the civilization to start a new era of teaching and learning.
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