In this age of information gathering from places foreign to learners twenty years ago, places like the World Wide Web, Facebook, MySpace, iNews, blogging, chatrooms and podcasts, inquiring minds need to be able to sift through the volumes of facts and figures to become more mindful, critical and even a bit skeptical about the flood of information available today.

Barell introduced an acronym (SEADS) which comprised a number of questions he believed our students need to think about when considering whether or not to accept someone else’s conclusions or something they read about on a random website as truth.

(S) What is the SOURCE? Who said it? In what setting or context? Is it believable?

(E) What EVIDENCE is presented to support the claim? Is it objective, accurate, reliable and representative?

(A) What ASSUMPTIONS are being made or implied? Are they realistic and valid?

(D) What DEFINITIONS of key terms are being used? Is the language clear, unambiguous and specific?

(S) What is the SLANT, bias or special interest reflected in the statement? What might be the motivation of the people who made the statement?

Remember to ask your students when they use information in a research paper or a speech, “Has it passed the SEADS test?” Ask yourself the same question when you read things on the internet as well.

Reference

Barell, J. (2003). Developing more curious minds. Alexandria, VA: ASCD