Using news sources can help students to develop some essential research skills. Some of these skills they will find important at college and in their future careers are critical thinking and analytical skills. With all the misinformation in the news, they must be able to critically evaluate news sources. They need to understand different perspectives on topics and the potential for bias. Here are ways their research skills can improve.
Develop critical thinking
When using news sources, students must assess the reliability of the information. They are inundated with news from many different sources, and some of it isn’t credible or grounded in fact. This provides a great way to develop critical thinking abilities. They need to examine sources, separate facts from opinions, etc. The critical thinking process has to be purposeful and methodical. It requires interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating content.
Critical thinking helps in analyzing varied situations from different perspectives and coming up with unique solutions to manage them perfectly. The situation could be any – from contacting a news anchor for fact-finding to using strong passwords that nobody can crack easily. The small details indeed matter a lot in developing you as a person who has the ability to think uniquely. In times when cyber threats are more than ever, you need to protect your devices by keeping them optimized. You should reset Mac admin password regularly and develop other cyber safety practices. In today’s digitally connected world, critical thinking is also about how you handle various threats or malware-specific situations in cyberspace.
Understand bias and perspective
Accessing a wide range of online resources can help students to gather relevant information and explore different perspectives. By comparing news from different sources, students can start recognising bias and differing perspectives on the same topic. The recent election in the U.S. is a case in point.
The perspectives of Trump supporters and anti-Trump activists are totally different on certain issues. Some believe that America is entering a whole new positive era with Trump as president. Others believe it’s a step backward for the country. Being able to evaluate sources objectively is a key component of scholarly research.
Gain context for research topics
News sources provide up-to-the-minute information about social issues, current events, etc. This background knowledge gives students context for their research. It gives them insight into current trends in everything from politics to pop culture.
Access to multimedia content, including videos and interactive presentations, makes the research process more comprehensive and engaging. This is particularly helpful in subjects such as social sciences and politics.
Evaluate sources
When evaluating sources, students need to ask some critical questions.
- Is the information current and relevant? It is important to check publication dates and whether the information is relevant to the research.
- What are the author’s credentials and level of knowledge about the topic?
- Is the information accurate and can it be verified?
- Does the author have objectivity and is the reporting free from bias? Think about the purpose of the author.
- Who is the audience and does that influence the content?
- Today online databases and search engines make it easier to find and evaluate sources.
Develop discernment
Students can easily go off track while researching. They can go down a rabbit hole instead of focusing strictly on relevant research. Facing a plethora of news on a daily basis helps them to become more discriminating in what they read.
This can help them in their research. They can use online search tools to go directly to research that’s relevant to their topic and avoid being distracted by what’s irrelevant. It will also become easier to determine which sources are credible and others that are less so.
Build media literacy skills
Students need to verify the information they read in the news against other sources. Taking a comprehensive investigative approach enhances their analytical skills. This is fundamental for conducting thorough research. As much as they can have exposure to so much false information online, it can also be the best way to check facts. They need to use trusted sources.
Knowing how different websites are funded, who manages them, and how they describe their fact-checking processes is critical. Even a single fact-checking exercise can open students’ eyes. It makes them realise how important it is to take an investigative approach to information.
Enhance communication skills
Proficiency in communication can open up many doors for students today. Reading news articles exposes them to a wide range of vocabulary used in different contexts. Professional journalists often have a high standard of grammar and syntax. This gives students exposure to the type of language that helps them to improve their own language skills.
Understanding news requires a grasp of the context in which the events unfold. Certain words and phrases are able to convey perspectives and nuances. By reflecting and writing about news articles, students can learn how to express their thoughts and build arguments. All of these skills are important in research writing and their future careers.
Learn how to summarise and synthesise
Students can challenge themselves to read news articles on different topics of varying complexity. They can practice summarising the key points or arguments. Over time, this can help them with extracting meaning from written texts. Once they have extracted the key arguments from different articles, they need to synthesise them.
Synthesising involves combining many different sources and ideas. Students must be able to synthesise information from different sources. This allows them to integrate their research in a meaningful way. They understand what evidence they need to use to support their thesis.
Conclusion
Using news sources can have many benefits for students in improving their research skills. Reading a variety of articles written from different perspectives can help them to learn critical thinking skills and become more discerning. They can gain context for their research topics and learn how to verify information. Building their media literacy skills can help them to take a more comprehensive, investigative approach to research. They can also enhance their language and communication skills. These are all skills that can help them at college and in their future careers.
