How to transform the way we educate the Google Generation
Who are the Google Generation?
I'm sure most educators will have heard the familiar refrain "Why do we need to learn this if we can just Google it?" The 'Google generation' refers to those born after 1993 who grew up in a world dominated by the internet. It is commonly used to refer to those who are far more likely to use the Google search engine than consult a book or a conventional library(ref. 1).
Surely the Google Generation know a lot more about how to navigate online than us?
Whilst it is true that children are seen as 'digital natives', in reality, they are actually more 'digitally naive' than you, and certainly, they might think.
Google answers 11 million questions from UK schoolchildren every day(ref.2). More than half completely trust or ‘don’t consider’ the reliability of the information(ref. 3).
The speed of access to information combined with its sheer volume can contribute to misinformation.
Internet research has shown that the speed of young people's web searching results in very little time spent evaluating information for relevance, accuracy or authority. Young people also tend to have unsophisticated mental maps of the internet, failing to appreciate it as "a collection of networked resources from different providers."(ref.4)
The ability of people to discern fact from fiction online, find reliable sources and become better researchers has never been more important.
Young people are ill-equipped to deal with conspiracy theories, distorted statistics, misleading advertising and fake or bias news reports that they are exposed to and although from September this year schools in England have been expected to teach pupils “to be discerning consumers of information online"(ref. 5). They are ill-equipped and underprepared to do so. There is no guidance or framework to help teachers, and the few resources available are fragmented and often outdated. The additional pressures brought by the global pandemic merely compound this burning issue.
The solution is not just a quick course on digital safety or how to use a computer, but we must teach Digital Media Literacy.
Sometimes referred to as Digital Information Literacy or Critical Literacy, it teaches students how to consume digital content with a critical eye. Many of the technologies where these skills can be most useful are excluded from the classroom (e.g. mobile phones and tablets) leaving students susceptible to bias or false information and scams.
I recently started working with The Digital Life Skills Company, a social enterprise who have been developing workshops and teaching Digital Media Literacy in schools since 2017. In 2019 with an RSA Catalyst grant they developed a curriculum aligned programme of school workshops and piloted it with 300 year 6 and 7 students across North West England. The sessions used a variety of mediums and real-life case studies and encouraged collaborative learning. Students learned how to search effectively, question digital content and understand the context. Feedback reported a significant improvement in digital skills development. "I've learned how to find if something is true and found out what clickbait is." 86% of teachers said their skills would help them in their school work.
Digital Media Literacy needs to become second nature. These are now essential skills that should be embedded in the curriculum.
A recent report by the Select Committee on Democracy and Digital Technologies said that democracy itself is threatened by a "pandemic" of misinformation online which could become an "existential threat" to our way of life. (ref. 6) The committee recommended that media literacy skills were embedded across the school curriculum.
Taking this challenge forward The Digital Life Skills have launched a research project with the support of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. We're exploring ideas to teach these skills within the curriculum with limited school budgets and packed timetables without adding to teacher workload.
Drawing on the best of existing approaches globally plus our own evidence we are collaborating with educators to co-design an effective solution that can be rolled out nationwide.
If you are a KS3 teacher in England of any subject we would welcome your participation and feedback in an online workshop on the 13th or 17th October.
You'll also learn some simple web verification skills you can start using in the classroom immediately. Plus as a thank you, participants will receive a ￡20 Amazon voucher and your school will be offered a discount on the programme developed.
This has never been more important. False and harmful content is already impacting children’s education, well-being and opportunities.
There are just a few virtual seats left so please Sign up now to ensure your space or get in touch if you would like to know more.
1. Rowlands, I. et al (2008), "The Google generation: the information behaviour of the researcher of the future", Aslib Proceedings 60(4):290-310.
2.Internet Association (2019)
3.Ofcom (2019)
4. Rowlands, I et al (2008), "The Google generation: the information behaviour of the researcher of the future", Aslib Proceedings 60(4):290-310.
5. Department for Education guidance (2020)