Presented at LILAC 2015

1. Proactive and passive scepticism;
extending digital literacy to survive
misinformation, myth and
conspiracy theory and support
empowered citizenship.
Dr Geoff Walton, Senior Lecturer, Northumbria University, UK
Dr Ali Pickard, Principal Lecturer, Northumbria University, UK
Dr Mark Hepworth, Reader, Loughborough University, UK
Ms Lara Dodd, Research Assistant, Northumbria University, UK

2. Our agenda for today
• Creating a collaborative working environment
(10mins)
• What is information discernment? (10mins)
• What is scepticism? (10mins)
• What is the difference between passive and pro-
active scepticism? (10mins)
• Using and critiquing the source evaluation tool
(15mins)
• Any questions? (5mins)

3. Creating a collaborative working
environment
• In groups of 5 agree on how you are going to
work as a group
– What is important?
– Why?
• All other activities will be in your groups

4. What is information discernment?
• I’m guessing you all have an idea if what
information discernment might be.
• Discuss this idea, draw on your own
experience and agree on a group definition

5. Definition of information discernment
we used
“The ability to use higher order thinking skills to
make sound and complex judgements regarding
a range of text-based materials”
(Walton & Hepworth, 2013, p55)

6. What is scepticism?
• Discuss this term, can you define it?

7. What is the difference between
passive and pro-active scepticism?
• Discuss these ideas Without referring back to
the abstract 
• Define what these terms might mean

8. Our working definitions of pro-active
and passive scepticism
• Passive scepticism (default position) is defined as
a person’s ability to make limited judgements
about information which are heavily influenced
by their preconceived notions or worldview
(Lewandowsky, et al., 2012) or the worldview of
others
• Proactive scepticism (special effort) is defined as
a person’s ability to make balanced judgements
at all times about information independently and
regardless of worldview.

9. Using and critiquing the source
evaluation tool
• Using the source evaluation handout discuss
whether this tool contains what one might expect
in order to be able evaluate information
effectively.
• What would you add?
• VOTING TIME - Does the source evaluation tool
encourage proactive scepticism YES/NO/DON’T
KNOW?

10. Any questions?

11. Reference
Walton, G. & Hepworth, M. (2013). Using
assignment data to analyse a blended
information literacy intervention: a quantitative
approach. Journal of Librarianship and
Information Science, 45 (1) pp53-63