A1 Journal article (refereed)
Student evaluations of the credibility and argumentation of online sources (2021)

Marttunen, M., Salminen, T., & Utriainen, J. (2021). Student evaluations of the credibility and argumentation of online sources. Journal of Educational Research, 114(3), 294-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2021.1929052

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Marttunen, Miika; Salminen, Timo; Utriainen, Jukka

Journal or series: Journal of Educational Research

ISSN: 0022-0671

eISSN: 1940-0675

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 31/05/2021

Volume: 114

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 294-305

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2021.1929052

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/76140

Abstract

This study investigated upper secondary school students’ skills in evaluating the credibility and argumentative content of a blog text and a YouTube video. Both sources concerned child vaccination, the blog text opposing and the YouTube video supporting it. Students rated each source as credible, fairly credible or non-credible, justified their ratings, and analyzed the argumentation of both sources. Their justifications were analyzed for trustworthiness and expertise and their argument analyses for identification of the main position of the source and the reasons supporting it. Students’ justification skills proved fairly weak, and they also struggled with recognizing unbalanced argumentation. Students’ skill in analyzing the argumentation used in the sources also proved inadequate, especially in the blog text task. Overall academic achievement significantly predicted students’ credibility evaluation and argument analysis skills. The results suggest that greater emphasis should be placed on tasks involving the interpretation and analysis of online information.

Keywords: online material; multimodality; source criticism; argumentation; media literacy; general upper secondary school; general upper secondary school students

Free keywords: online sources; multimodality; upper secondary school; argumentation; critical literacy; credibility evaluation

Contributing organizations

Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2021

JUFO rating: 2