Digital literacy challenges in higher education

Information literacy in the face of misinformation

Abstract

This study focuses on Mexican university students and their perceptions about their information literacy (IL) related practices as they face the persistent challenge of digital disinformation. The analysis highlights deficiencies in essential critical information competencies and the lack of pedagogical action within higher education with respect to the integration of IL into the curriculum. Following a qualitative approach, the research collected feedback from students who participated in a short instructional intervention. All the findings point to a strong tendency to draw on ‘digital intuition’ as opposed to a defined set of criteria and limited tools to corroborate information. The results argue that IL is essential for informed and responsible actions and should be integrated horizontally in all components of the curriculum. In the context of digital disinformation, the paper concludes with suggestions for using sustainable methods to teach IL in the form of IL integration into educational programmes.