Q6C: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Teaching Online Research Practices

Although a computing student is expected to learn how the Internet works, said student also needs to learn how to use the Internet properly as a resource for information. Critical skills for this task include determining both the trustworthiness of online information and whether it is useful for one's purposes. The Q6C Solution (Question, Categorize, Characterize Authorship, Contextualize, Corroborate, Critique Rhetorically, and Conclude) is a heuristic developed through disciplinary collaboration between the arts and sciences to support instructors in designing assignments and activities that foster critical information skills in students. Examples of using Q6C in computing classes are also presented.