Assessing online collaborative inquiry and social deliberation skills as learners navigate multiple sources and perspectives

Learners in today’s knowledge society have access to an overwhelming, ever-increasing amount of information. The Internet has become a universal source of information with new content increasing more than five exabytes every day (Internet Live Stats, 2016). Sorting through, processing, learning from, and effectively using this information demands a wide range of online research and inquiry skills. To answer questions and solve problems, individuals must rely on their own knowledge and ability to analyze and construct meaning from the tremendous amount of information with which they are confronted each day (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, Castek, and Henry, 2013).