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Boise School District Boosts Information Literacy with Gale In Context Databases

Students in Idaho's Boise School District are learning how to analyze and think critically about the information they read through the use of Gale In Context. The suite of online databases from Gale, part of Cengage Group, is designed to "provide students with access to current, relevant and authoritative digital content for effective researching," according to the company, enabling learners to better understand the reliability of source materials.

Improving information literacy is part of the district's strategic plan, Natasha Rush, a certified teacher librarian and building technology lead at Boise High School, shared. "We have a goal at Boise School District to create future-ready students so they can find good information and use critical thinking skills to be productive members of society," she noted. "We found that Gale's resources allow us to do just that."

Gale In Context has been incorporated across the district, including in ELA, social studies, science, and multi-language classrooms, as well as in AP and SAT prep. The databases provide topic overview pages that bring together nonfiction materials in all-digital, accessible formats; content includes articles, videos, charts, images, infographics, and more. Features of the platform, as described by the company, include:

  • Curated, Grade-Appropriate Content: delivers age-appropriate, reliable, curriculum-related content that covers a broad range of subjects, enabling students to learn at a comfortable pace through trusted content.
  • Built-in Scaffolding: helps students learn to scan and evaluate sources quickly.
  • Citation Tools: integrated directly into the user's workflow, formatted citations can be easily imported from single or multiple documents to services like EasyBib or NoodleTools. MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard style citations are supported. 
  • Google & Microsoft Integration: features integration capabilities with Google Workspace for Education and Microsoft Office 365 collaboration tools. These enable users to easily access, share, save and download content — including highlights, notes, and other e-resources.
  • Topic Browse Searching: unique topic pages collect information from reliable sources, making it easy for students to search, compare, and contrast different sources and headlines.

"It's all about getting students to understand that where they're getting their information is just as important as what information they're getting," commented Rush. "Being able to sort information, ask questions about where it comes from, and determine its credibility is a critical thinking skill that affects not only students' academic performance but also their ability to function in society and be future-ready adults. The amount of information they have access to is only going to increase and teaching them how to handle that information responsibly is of the utmost importance."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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