A Balanced Plateful: The Pyramid of Evidence

Abstract

The Pyramid of Evidence is a hands-on, active learning exercise which helps students develop a framework with which to evaluate source authority in an academic setting and within discovery tools. It is interactive, rooted in constructivist pedagogy, and has built-in assessment. Learning outcomes for this exercise include: students will be able to explain why the “best” sources in a high school context are different from the “best” sources in a college context; students will be able to rank sources based on their authority in a college context; students will be able to differentiate sources by authorship and publication process; students will be able to list the characteristics of a peer-reviewed, scholarly or academic source; students will be able to differentiate between sources based on authorship: scholars, professionals, and users; students will be able to describe the role and significance of editing in the production of research material; and students will be able to independently evaluate sources and rate their authority.