Authority is constructed and contextual

The leading authority on a subject is not necessarily an expert on said subject and authority may be the result of exposure, popularity or prestige. The context within which information is needed determines the level of authority needed. Certain voices are elevated within a discipline. Even in an academic setting certain "expert's " work are more favoured during lectures and the assigning of coursework and text books.
Students need to learn that there are different types of authorities and to use tools of indicators to establish credibility of authors. They need to learn that information are produced using various resources and formats.
 

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Teaching Scenario:

Topic: Life under apartheid in Cape Town during 1960-1980: A "coloured" perspective.

Materials Needed:

1. Computers with access to the internet
2.  List of authority indicators .See http://help.library.ubc.ca/evaluating-and-citing-sources/evaluating-information-sources/
3. Voice recorder to record interview e.g. cellular phone voice recorder

Activities:

1. Find books and other 3 other media sources on the topic: e.g. journal articles, newspaper articles, podcasts, etc.
2.  Describe the tools used to establish the authority of the authors .
3. Do an interview with someone who was incarcerated for political reasons in Cape Town during that time. Compare the information gleaned from the interview with that collected via the other sources.

Learning Outcomes/ Knowledge practices:

  

1.  Recognise that authoritative content may be packaged formally or informally and may include audio, visual an non-print sources
2.  Use markers of authority to determine the credibility of sources
3. Students should be able to define different types of authority such as subject expertise (Scholarship), society position (public office or title), or special experience (participating in an historic event)