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Combating Disinformation in the Classroom

Teaching students the core elements of information literacy has become a battle in the age of disinformation. This guide provides resources and helpful tips to get your teaching on track to combat disinformation in the classroom.
Combating Disinformation in the Classroom: What is "disinformation" and why it matters.

The Problem

"Disinformation and propaganda are flourishing, traditional sources of authority are under siege, and people increasingly live in politically polarized media ecosystems."

McMurtrie, B. (2021, January 12). Teaching in the age of disinformation. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/teaching-in-the-age-of-disinformation?cid2=gen_login_refresh&cid=gen_sign_in

Definitions

 

  • Misinformation: incorrect information shared by mistake.

  • Disinformation: incorrect information shared deliberately.

  • Fake News: articles or news stories that use disinformation or misinformation to sway readers for their own gain.

Why it Still Matters

Traditional sources of good information are no longer guaranteed to be reliable. Teaching critical thinking is a great way to arm students with the tools they need to discern fact from fiction. 

The following interactive presentation (which can be added to your Canvas courses or presentations) includes a great contextualization of the problem surrounding "facts" about COVID and how you can use simple critical thinking skills to figure out which "facts" you can trust.

 

This interactive experience from the Pacific Science Center also comes with a transcript found by following the link to the originating site in the ellipses.

Facts in the Time of COVID-19. 17 June 2020, Pacific Science Center, Seattle.

In This Guide

You will find resources and activities aimed at helping students figure out what disinformation is and how to combat it. 

To begin, navigate through our resources by clicking on the menu items on the left.