What can you do as a parent or teacher?
Many organisations have already created materials (teaching materials, posters, games, quiz...) to teach media literacy to children or youngsters that can be used by teachers or parents:
Mediawijs, the Flemish Knowledge Base for Digital and Media Literacy of the Flemish government and imec vzw, have developed "News in the Classroom". This is an educational project for pupils as young as the third grade of primary school that focuses on news and information literacy. It encourages children and young people to engage critically and consciously, as well as actively and creatively, with news and current events. For each secondary school grade, there is a teaching pack with videos, assignments and worksheets:
- For the first grade of secondary education: the teaching package Newsmakers
- For second grade of secondary education: the teaching package Factcheckers
- For third grade of secondary education: the teaching package Opinionmakers
On the EDMO BELUX website you will find an overview of the most suitable educational tools in three categories:
- Learning about news and information
- Learning about disinformation and fact checking
- Forming and sharing opinions
DROG and Tilt Studio, two Dutch organizations working against the spread of disinformation, have collaborated with researchers from the University of Cambridge to develop two serious games (for ages 15 and older):
- Harmony Square: In this game, players engage with various manipulation techniques to deceive people in the village, foster division, and pit villagers against each other.
- Cat Park: In Cat Park, the city builds a park exclusively for cats. Your goal is, of course, to stop that (because who wants a park just for cats?). By utilizing disinformation techniques such as emotional language and polarization, you turn the public against the park.
These serious games teach you to understand the manipulation techniques behind disinformation by putting you in the position of people creating such messages. They essentially serve as a psychological "vaccine" against disinformation. By creating fake news yourself and mastering techniques, cognitive resistance against disinformation is built.
Along with the game they offer a media literacy lesson plan.
The European Commission has also developed various materials for teachers on this topic:
- Guidelines for teachers and educators (primary and secondary education) on tackling disinformation and promoting digital literacy through education and training offer concrete guidance for teachers and people working in education, including practical tips, work plans and insights.
- A toolkit for secondary school teachers to help their students distinguish fact from fiction when surfing. The toolkit consists of a customizable PowerPoint presentation with instructions.
The European-funded eMedia project developed a handbook on media literacy to serve as a guide and inspiration for teachers. The handbook provides insights into the influence of media on youth development and the role of new information technology in manipulating reality. The handbook is available in French, English, Spanish, Italian and Latvian.
The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) is a partnership of three charities, Childnet, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, that aims to identify threats and harms online and then create and deliver critical advice, resources, education and interventions that help keep children and young people, and adults, safe. On its website, you can find lots of tips and best practices for parents and teachers to tackle the topic of disinformation and critical thinking. In addition, you can also find teaching materials for children (from the age of 3) and adolescents (up till the age of 18).
Childnet is a charity that seeks to give children and young people the skills they need to navigate the internet safely and in a positive way. It developed an educational resource that aims to educate young people on inaccurate and pervasive information that they might come across online.