Teacher's Package

For teachers

Teachers play an essential role in strengthening society against disinformation and manipulation. However, while they are pedagogical experts, it is unrealistic to expect them to be specialists in every topic. We also want to respect teachers’ time, as they already manage many demands in the classroom. For this reason, we have distilled the key elements of our e-learning into a compact Teacher’s Package.

This package is designed as a practical tool to help teachers begin addressing mis- and disinformation in class. It is not intended as a strict programme to be followed step by step, but as a flexible guideline. The materials may be freely printed, adapted and used, and they can also serve as background reading for teachers themselves. Educators are encouraged to complement our suggestions with their own activities. They can select, adapt or omit parts of the material as they see fit, drawing on their own insight and pedagogical expertise.

The materials can be used with secondary-school learners aged 12–18, students in higher education and with adults.

With this package we aim at:
   1) increasing knowledge on mis- and disinformation
   2) enhancing skills of critical thinking, media literacy and digital literacy
   3) changing the attitudes towards conscious and responsible media usage

Our approach: Inoculation theory

Our approach is based on inoculation theory — just like with pandemics, an infodemic is best treated by protecting people against it with “vaccines” and “boosters”. In practice, this means presenting a small, weakened dose of misleading content together with clear guidance on how to recognize it. The cases that are presented in this package are examples, and they can be complemented or replaced by others. To reach the best impact, we recommend selecting cases that are recent, that deal with topics that are relevant for the students and that resonate with the local/regional context. Many fact-checking organisations (like those of the EDMO network) regularly publish verified materials that can be used to select cases for studying. Coming back to this topic regularly will result in a more long-lasting impact and protection against harmful impacts of disinformation.