Digital literacy: Can the republic ‘survive an algorithm’?

Category: Education/Family

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. akin / əˈkɪn / (adj.) – similar or related
    Example:

    Soccer is akin to football.


  2. diversify / daɪˈvɜr səˌfaɪ / (v.) – to change something so that it has variety
    Example:

    You have to diversify your investments so you can minimize the risks.


  3. offset / ɔfˈsɛt / (v.) – to cancel or reduce the effect of something that results in balance
    Example:

    The company’s increased sales this year offset the high marketing cost.


  4. cross-check / ˈkrɔsˈtʃɛk / (v.) – to determine the accuracy of something, such as information or calculation, by checking other sources
    Example:

    News networks have to cross-check information before presenting them to the public.


  5. explosion / ɪkˈsploʊ ʒən / (n.) – a sudden or great increase in the number of something
    Example:

    The city had an explosion of tourists after the travel restrictions were lifted.


Article

Read the text below.

Shawn Lee, a high school social studies teacher in Seattle, wants to see lessons on the internet akin to a kind of 21st-century driver’s education, an essential for modern life.


Lee has tried to bring that kind of education into his classroom, with lessons about the need to double-check online sources, to diversify newsfeeds and to bring critical thinking to the web. He’s also created an organization for other teachers to share resources.


Lee’s efforts are part of a growing movement of educators and misinformation researchers working to offset an explosion of online misinformation about everything from presidential politics to pandemics. So far, the U.S. lags many other democracies in waging this battle, and the consequences of inaction are clear.


But for teachers already facing myriad demands in the classroom, incorporating internet literacy can be a challenge — especially given how politicized misinformation about vaccines, public health, voting, climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine has become. The title of a talk for a recent gathering of Lee’s group: “How to talk about conspiracy theories without getting fired.”


“It’s not teaching what to think, but how to think,” said Julie Smith, an expert on media literacy who teaches at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. “It’s engaging about engaging your brain. It’s asking, ‘Who created this? Why? Why am I seeing it now? How does it make me feel and why?’”


New laws and algorithm changes are often offered as the most promising ways of combating online misinformation, even as tech companies study their own solutions.


Teaching internet literacy, however, may be the most effective method. New Jersey, Illinois and Texas are among states that have recently implemented new standards for teaching internet literacy, a broad category that can include lessons about how the internet and social media work, along with a focus on how to spot misinformation by cross-checking multiple sources and staying wary of claims with missing context or highly emotional headlines.


Media literacy lessons are often included in history, government or other social studies classes, and typically offered at the high school level, though experts say it’s never too early — or late — to help people become better users of the internet.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Do you think media literacy should be officially included in students’ curricula? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think companies, organizations, and governmental bodies should also mandate their members to study media literacy? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Have you ever come across information online which seemed to be incorrect or misleading? How did you assess its accuracy? Discuss.
  • Would you use credible information sources even if you disagree with them? Why or why not? Discuss.