Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced college students to spend more time online. Yet many studies show that college students struggle to discern fact from fiction on the Internet. A small body of research suggests that students in face-to-face settings can improve at judging the credibility of online so...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Harvard Kennedy School
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/lateral-reading-college-students-learn-to-critically-evaluate-internet-sources-in-an-online-course/ |
| _version_ | 1818339045331173376 |
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| author | Joel Breakstone Mark Smith Priscilla Connors Teresa Ortega Darby Kerr Sam Wineburg |
| author_facet | Joel Breakstone Mark Smith Priscilla Connors Teresa Ortega Darby Kerr Sam Wineburg |
| author_sort | Joel Breakstone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has forced college students to spend more time online. Yet many studies show that college students struggle to discern fact from fiction on the Internet. A small body of research suggests that students in face-to-face settings can improve at judging the credibility of online sources. But what about asynchronous remote instruction? In an asynchronous college nutrition course at a large state university, we embedded modules that taught students how to vet websites using fact checkers’ strategies. Chief among these strategies was lateral reading, the act of leaving an unknown website to consult other sources to evaluate the original site. Students improved significantly from pretest to posttest, engaging in lateral reading more often post intervention. These findings inform efforts to scale this type of intervention in higher education. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:20:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e106205a559240e6a672bc362d26c5e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2766-1652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:20:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Harvard Kennedy School |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-e106205a559240e6a672bc362d26c5e32022-12-21T23:40:35ZengHarvard Kennedy SchoolHarvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review2766-16522021-02-012110.37016/mr-2020-56Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online courseJoel Breakstone0Mark Smith1Priscilla Connors2Teresa Ortega3Darby Kerr4Sam Wineburg5Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, USAGraduate School of Education, Stanford University, USACollege of Merchandising, Hospitality & Tourism, University of North Texas, USAGraduate School of Education, Stanford University, USAGraduate School of Education, Stanford University, USAGraduate School of Education, Stanford University, USAThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced college students to spend more time online. Yet many studies show that college students struggle to discern fact from fiction on the Internet. A small body of research suggests that students in face-to-face settings can improve at judging the credibility of online sources. But what about asynchronous remote instruction? In an asynchronous college nutrition course at a large state university, we embedded modules that taught students how to vet websites using fact checkers’ strategies. Chief among these strategies was lateral reading, the act of leaving an unknown website to consult other sources to evaluate the original site. Students improved significantly from pretest to posttest, engaging in lateral reading more often post intervention. These findings inform efforts to scale this type of intervention in higher education.https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/lateral-reading-college-students-learn-to-critically-evaluate-internet-sources-in-an-online-course/educationmedia literacysourcesyouth |
| spellingShingle | Joel Breakstone Mark Smith Priscilla Connors Teresa Ortega Darby Kerr Sam Wineburg Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review education media literacy sources youth |
| title | Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course |
| title_full | Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course |
| title_fullStr | Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course |
| title_short | Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course |
| title_sort | lateral reading college students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course |
| topic | education media literacy sources youth |
| url | https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/lateral-reading-college-students-learn-to-critically-evaluate-internet-sources-in-an-online-course/ |
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