Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy
ABSTRACT In this digital age in which social media use among young adults continues to rise, consideration of the impact of these platforms on our students and on science literacy pedagogy is essential. This has been highlighted during the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic, when mis- and disinformat...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00171-22 |
| _version_ | 1797739378095685632 |
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| author | Ayuni W. Ratnayake Aarthi Ashok |
| author_facet | Ayuni W. Ratnayake Aarthi Ashok |
| author_sort | Ayuni W. Ratnayake |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT In this digital age in which social media use among young adults continues to rise, consideration of the impact of these platforms on our students and on science literacy pedagogy is essential. This has been highlighted during the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic, when mis- and disinformation surrounding the pandemic and vaccinations were so prevalent on social media platforms that it provoked a cautionary announcement from the World Health Organization. We describe here the structure of an assignment aimed to promote science literacy by encouraging students to explore antivaccination stances on social media and evaluate the scientific validity of such claims using scientific literature. To comprehensively analyze these antivaccination sentiments, we encouraged students to develop succinct arguments to demonstrate the social, economic, or other cultural influences likely contributing to antivaccination stances. In alignment with the philosophical-educational concept of Bildung, we hope to nurture an understanding of scientific literacy that focuses on both evidence-based critical thinking as well as empathetic understanding of the socio-political circumstances that influence public opinion on scientific matters. Student work provided compelling evidence for the success of our field-tested assignment in fostering students to be authoritative voices of science in everyday life and highlighted the importance of efforts to explicitly focus on science literacy within biology curricula. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f04509e1f4dc47ed949236c563d18fb8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-f04509e1f4dc47ed949236c563d18fb82023-08-22T13:00:40ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852023-08-0124210.1128/jmbe.00171-22Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science LiteracyAyuni W. Ratnayake0Aarthi Ashok1Human Biology and Molecular Biology, Immunology & Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaABSTRACT In this digital age in which social media use among young adults continues to rise, consideration of the impact of these platforms on our students and on science literacy pedagogy is essential. This has been highlighted during the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic, when mis- and disinformation surrounding the pandemic and vaccinations were so prevalent on social media platforms that it provoked a cautionary announcement from the World Health Organization. We describe here the structure of an assignment aimed to promote science literacy by encouraging students to explore antivaccination stances on social media and evaluate the scientific validity of such claims using scientific literature. To comprehensively analyze these antivaccination sentiments, we encouraged students to develop succinct arguments to demonstrate the social, economic, or other cultural influences likely contributing to antivaccination stances. In alignment with the philosophical-educational concept of Bildung, we hope to nurture an understanding of scientific literacy that focuses on both evidence-based critical thinking as well as empathetic understanding of the socio-political circumstances that influence public opinion on scientific matters. Student work provided compelling evidence for the success of our field-tested assignment in fostering students to be authoritative voices of science in everyday life and highlighted the importance of efforts to explicitly focus on science literacy within biology curricula.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00171-22social mediascience literacydigital literacyanti-vaccination movementscience communicationwriting assignments |
| spellingShingle | Ayuni W. Ratnayake Aarthi Ashok Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education social media science literacy digital literacy anti-vaccination movement science communication writing assignments |
| title | Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy |
| title_full | Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy |
| title_fullStr | Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy |
| title_short | Investigating Anti-Vaccination Stances on Social Media: an Assignment To Promote Science Literacy |
| title_sort | investigating anti vaccination stances on social media an assignment to promote science literacy |
| topic | social media science literacy digital literacy anti-vaccination movement science communication writing assignments |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00171-22 |
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