Jessica E. Brodsky|Patricia J. Brooks|Donna Scimeca|Ralitsa Todorova|Peter Galati|Michael Batson|Robert Grosso|Michael Matthews|Victor B. Miller|Michael P. Caulfield
Improving college students’ fact-checking strategies through lateral reading instruction in a general education civics course
The Graduate Center, CUNY|The Graduate Center, CUNY|College of Staten Island|Lehman College|College of Staten Island|College of Staten Island|College of Staten Island|College of Staten Island|College of Staten Island|Washington State University Vancouver
college students lack factchecking skills may lead accept information face value report findings institution participating digital polarization initiative dpi national effort teach students lateral reading strategies used expert factcheckers verify online information lateral reading requires users leave information website find whether someone already factchecked claim identify original source learn individuals organizations making claim instructormatched sections general education civics course implemented dpi curriculum n 136 students provided businessasusual civics instruction n 94 students posttest students dpi sections likely use lateral reading factcheck correctly evaluate trustworthiness information controls aligning dpis emphasis using wikipedia investigate sources students dpi sections reported greater use wikipedia posttest controls differ significantly trust wikipedia dpi sections students failed read laterally posttest reported higher trust wikipedia pretest students read least one problem laterally responsiveness curriculum also linked numbers online assignments attempted unrelated pretest media literacy knowledge use lateral reading selfreported use lateral reading research needed determine whether improvements lateral reading maintained time explore factors might distinguish students whose skills improved instruction nonresponders