Fake news & democracy
Nesodden students meeting
February 2023
The aim of the project was to deepen the students’ understanding of how fake news, deep fakes, algorithms, conspiracy theories and echo chambers influence us. It furthermore aimed to enlarge the students’ skills and knowledge in critical thinking, media analysis and source critique.
Before the project week in Norway, the students worked on a pre-task. The students were asked to do research on media behavior in their own school and among their peers. They were asked to make a survey asking questions about information sources and source critique.
During the project week, the students had lectures on democracy and threats to democracy. They had lectures on digital media and how fake news and conspiracy theories are produced, both as entertainment (You Tube, films, MEMES etc.) and as political explanations trying to target and blame certain groups in society. The students learnt about how to detect and recognize fake news. They took part in practical tasks connected to psychological group thinking and the research behind these theories. The students visited the Center of Studies of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities and the Norwegian Press House. The students took part in workshops on Conspiracy Theories and Propaganda.
As a result of the work, the students designed a lecture on the topic for younger students (lower upper secondary school). At the end of the week, they presented their lecture to all participants in the project. Furthermore, the teachers in the project encouraged all partners in the project to let the students have a lecture in their respective schools, or in local schools for younger children. You can check those lesson clicking on the images below.
Conspiracy theory
Algorithm & Eco chambers
Media biase
Source criticism
