Misinformation vs. Disinformation (learning scenario)
Do you still refer to misinformation as “fake news”?
Do you still refer to misinformation as “fake news”? The experts have given up on this term and have developed several new concepts for various types of misinformation.
Keywords: misinformation, disinformation, fake news, satire, false context, imposter content, manipulated content, fabricated content
Misinformation: Information that is misleading, erroneous or false. While misinformation is sometimes created and shared intentionally, it is often created unintentionally or as humor and later mistaken as a serious claim by others.
Disinformation: Misinformation that is deliberately created to be false, usually to achieve a desired ideological or political result.
Fake News: The term once referred to misinformation designed to look like legitimate news, but the term has been rendered meaningless and counterproductive through overuse and political weaponization.
Satire: Misinformation that uses humor or exaggeration to critique or mock a person, organization or policy.
False Context: Misinformation that takes an image, a quote or other piece of content and puts it into a new, false context to change its meaning.
Imposter Content: Misinformation that falsely uses a well-known name, brand or logo to fool people into believing that it is authentic content.
Manipulated Content: Misinformation that makes changes in original material in an effort to deceive or create a false context (for example, an image where something has been added or deleted using photo editing tools).
Fabricated Content: Misinformation that is entirely made up and is designed to deceive you into thinking that it’s real.
Subject(s): English as a Foreign Language, Civics, Media Culture, ICT
Age of students: 14–19
Class size: 15–30 students
Preparation time: 60 min
Teaching time: 90 min
Online teaching material:
• an online Checkology task Misinformation
• Powerpoint presentation created in Canva
• GoogleSlides template (needs to be copied beforehand, you need to create and share your own document)
• Wakelet (collection needs to be prepared beforehand by the teacher)
• poster Five Types of Misinformation
• YouTube video Fake≠Fact
• online game BadNews
• reverse image search game: Verifying content
Offline teaching material:
• ICT room — computers for students
• mobile phones
• a TV screen
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Integration into the curriculum: The lesson can be integrated into any national curriculum, and it especially fits under the umbrella of civics, ICT and media education.
Aim of the lesson: Students will learn to differ misinformation from disinformation, and will learn about five types of misinformation.
Outcomes of the lesson:
At the end of the lesson:
· students will understand the difference between the terms misinformation and disinformation
· students will understand the difference among five types of misinformation
· students will learn new vocabulary
· students will be able to explain the importance of understanding and revealing misinformation
· students will be able to understand negative consequences of spreading misinformation
· students will create presentations about the impact of misinformation
· students will be able to create a collection of their work.
KEY SUBJECTS & 21ST CENTURY THEMES
Literacy Competence: Students will search the Internet during collaboration on GoogleSlides. When doing research, they will need to extract key data (critical thinking) and present them in an appropriate way.
Multilingual competence: When researching and creating digital materials, students will use English and their native language and expand their vocabulary in the field of misinformation.
Civic competence: Through research, students will practice and acquire the skills of responsible work, communication, and cooperation.
INFORMATION, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Information literacy: Students are encouraged to seek, evaluate, use, and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational, and educational goals.
Media literacy: Students learn that media messages are constructed, and learn how to decode media messages.
Digital competence: Students will create publicly available entries in the selected tools.
LIFE & CAREER SKILLS
Entrepreneurship: Students will create their own content and think critically.
Personal, social competence and competence to learn how to learn: As students will cooperate in groups, they will practice communication skills and teamwork.
ACTIVITIES
- Introduction (10')
Before the start of this lesson, the students had a homework task, an online task Misinformation. At the beginning of this lesson, it is necessary to talk about the content so the teacher asks students to try to explain the new vocabulary: fake news, misinformation, disinformation, satire, false context, imposter content, manipulated content, and fabricated content. The teacher shows slides 2–5 with definitions of the words and reinforces the language.
2. Group work (30')
The teacher divides the class into groups and shares the GoogleSlides template with each group (slide 6). Students need to create their group presentation using definitions, photos, examples etc. The members of the group don’t have to share a computer since they work in GoogleSlides, but it would be best if they were physically close to each other, for easier cooperation.
3. Presentation (20')
After the students have finished their work, they need to share their presentations to a Wakelet collection (the teacher needs to create one before the lesson), and then present their work orally (slide 6 with the questions). Other students need to “like” their presentations in the Wakelet app, as a form of peer evaluation.
4. Watching a video and comprehension check (15')
The teacher plays a short video Fake≠Fact (slide 7) after which students answer questions from slide 8:
• What makes some pieces of information “go viral”?
• What makes rumours spread?
• What emotions do rumours provoke in people?
• What are some of the reasons people share false information?
• Is all misinformation bad or damaging? Why or why not?
5. Conclusion (15')
In pairs and using their mobile phones, students play a game called BadNews (slide 9) and comment on the question: Can misinformation ever be ethical?
For students who want to do additional research, the teacher refers them to slide 10 and a short online activity where students can learn how to do a reverse image search.
Assessment
The Wakelet collection used in the lesson serves as self-evaluation of students’ participation and comprehension. The task can also be used for peer assessment.
