Recent event
IMMUNISE AGAINST DIS-/MISINFORMATION WORKSHOP SERIES
On selected themes: Migration – Health – Elections
We are all exposed to infodemics spreading around – such as the viruses of the pandemic – which can severely impact our decisions. These may include disinformation, misinformation, fake news, and other types of interference on different issues related to public life, your own health, and political or economic preferences.
We all need to defend ourselves and build cognitive immunity, such as by getting vaccines and regular boosters against the spread of the pandemic.
This workshop series aims to help participants get immunity against dis- and misinformation on selected themes by equipping them with easy-to-use tools.
- We equip you with different tools to defend yourself using 3 vaccines:
- digital information literacy (DIL)
- media & information literacy (MIL)
- critical thinking (CT)
- We empower you with extra 3 booster shots by applying these tools on selected hot dis/misinformation themes:
- elections
- health
- migration
Each workshop focuses on 1-2 selected vaccine(s) and 1 booster. Our workshops are designed for vulnerable people including youth, students, residents of Belgium and also elderly who are affected on a daily basis by circulating mis/disinformation via media, the internet and word of mouth.
Our immunisation methodology in a workshop setting consists of three steps. Based on the target group’s motivation, education level, age, and interest areas the content and the selected tools varied.
· STEP 1 – Give a weakened dose of disinformation: The initial aim in this first step is to introduce dis- and misinformation (viruses) to participants in a very engaging active way and to show them how they are suspectable to these. Accepting one’s own susceptibility is key to going to the next steps. We do it via interesting interactive questions and social games like 2 truths 1 lie. In the end, the participants see their weaknesses such as confirmation bias, illusory truth effect, etc.
· STEP 2 – Give the tools (vaccine): The second step aims to give useful tools to detect and resist dis- and misinformation. Several useful tools out of a deck of 30 in total are given to the participants with recent examples. The deck includes critical thinking (CT), digital information literacy (DIL) and media information literacy (MIL) tools. Based on the defined topic and level of participants at the workshop, 6-10 selected tools are introduced by showing their application on interesting real examples.
· STEP 3 – Make case studies on selected topics (booster): The last step starts with introducing the main facts and figures about the selected topic (elections, health or migration) and common disinformation narratives. Knowing these helps one be more critical and use tools more easily. Then participants start self-application of tools mostly in groups on given cases. Each group applies selected tools together on the case and then shares their findings with the rest of the group. An exchange of findings increases the learning level within the group.
Organised Workshops
28 NOV 2023
KdG University/Antwerp
We focus on critical thinking and migration with Cross-Media students.
This session was for young college students and focused on critical thinking tools and migration theme. A pre-reading material was provided for better understanding the Belgian disinformation landscape. Several viral infodemics happened in Belgium were put forward to their attention. A task was also given to all students to select among the given list of migration related dis/misinformation pieces or finding one on their own and to apply a selected tool on it. According to the feedback, critical thinking tools, a methodological approach to biases and fallacies, the case study on a social media post about the cost of asylum seekers were found very interesting.
19 FEB 2024
International House Leuven
We focus on digital literacy and migration themes with international residents of Leuven.
The workshop was organized for residents of Leuven city including different age groups, young and older people. This session focused more on digital literacy and migration/elections themes. Participants with varying levels of education from young students to others with PhD were a challenge for the workshop. But fact-checking tools, mentimeter quizzes and conversations on migration facts and biases were found quite interesting.
22 FEB 2024
CLT Leuven
We focus on critical thinking and migration themes with CLT staff and language teachers.
The workshop was organized for teachers of different languages. The group was seen as multipliers who can use our tools and methodology with their students. This session focused on a combination of critical thinking and digital literacy tools and migration/elections theme. The participants were more interested in the toolbox and wanted to use it in their classroom activities with adult students. They asked for more tools to learn and apply rather than focusing on the theme.
21 JUN 2024
We focus on CT and clear language with language enthusiasts.
The workshop covered also languages’ role in fighting against mis/disinformation. As a preparation to this event, BtH wrote a chapter contribution to a book “In all languages” in Dutch about critical thinking and clear language as an antidote for fake news. The workshop focused on selected CT, MIL and DIL tools and on migration and elections teams. The tools were applied to 6 recent cases together with the participants. The tools were found interesting and useful. All the tools were shared with the participants to be used later in their life. .