Workshop aims to help pre-teens investigate health misinformation online
A group of health researchers are developing a workshop to help kids become health detectives who can navigate misinformation online.
The workshop, created by a team at the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s Southern Medical Program, comes as kids wade through the tricky waters of COVID-19 conspiracies and falsehoods on social media.
“Misinformation is so endemic these days,” said Rowan Laird, in a news release.
Laird, a student of the medical program, is creating the workshop for students aged 10 to 12 as part of his UBCO course requirements.
“Our goal is to teach students how to navigate health information online, spot misinformation and think critically about health claims," Laird said.
Dr. Evelyn Cornelissen, a clinical associate professor with the program says that as the global pandemic emerged last spring she became increasingly concerned with how health misinformation was impacting children.
“Internet connectivity and social media have fuelled the spread of health misinformation, while rotating lockdowns have increased uncertainty and reluctance to follow public health guidelines,” she said.
Laird partnered with Jimmy Lopez, a graduate research assistant with BC Children's Hospital’s Vaccine Evaluation Center, to create a virtual workshop to help kids evaluate and identify reputable sources of health information.
The workshop, titled "So You Want to be a Health Detective," was first presented to Grade 5 and 6 class in Kelowna. The session presented tips about evaluating information sources and encouraged students to think critically about the “5 Ws” – who, what, when, where, and why – as a method of spotting websites that lack current scientific data or might have ulterior motives.
Students were asked to compare web pages from the BC Centre for Disease Control and a prominent anti-vaccination organization.
“Within five minutes of studying each webpage, they were able to quickly identify the trustworthy source,” Laird said.
“I was really impressed how quickly they applied their critical thinking skills to assess the credibility of the information.”
Students were also given a pop quiz before and after the seminar so the team could get a sense of their attitudes towards misinformation, trustworthy sources and their confidence in assessing online information.
Feedback from the students showed they often turn to Google to get answers to questions they are initially embarrassed to ask a parent or a teacher.
“The internet is seen as a trial run before discussing with someone they trust,” reads the news statement.
The team is now planning on presenting the workshop to other classes in the fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.