A free browser-based game called Factitious helps middle school and high school students distinguish between fake news and real journalism. Players indicate if they think an article is fake, or if they believe it is real. Factitious then provides immediate feedback: whether the response is correct or incorrect, whether the article cites sources that can be checked, and whether the story includes direct quotes from credible sources. If a player is stumped, the game offers a clue. For example, the player can click or tap to reveal the article’s source. Educators can adapt Factitious to their needs; it’s open source. Teachers can ask students to select news stories to input into the game as a way to challenge their classmates. The game also offers a way for players to suggest content they think should be included. The Factitious game was designed by American University’s GameLab in collaboration with the university’s School of Communication.
Educators and researchers at University of Massachusetts Amherst have released a free, open-access, online ebook to help use AI tools, such a ChatGPT, to teach and learn critical analysis.
Northwestern University’s Knight Lab comprises a team of designers, developers, students, and educators who are working together to generate new ways to communicate digitally as a means to enhance journalism in the ever-changing digital age.
OpenSciEd is an innovative nonprofit organization that brings together world-class curriculum developers, state science administrators, teachers, and philanthropic organizations to create free, high-quality, NGSS-aligned science instructional materials and professional learning experiences.