Embed subject-specific web credibility modules into existing courses rather than creating standalone courses¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The authors recommend that "curriculum developers could create subject-specific modules for instructors to integrate into existing curricula" rather than designing entirely new courses. Because the modules were embedded in regular course content and delivered asynchronously, they avoid the scalability barriers of prior add-on interventions in which researchers delivered instruction themselves. They propose a national database of open educational resources to disseminate the approach and collaboration between subject-matter experts and curriculum developers for frequently taught courses.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Subject-matter experts collaborating with curriculum developers to create modules for frequently taught courses
• A bank of modules so asynchronous delivery requires no extensive faculty development

Constraints¶

• Further research is needed on efficacy across varied disciplines and on how controversial subject matter and motivated reasoning influence student behavior

Target Learners¶

• Undergraduate students across disciplines in higher education

Target Learning Goals¶

• Evaluating the credibility of online sources within disciplinary course content

Affordances¶

• Lateral Reading Fact Checker Strategy

Claims¶

• College students' scores on an online source credibility assessment improved significantly after four course-embedded modules in an asynchronous nutrition course [+W]
• Gains in source evaluation held regardless of the order in which students took the two assessment forms [+W]
• After the modules, students engaged in lateral reading far more often, rising from 3 of 87 students at pretest to 67 of 87 at posttest [+W]
• Students' reliance on surface-level evaluation strategies declined after the modules, including trust in dot-org domains, links, appearance, and About pages [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Integrate computational thinking into existing disciplinary teaching across grade bands rather than adding it on
• Embed AI literacy across disciplines by identifying intersections with existing content and using case studies, interdisciplinary modules, and collaborative projects
• Embed AIL across disciplines by adding modules to existing Digital Literacy courses and offering interdisciplinary AI ethics and legal seminars
• Infuse social psychological concepts into existing pre-service courses and professional development rather than new standalone courses

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Breakstone, J., Smith, M., Connors, P., Ortega, T., Kerr, D., & Wineburg, S. (2021). Lateral reading: College students learn to critically evaluate internet sources in an online course. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-56