Digital Competency: Developing Critical Thinking with Regard to the Use of Digital Technology

When it comes to digital information, developing critical thinking skills means learning to analyze and assess information, tools, and technologies in an objective and thoughtful way; learning to analyze, question, and verify information; and understanding that every piece of information comes with its own intent, bias, and issues. In short, this dimension teaches us to navigate the digital world with discernment, understanding the issues involved in its use, in order to make responsible and informed choices. It involves the following actions:

• Reflecting on the information presented and remaining vigilant: Don’t believe everything you read or see online, and ask questions about the source, author, intent, and possible biases. Learn to distinguish fact from opinion.
• Assessing the credibility of sources and thoroughly evaluating the information that you gather: Learn to identify reliable and credible sources, don’t settle for the first piece of information you find, and check whether the information is confirmed by other reputable sources.
• Being aware of algorithmic bias: Understand that algorithms influence the information that you see and be aware of the filter bubbles created when information is curated.
• Being responsible: Consider the consequences of your online actions, respect copyrights, protect your privacy, and fight misinformation.
• Understanding the issues behind misinformation: Understand the different kinds of false information (misinformation, disinformation, malinformation) and their impact, and develop strategies to spot and counter fake news.

 

It’s not just a question of teaching students how to use digital tools; they need to develop their instincts so they can use them thoughtfully and responsibly. As a role model and facilitator, you can develop your own critical thinking by adopting a thorough approach and encouraging your students to do the same. Here are a few things you can do:

• Professional development: Stay informed on digital issues, new technologies, and information analysis tools. This article from École branchée (in French) recommends five courses to improve your digital know-how.
• Trend watch: Follow the latest in digital news and research on misinformation, algorithmic bias, and digital ethics.
• Consider your own practices: Reflect on your prejudices, sources of information, and ways in which you encourage critical thinking in your classroom.
• Create a classroom environment that’s conducive to reflection: Encourage your students to ask questions, express their opinions, and make their case using sound arguments and facts.

These are the kinds of actions expected of you as a teacher:

• Model fact checking for your students. 
• Plan activities that involve analyzing case studies of online misinformation or manipulation, and talk about issues like algorithmic bias and the influence of social media.
• Invite experts (page in French) or journalists to share their experiences and fact-checking methods.
• Encourage students to reflect on their own digital practices and question the effectiveness of the tools they use.

Here are a few tangible ways in which your students can develop this digital competency dimension:

• Question the origin and reliability of information they find online.
• Use different tools and compare information from different platforms or websites. 
• Reflect on their use of digital tools and identifying good practices and areas for improvement.
• Discuss the impact of misinformation and the limits of certain applications.

 

Here are a few teaching resources you can try in the classroom to encourage the critical analysis of digital content: 

• The Ma tarte numérique (in French) activity encourages Cycle 3 elementary students to describe and analyze their screen time.
• The /le dilemme social (in French) activity encourages Cycle 1 high school students to question their autonomy in their use of social media, and to come up with solutions to foster online autonomy and community life through a collaborative project.
• The fact sheet How Misinformers Fool Us offers a range of activities to help students learn to spot fake news and understand the difficulties of fact checking. It is intended for Cycle 2 high school students in the Culture and Citizenship in Québec and French, first language courses.
• The role-playing game AI de l’avenir (in French) prompts high school students to consider issues relating to the use of artificial intelligence, including its impact on the job market. 
• The French role-playing game Escape Fake puts high school students in the role of trainee journalists tasked with fact checking news articles. Our social sciences sheet on the 5W+H questions is a great complement or pre-activity to the game.
• The Do Sharks Love Ice Cream? activity helps Secondary I and II students understand how scientific articles are written and how to write their own.
• The An Ad of My Own activity encourages Secondary V students in the Financial Education course to use their critical thinking skills to analyze advertising content.
• The Créez votre propre publicité! LES (in French) addresses the role of advertising agencies and the phenomenon of consumerism.
• The interactive site détecteur de rumeurs (in French) prompts students to actively counter misinformation and offers tips for checking the accuracy of online information. This site also contains resources that explain the phenomenon of conspiracy theories and the role our cognitive biases play in spreading fake news.
• The interactive presentation What is fake news, illustrated by Élise Gravel, focuses on teaching elementary students how to spot fake news.
• Here are a few more resources that gamify learning to detect fake news online: 
  • Doubt It?
  • Consensus or Conspiracy?
  • Les algorithmes... utiles ou pas? (in French)
  • Truth or Lie? The game