Conf. univ. dr. Luminița Mihaela Drăghicescu
Universitatea Valahia din Targoviste
Activity / lesson title
You are responsible for your choices!
Target group
Students of upper secondary level
Duration
2 lessons
Learning Environment
classroom
Objectives
Awareness of the Fake News phenomenon and its negative consequences;
Identifying the specific stages of an efficient decision-making process;
Exercising critical thinking skills, reflective skills, and decision-making ability.
Subjects and topics covered
- Counselling and guidance, Media literacy, Intercultural education, Civic education, Education for democracy, Psychology, Sociology - Fake news, media skills, decision making
Methods
Reflection, brainstorming, explanation, conversation, facilitated discussion, PBL (problem based learning)
Tools / Materials / Resources
Video materials: The Science of Fake News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIv9054dBBI&t=17s What are the 7 Steps of Decision Making? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a0Fe3AchAI&t=69s PPT: Let's learn to make good decisions A4 sheets, post-it notes, colored pencils, flipchart sheets, markers, laptop, video projector
Detailed description of the step-by-step description of the activity / sequences of the units
Lesson 1
Exercise to get to know each other: A4 sheets and coloured pencils are distributed to students. They are asked to represent graphically, through a drawing / symbol, etc., the most important decision they have made so far. Each student will present his/her own drawing / symbol and will briefly describe the decision taken and the context that influenced it.
Introductory exercise: A discussion is initiated based on the participants' stories. The teacher records, on a flipchart sheet, the factors that conditioned the students’ decisions. Together with the students, a grouping of these factors will be made, by categories (individual, related to the family environment, to the school environment, etc.). The discussion continues, by identifying the consequences of the decision in personal, professional, social plan, etc.
Depending on the experiences shared by the students, at an opportune moment of the discussion, the topic Fake News will be introduced. Through a brainstorming exercise, the main characteristics of this phenomenon will be identified.
Applications - viewing / commenting videos: 1. The teacher play the video entitled The Science of Fake News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIv9054dBBI&t=17s ).
The students, while watching the video, are asked to reflect on the extent to which we are exposed to the Fake News phenomenon, what its consequences may be, what implications it may have in making important decisions for the personal / professional life of each of us, what defence / protection / prevention mechanisms we can access in the face of it etc.
After watching the video, a discussion is initiated, based on the students' reflections, guided by the teacher's previous requests (exposure to Fake News, consequences, implications in decision-making, defence / protection / prevention mechanisms, etc.).
Depending on the time allocated to this activity, the video entitled What are the 7 Steps of Decision Making? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a0Fe3AchAI&t=69s ), may be played.
Based on this video, a discussion will be launched focused on the importance of making the right decisions, based on information, deep reflection, designing alternatives and, subsequently, selecting the optimal option, etc.
Presentation of the theme Let's learn to make good decisions!: The teacher presents the PPT support material, analysing and exemplifying, together with the participants (capitalizing on their personal experiences), the specific stages of the decision-making process, the factors influencing the decision making (referring to the Fake News phenomenon).
Lesson 2
Introductory exercise-game Let's decide together!: Several students (if the group is smaller, all participants may be involved) are asked to tell two strange stories, one true and one false. They are told that the “stories” shared with others must be “cut out” from real, personal life, preferably to be as unusual as possible and the true / false delimitation must not be easy to be achieved. The group must decide which of the events is true and which is false.
Application You decide! (Reflection): Participants are divided into three / four groups. To each group is distributed a worksheet on which the following situation is described: M.S., a third-year student, University X, from locality Z, comes from a family with a precarious socio-economic status, but he is an ambitious, studious young man, with an increased motivation for learning and a strong desire to have success, both professionally and personally. He has major health problems, namely type 1 diabetes and other conditions associated with it. In the new context generated by the Covid-19 pandemic, it must make an important decision: whether to vaccinate or not, given that its presence in classes, in the new academic year, as well as accommodation in one of the university dorms are conditioned by this decision. Students are asked to analyse the proposed case, to empathize with the character, to document themselves (having access to the Internet), to reflect, considering all possible consequences of one decision or another, to express their own choice, sharing it with colleagues from the group, to debate, negotiate and then choose the decision-making option preferred by the members of the group. After the expiration of the time allocated for group reflection, the decisions adopted at the group level will be shared in the large group, specifying the arguments / motives that influenced the decision-making process. The trainer lists on the flipchart the solutions proposed by each group and, based on them, provokes a debate following which the final decision will be adopted. The activity will end with a discussion (debriefing), based on the following questions: - How difficult / easy was it to make a decision in the given situation? - What are the factors that influenced you in making the decision? - Did the documentation-process using the Internet cause you any problems? - Was it easy to separate sites that promoted false information about vaccination from professional ones that disseminated authentic, scientifically relevant information? - How did you proceed to ensure that the decision you made was based on correct information? - Was it difficult / easy to express your thoughts / emotions / feelings? and so on. Conclusions are drawn on the importance of following the specific stages of the decision-making process, on the consequences of taking certain decisions, not only on a personal level, but also on a social level.
Feedback & assessment
"What do I take with me". Students receive two post-it notes. They will write down what they want to take home (memories, useful information, etc.) and what they want to leave, throw it away. Present your own "choices."
Evaluation (for purposes of grading)
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Intellectual property rights (IPR) / Origin of the activity
This activity may be copied, distributed, modified, and used for non-commercial purposes, specifying the source.