An investigation conducted by researchers at Uppsala University and others revealed that a computer game was effective in improving the ability of upper secondary school students to differentiate between trustworthy and deceptive news. The findings suggest that this development is a significant advancement in preparing young individuals with the necessary skills to navigate a world inundated with misinformation. The study emphasizes the importance of enhancing the capacity to recognize manipulative tactics, also known as prebunking.”Deep fakes and other AI-generated disinformation are nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye,” explains Thomas Nygren, a Professor of Education at Uppsala University. Nygren, along with three other researchers, conducted a study with 516 Swedish upper secondary school students from four different schools. The study, which was published in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education, examined the impact of the game Bad News in a classroom setting. This is the first time the game has been scientifically tested in a normal classroom environment. Bad News is a game designed for research and teaching purposes, and the participants were involved in the study.Let’s say you’re spreading fake news. According to the study, students who played the game by themselves, in pairs, or as a whole class with a shared scorecard all saw positive results. This was unexpected for the researchers, who had thought that students would learn better by working together on the computer.
“The students got better at recognizing manipulative techniques in social media posts and telling the difference between trustworthy and misleading news,” Nygren explains.
The study also found that students who already had a positive view of reliable news sources were better at identifying disinformation.hat playing a serious game improved students’ attitudes towards media and information. The competitive elements in the game also increased interest and overall benefit for the students. This study provides valuable insights for teachers on how serious games can be utilized in formal instruction to enhance media and information literacy.” The researchers found that students’ assessments of credibility improved and they were able to identify manipulative techniques in a more sophisticated way after playing the game. The study concludes that serious games have the potential to positively impact learning and promote media literacy in educational settings.More gamification in the form of competitive elements does not necessarily lead to increased learning for students, although it may be perceived as more enjoyable and engaging,” Nygren states.
The researchers involved in this study are Carl-Anton Werner Axelsson (Mälardalen and Uppsala), Thomas Nygren (Uppsala), Jon Roozenbeek (Cambridge) and Sander van der Linden (Cambridge).
