October 28: Fool Me Once… (Authentication)

This module addresses five key topics relating to authenticating online information:

Decision points during the module

7:55 a.m. Issue: Getting information from social media

- Josie sees a message in her social media feed that school is cancelled because of the weather.
- Decision: How can Josie find out if this information is correct before sharing it with her friends?

Sharing news or facts

Message Cindy to see if she’s serious. POOR ANSWER: (0/2 points)

Do an image search of the photo to make sure it’s legit. BEST ANSWER: (2/2 points)

Check the date to make sure it was posted today. PASSABLE ANSWER: (1/2 points)

10:22 a.m. Issue: Authenticating wikis

- Jo and Annie have found an article in an online encyclopedia. It sounds kind of silly to Jo and he knows that anyone can edit articles like these.
- Decision: How can Jo find out whether or not the article is reliable?

Authenticating wikis

Check the Talk page to see what people have been saying about the article. BEST ANSWER: (2/2 points)

Teacher note: for classes unfamiliar with Wiki Talk pages, please see the lesson Taming the Wild Wiki linked in the resources on page 16

Check the “View History” section to see if any changes have been made. PASSABLE ANSWER: (1/2 points)

Just read it carefully – Jo’s smart, he can tell if it’s legit. POOR ANSWER: (0/2 points)

2:20 p.m. Issue: Recognizing bias and loaded language

- Josie and Matt are writing an essay on school uniforms. Josie finds a site that looks like it might be a good source of information, but she’s not sure.
- Decision: How can Josie tell whether or not the website is biased?

Recognizing bias

Double-check to see if she can find two other sites that say the same thing. POOR ANSWER: (0/2 points)

Read carefully to look for examples of bias and loaded language to see if this is a balanced source. BEST ANSWER: (2/2 points)

Do a search to find out if the author is reliable. PASSABLE ANSWER: (1/2 points)

4:15 p.m. Issue: Recognizing commercial content

- Josie is sent a link to a diet blog boasting dramatic “before” and “after” results.
- Decision: How can Josie find out if the blog’s author is giving an honest recommendation?

Recognizing commercial content

Do a search for “Skinny Milkshake diet” to see if this is for real. PASSABLE ANSWER: (1/2 points)

Ask everyone she knows if they’ve ever tried the diet. POOR ANSWER: (0/2 points)

Take a look at the rest of the blog to see if she gets paid to mention products. BEST ANSWER: (2/2 points)

6:15 p.m. Issue: Authenticating videos

- Jo receives a video from Ben of a skateboarder doing some unbelievable tricks.
- Decision: How can Jo find out if the stunts are real or not?

Authenticating videos

Send the link to people on his skateboarding forum and see what the people there think. POOR ANSWER: (0/2 points)

Check out the person who posted it to see if he looks legit. PASSABLE ANSWER: (1/2 points)

Check out a hoax-busting site like Snopes to see if there’s any info there. BEST ANSWER: (2/2 points)