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Fake News and the “Wild Wide Web”: A Study of Elementary Students’ Reliability Reasoning

Author

Listed:
  • Jodi Pilgrim

    (College of Education, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX 76513, USA)

  • Sheri Vasinda

    (College of Education and Human Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA)

Abstract

Online research presents unique challenges for elementary students as they develop and extend fundamental literacy skills to various media. Some features of internet text differ from that of traditional print, contributing to the challenges of discerning “fake news.” Readers must understand how to navigate online texts to conduct research effectively, while applying critical thinking to determine the reliability of online information. Descriptive data from an ongoing study revealed that children in grades 1–5 lack some basic understanding of how to search the “wild wide web.” Just as children benefit from explicit instruction related to text features, children benefit from instruction related to the features of the internet. This article presents a study of website evaluation that occurs early in the search process prior to the selection of a particular website or article. The application of the web literacy skills required to conduct an internet search is addressed, and recommendations prompt teachers to consider searches beyond the “walled garden,” as well as ways to handle the “messiness” of internet exploration.

Suggested Citation

  • Jodi Pilgrim & Sheri Vasinda, 2021. "Fake News and the “Wild Wide Web”: A Study of Elementary Students’ Reliability Reasoning," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-12, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:11:y:2021:i:4:p:121-:d:648184
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hunt Allcott & Matthew Gentzkow, 2017. "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(2), pages 211-236, Spring.
    2. Elena-Alexandra Dumitru, 2020. "Testing Children and Adolescents’ Ability to Identify Fake News: A Combined Design of Quasi-Experiment and Group Discussions," Societies, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, September.
    3. Hunt Allcott & Matthew Gentzkow, 2017. "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election," NBER Working Papers 23089, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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