The ‘post-truth’ world in which we live has been beset by fake news, lies and a cavalier disregard for truth. If truth is neglected then an alternative is an appeal to the emotions in order to validate a particular position, which can quickly turn to the use of power to impose a particular view. The loss of truth results in the loss of freedom. This book contends that if we want to preserve our freedom then we have a serious obligation to pursue truth. One way to do this is through an adequate moral education. Education in an Age of Lies and Fake News: Regaining a Love of Truth makes an argument for the importance of truth. It explores how we can retrieve the concept of truth and how moral education can be deployed in order to re-establish a commitment to truth. It introduces Eastern perspectives on the question of truth and how we view reality, and presents a realist position on the nature of truth as a counter to scepticism, drawing on Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, amongst others. Further, the chapters are mindful of the significance of developing a pedagogy which not only enables students to be critical thinkers, but to foster a genuine concern for truth and for its pursuit. This book will be essential reading for students, educators, philosophers and researchers pursuing the question of truth in the modern age.

The ‘post-truth’ world in which we live has been beset by fake news, lies and a cavalier disregard for truth. If truth is neglected then an alternative is an appeal to the emotions in order to validate a particular position, which can quickly turn to the use of power to impose a particular view. The loss of truth results in the loss of freedom. This book contends that if we want to preserve our freedom then we have a serious obligation to pursue truth. One way to do this is through an adequate moral education. Education in an Age of Lies and Fake News: Regaining a Love of Truth makes an argument for the importance of truth. It explores how we can retrieve the concept of truth and how moral education can be deployed in order to re-establish a commitment to truth. It introduces Eastern perspectives on the question of truth and how we view reality, and presents a realist position on the nature of truth as a counter to scepticism, drawing on Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, amongst others. Further, the chapters are mindful of the significance of developing a pedagogy which not only enables students to be critical thinkers, but to foster a genuine concern for truth and for its pursuit. This book will be essential reading for students, educators, philosophers and researchers pursuing the question of truth in the modern age.

Today, like no other time in our history, the threat of misinformation and disinformation is at an all-time high. This is also true in the field of Education. Misinformation refers to false information shared by a source who intends to inform, but is unaware that the information is false, such as when an educator who recommends the use of a learning strategy that is not actually beneficial. Disinformation is false information shared by a source who has the intent to deceive and is aware that the information is false, such as when a politician claim that high-stakes testing will fix K-12 education when in fact there is no evidence to support this practice. This book provides recent examples of how misinformation and disinformation manifest in the field of education and remedies. Section One, Susceptibility to Misinformation, focuses on factors that influence the endorsement and persistence of misinformation. This section will include chapters on: the appeal and persistence of “zombie concepts” in education; learner and message factors that underlie the adoption of misinformation in the context of the newly proposed Likelihood of Adoption Model; cognitive and motivational factors that contribute to misinformation revision failure; cognitive biases and bias transfer in criminal justice training; the influence of conspiratorial and political ideation on the use of misinformation; and, how educational culture and policy has historically given rise to quackery in education. Section Two, Practices in the Service of Reducing Misinformation in Education, focuses on practices aimed at reducing the impact of misinformation, and includes chapters on: misinformation in the education of children with ASD and its influence on educational and intervention practices; the promise of using dynamical systems and computational linguistics to model the spread of misinformation; systematic attempts to reduce misinformation in psychology and education both in and out of the classroom; and the potential perils of constructivism in the classroom, as well as the teaching of critical thinking. Each section has a discussion chapter that explicates emerging themes and lessons learned and fruitful avenues for future research.

“Should be in the hands of every history teacher in the country.”— Howard Zinn James Loewen has revised Teaching What Really Happened, the bestselling, go-to resource for social studies and history teachers wishing to break away from standard textbook retellings of the past. In addition to updating the scholarship and anecdotes throughout, the second edition features a timely new chapter entitled "Truth" that addresses how traditional and social media can distort current events and the historical record. Helping students understand what really happened in the past will empower them to use history as a tool to argue for better policies in the present. Our society needs engaged citizens now more than ever, and this book offers teachers concrete ideas for getting students excited about history while also teaching them to read critically. It will specifically help teachers and students tackle important content areas, including Eurocentrism, the American Indian experience, and slavery. Book Features: An up-to-date assessment of the potential and pitfalls of U.S. and world history education. Information to help teachers expect, and get, good performance from students of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Strategies for incorporating project-oriented self-learning, having students conduct online historical research, and teaching historiography. Ideas from teachers across the country who are empowering students by teaching what really happened. Specific chapters dedicated to five content topics usually taught poorly in today’s schools.

Since the 2016 presidential election, the term fake news has become part of the national discourse. In this book, leading civic education scholars unpack why fake news is effective and show K-12 educators how they can teach their students to be critical consumers of the political media they encounter.

The debate over the facts is in full swing. Many people do not merely invent facts, but also feel the need to spread them. The lies and fake news that serve the cause of populism is rightly appalling. Deliberate disinformation has become a means of controlling politics and public opinion. The purpose of this book is to oppose this up-and-coming phenomenon of “weak thought.” It is a passionate plea for a new Age of Enlightenment. Scientists tend to be much more skeptical about “truths”. In the process of formulating evidenced-based reasoning, undisputed facts are not deliberately hidden, but put forwards for open debate. The free expression of opinion, a free press, and the freedom of research and teaching guarantee the discussion and debate needed to argue the factual evidence in a democracy. The effectiveness of education is an important issue to consider. Learning has always been a way to deal with uncertainty. An important aspect of education in our modern world is about preparing learners to deal with change. It is a kind of preparation for the insecurity of not knowing what is coming and an openness that threatens to withdraw the proven and the validated.

Help students discern fact from fiction in the information they access not only at school but in the devices they carry in their pockets and backpacks. The advent of the 24-hour news cycle, citizen journalism and an increased reliance on social media as a trusted news source have had a profound effect not only on how we get our news, but also on how we evaluate sources of information, share that information and interact with others in online communities. When these issues are coupled with the “fake news” industry that intentionally spreads false stories designed to go viral, educators are left facing a new and challenging landscape. This book will help them address these new realities, providing strategies and support to help students develop the skills needed to effectively evaluate information they encounter online. The book includes: • Instructional strategies for combating fake news, including models for evaluating news stories with links to resources on how to include lessons on fake news in your curricula. • Examples from prominent educators who demonstrate how to tackle fake news with students and colleagues. • A fake news self-assessment with a digital component to help readers evaluate their skills in detecting and managing fake news. • A downloadable infographic with mobile media literacy tips. The companion jump start guide based on this book is Fighting Fake News: Tools and Strategies for Teaching Media Literacy.