Universities Introduce Media Literacy Courses to Combat Digital Misinformation

College students across Minnesota are learning to navigate a digital minefield through specialized courses aimed at combating misinformation and disinformation in their daily lives.

At Augsburg University, students in a class called “Defense Against the Dark Arts” analyze photos and videos, trying to determine whether they’re authentic or AI-generated. Junior Quincy Shepherd observed that one particular image looked “almost like a smudged painting,” though it turned out to be real. The students showed greater skill at identifying fake content, noticing telltale signs like people staring into space or unnatural movements.

These courses represent a growing trend across Minnesota campuses. The University of Minnesota offers “Calling Bullshit: How to Live in a Factual World,” while Carleton College students can enroll in “Bullshit: How to Spot it and Protect Yourself.”

“Nowadays we are just inundated, particularly with social media, with just facts, or things that might be facts, flying at us from all directions,” explained Rob Warren, a University of Minnesota sociology professor teaching a course on spotting disinformation. “People are having a harder and harder time making sense of what’s coming at them.”

Professors cite the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and polarized political rhetoric as key factors driving interest in these courses. Many instructors have modeled their classes after a successful University of Washington program, adapting it to address contemporary challenges.

Warren deliberately chose a provocative title to signal that the class won’t be “stuffy and abstract,” focusing instead on practical applications. “I want to focus on things that actually matter in their lives,” he said. “Do I believe that news story, or do I believe my friend when they said, ‘You should take this herbal supplement?'”

Andrew Knoll, visiting philosophy professor at Carleton College, became interested in the subject following the 2016 presidential election, noting how certain political movements employed “performative, blatant public lying” not necessarily to deceive but to create a “firehose” of content that makes distinguishing truth from falsehood increasingly difficult.

The interdisciplinary nature of these courses draws from sociology, philosophy, communication arts, and psychology. Erik Asp, a psychology professor at Hamline University, has taught “Belief in the Brain” since 2016, examining the neural structures involved in belief and doubt.

“I was always shocked that people could believe such odd, strange things that didn’t seem to correspond to the real world,” Asp said, explaining that human brains are wired to see information as true. His research shows that seniors and people with certain types of brain damage experience decreased ability to doubt while their capacity to believe remains intact.

At Augsburg, Professor Bob Groven focuses on “the ways in which people can be lied to, manipulated or hurt by using the tools of persuasion.” Students analyze political advertisements and social media content to determine ethical boundaries, culminating in projects that identify problems and propose solutions.

For the upcoming semester, Warren has updated his curriculum to include strategies for discussing false beliefs with others who hold them. “The goal is learning how to counter false information so people will listen,” he said, emphasizing that simply telling people they’re wrong often causes them to shut down.

Students consistently praise the real-world applicability of these courses. Amanda Kauls, an Augsburg senior, appreciates how Groven’s class has changed her perspective on online material, especially regarding AI-related scams she hadn’t previously considered.

At Winona State University, students in “Trust and Emotion and the Age of Misinformation” created practical website content for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office. Instead of debunking specific falsehoods, they focused on “pre-bunking”—explaining common manipulation strategies before people encounter them.

“Especially because going into this project… I had very little or no information about news literacy myself,” said student Kenneth Goroztieta, who found it motivating to work on a project with direct benefits for Minnesotans.

Recent Hamline graduate Ezri Farnum noted that her coursework fostered greater empathy toward those who believe misinformation. “There’s this underlying neurological susceptibility that is taken advantage of here that we can be more compassionate about,” she reflected, acknowledging that everyone struggles with information overload in the digital age.

As technology continues to advance and information ecosystems grow increasingly complex, these courses provide students with essential critical thinking skills that extend far beyond the classroom.