Science Education in an Age of Misinformation

• In Event: Participation, Understanding, and Reasoning in Science Education

Abstract

The internet has transformed the information landscape. No longer is information curated by gatekeepers. Instead, individuals must evaluate the credibility of on-line claims for themselves. Given the complexity of much of the science, individuals are not capable of evaluating the evidence and arguments for themselves. Instead, we are epistemically dependent on the expertise of others. What knowledge and understanding, then, would help individuals to become competent outsiders? Drawing a body of scholarship, we offer a theoretical argument for what knowledge and understanding of the social practices of science should be an essential element of any K-12 science education – none of which is addressed by current standards.

Authors

• Jonathan F. Osborne, Stanford University
  Presenting Author

• Daniel Pimentel, University of Alabama
  Presenting Author