Influence of Political Orientation on Civic Online Reasoning Strategies in an Undergraduate General Education Course

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Abstract

Civic online reasoning curricula encourage students to read laterally to evaluate online information by using Wikipedia and other search tools to investigate unfamiliar topics and news sources. This study examined whether college students’ (N = 364) political orientation influenced their use of Wikipedia and lateral reading strategies in a general education civics course. Whereas students who identified as liberal or unaffiliated showed increased use of Wikipedia after completing the curriculum, conservatives showed no gains. Although groups performed similarly on multiple-choice questions about lateral reading, only liberal students showed gains in using lateral reading to evaluate online content. These findings suggest that political bias may influence students’ use of Wikipedia and adoption of lateral reading strategies, with implications for media literacy efforts.

Authors

• Riya Anjaria, CUNY Graduate Center

• Elizabeth Shiu Che, Graduate Center - CUNY

• Christopher Donnan Gravelle, CUNY Graduate Center

• Donna Scimeca, College of Staten Island - CUNY

• Patricia J. Brooks, Graduate Center - CUNY