Kerala Pioneers Fake News Detection Education in School Curriculum

Kerala government implements 'Fake News detection' in school textbooks

The Kerala General Education Department introduces 'Fact-Checking' modules in ICT textbooks for Classes 5 and 7, aiming to empower students to identify fake news and conduct fact-checking online. This move precedes the UK's plans to incorporate a similar curriculum change. Earlier, Kerala implemented a Fake News prevention training for 19.72 lakh students, focusing on digital media literacy and raising awareness about the impact of misinformation.In a move to empower school children, the Kerala General Education Department has added 'Fact-Checking' modules as part of new ICT textbooks for Classes 5 and 7, designed to help students recognize fake news and perform fact-checking on online platforms. The move by the Kerala government was implement even ahead of UK which reportedly is is planning to revise their primary curriculum by including this topic. Earlier in 2022, Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), the technology arm of Kerala General Education Department, had imparted Fake News prevention and awareness creation training for 19.72 lakh students of Grades 5 to 10, as part of the Digital Media Literacy programme. It was the first time in India that such a massive training was given to 9.48 Lakh Upper Primary students and 10.24 High school students with the help of 5920 trainers. The 2.5 hours of training which was titled 'Satyameve Jayathe' focused on four sections which included the 'Use of the Internet in day-to-day life', 'Social Media requires us', 'Rights and Wrongs in Social Media' and how to prevent the spread of fake news. The false information shared through digital media, the negative impact it creates on society and the verification of the authenticity of information were made part of the training through various 'Case Studies'. The training also focused on areas such as understanding the influence of digital media in information transactions, creating an urge towards knowing non-factual interference in digital media and how to react to them constructively, acquiring technical knowledge in understanding the truth behind transacted messages, developing skills to identify and react to glitches in information transaction through media literacy. It also includes specific areas such as the meaning and definition of Misinformation and Dis-Information and their impact on society, non-factual and misinterpreting information shared through digital media, the social impact of facts presented in an emotional language, authenticity of information etc. "The new ICT textbook includes chapters that equip students to identify fake news and malicious content, embodying the spirit of Satyameva Jayate", said K.AnvarSadath, CEO, of KITE. Next year, when the ICT textbooks for Classes 6, 8, and 9, and 10 are revised, they will incorporate the latest developments in this field. Not only does it teach students to identify fake news and verify its authenticity, but the chapter titled 'Let's Search the Internet' in the Class 5 ICT textbook also covers how to effectively manage screen time. Similarly, the Class 7 ICT textbook chapter titled 'Let's Search and Find' elaborates on the importance of verifying the authenticity of information and explains why spreading or sharing false information is a crime. Further, the ICT textbook also includes information about the precautions to be taken before sharing information with others, the need to educate those who provide such information about its potential consequences, and the concept of copyright. In the new (same) ICT textbook for Class 7, for the first time in the country, 4 lakh students have been given the opportunity to learn Artificial Intelligence (AI). Textbooks in Malayalam, English, Kannada and Tamil media are available at www.samagra.kite.kerala.gov.in.

Kerala Introduced 'Fake News Detection' in ICT Textbooks Ahead of the UK, Says Education Departartment - Times of India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala General Education Department has taken an innovative approach by adding modules to ICT textbooks for Classes 5 and 7, designed to help students recognize fake news and perform fact-checking on online platforms. A senior official noted on Monday that this initiative was implemented in Kerala even before the UK introduced a similar program. In 2022, Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), the technology arm of the department headed by CEO K Anvar Sadath, had imparted training on fake news prevention and awareness creation for 19.72 lakh students of Grade 5 to 10, as part of the Digital Media Literacy programme, he said.In the wake of some news reports that the UK is planning to revise its primary curriculum by including this topic as well, Sadath on Monday spoke spoke of the details of Kerala's programme. It was the first time in India that such massive training was given to 9.48 lakh upper primary students and 10.24 lakh high school students with the help of 5,920 trainers, he said in a statement. The 2.5 hours of training, titled 'Satyameva Jayathe', focused on four sections, which included the use of the internet in day-to-day life, rights and wrongs of social media and how to prevent the spread of fake news. Awareness about false information shared through digital media, the negative impact it creates on society and the verification of authenticity of information was made a part of the training using various case studies, he said. The students were also taught the meaning and definition of 'misinformation' and 'disinformation', how non-factual information and misinterpretation of facts is spread on social media, and what social impact facts presented in an emotional language and authenticity of information have, he said. "The new ICT textbook includes chapters that equip students to identify fake news and malicious content, embodying the spirit of Satyameva Jayate," the official said. Next year, when the ICT textbooks for Classes 6, 8, 9, and 10 are revised, it will be incorporated with the latest developments in the field, he added. Not only does it teach students to identify fake news and verify its authenticity, but the chapter titled 'Let's Search the Internet' in the Class 5 ICT textbook also covers how to effectively manage screen time. Similarly, in the Class 7 ICT textbook, the chapter titled 'Let's Search and Find' elaborates on the importance of verifying the authenticity of information and explains why spreading or sharing false information is a crime. In the ICT textbook for Class 7, for the first time in the country, four lakh students have been given the opportunity to learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Sadath added.