Comunicação e alfabetização científica e tecnológica: desenvolvimento e avaliação de um curso a distância sobre fake news

Abstract

The phenomenon of fake news is a reality all over the world, showing itself as a topic with urgent discussion and formulation of proposals to combat the scenario of extreme influence of decision-making by the population in the face of intentionally created false content. It is argued that a critical citizen education, based on the scientific and technological assumptions of our society, is capable of combating this phenomenon. But for this to happen, a renewal of science teaching is necessary, based on Scientific and Technological Literacy (STL), which can take place in formal and non-formal teaching environments, such as in university extension actions, which are understood as an act of Communication in the Freirean perspective. Faced with the emergence of such discussions, the present work proposes the development and evaluation of a distance extension course, based on the theme of fake news, for the development of the STL. Thus, we seek to answer the following research question: which and in what way can the STL criteria be contemplated in the training of participants in an extension course in the distance modality? The general objective is to understand the possible impacts of a distance extension course, based on problematization of fake news, on the development of STL criteria in training participants with complete or ongoing higher education. For the development of the course to be possible, it was based on the methodological proposals of the Three Pedagogical Moments and the Interdisciplinary Islands of Rationality, covering aspects of both. The course was offered twice throughout 2021, using the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Moodle and Google Suite, from the Federal University of São Carlos as a tool for distance learning. The body of data constituted for the research was formed from the students' productions throughout the course, both written and audiovisual recordings. The organization and analysis of data were carried out through Discursive Textual Analysis, considering the objectives, criteria and indicators of the STL. The two offers of the proposed course had the total participation of 18 students. Of these, six were selected as research subjects, given their acceptance to participate. It was possible to identify the criteria, indicators and objectives of the STL in the activities of all research subjects. In this way, the proposal of the distance extension course, thought from the theme of fake news, can contribute to the promotion of the STL of its participants.