The aim of the project FiSci was to develop a scientifically sound and empirically evaluated didactic approach that can be used to promote learners' text competence in critically dealing with fake news. This approach should be implemented in the form of teaching modules in German as a first, second and foreign language lessons, enabling learners to assess information conveyed by the media in terms of its factuality, helping them to avoid being misled by fake news and being able to refute false information in writing. The teaching modules should be tested, evaluated and optimised with approximately 600 learners. In order to make (prospective) German teachers familiar with the approach, numerous professional development measures should be developed and implemented (training courses, modules for the training and further education of teachers, didactic podcast series, online module implemented as an e-learning course), which are aimed directly at teachers or multipliers in the education sector. In addition, citizen science products (online game, podcast series, educational videos) should also be used to address a general public.
It has never been easier to find information on a topic online. Thanks to digital transformation, information can be found and shared with just a few clicks. However, this also fuels the spread of disinformation and misinformation. This gives schools a key task: learners must be taught to critically examine information in (digital) texts and, if necessary, refute it. The project Fictional Science (FiSci) responds to this educational challenge by aiming to provide learners in multilingual teaching and learning contexts with tools to identify and discursively refute misinformation. Pupils not only need a critical and evaluative attitude when encountering (digital) texts, but also need concrete strategies and resources for verifying information. In addition, they need linguistic means to be able to refute false information in an argumentative manner. In multilingual learning contexts, the different linguistic prerequisites of learners in the critical use of texts must also be taken into account.