UEW Researchers Advocate Media Literacy Education to Tackle Misinformation

Researchers at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) are calling for Media and Information Literacy (MIL) to be integrated into teacher education and undergraduate programmes to address the increasing spread of misinformation and disinformation.

The recommendation was made during the final dissemination meeting of a project aimed at adapting UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy curriculum to fit Ghana’s higher education system. The initiative sought to equip students with critical thinking, fact-checking and responsible digital communication skills.

According to the researchers, the rapid growth of digital platforms and social media has created an environment where information is often shared without proper verification, increasing the spread of false and misleading content.

Findings from the project showed significant improvement in students’ ability to identify misinformation and practise responsible online behaviour after participating in a structured training programme.

The team believes integrating MIL into teacher training will help future educators transfer these skills to students and promote responsible use of information across society.

They further recommended the introduction of compulsory media literacy courses and broader implementation of the programme across teacher-training institutions in Ghana.