desinfoEND: Developing critical thinking to counteract disinformation across Europe

The desinfoEND project application was driven by a deep concern for the growing impact of disinformation on public discourse, democracy, and individual decision-making. The project was motivated by the demand for media literacy from Agora’s learners, highlighting an urgent need for people to navigate and understand the complex landscape of digital information. In an era where digital platforms can amplify disinformation and misinformation at an unprecedented scale, it was recognized that there was an urgent need for concerted efforts to mitigate this phenomenon at a European level, especially in adults +55 years old, unemployed and with low educational level. This need was particularly significant in Spain, Romania, and Italy, where the proliferation of disinformation poses unique challenges. At the moment of submitting the desinfoEND proposal in 2021, 85% of Europeans thought that disinformation was a problem in their countries and 83% considered that was a problem for democracy. In this regard, the desinfoEND project has addressed to counteract disinformation through dialogic media literacy by implementing Interactive Groups and Dialogic Media Literacy Gatherings.

1- Strengthen social inclusion and active digital participation in society of vulnerable groups, especially adults with low levels of education, unemployed and aged +55, with the implementation of the Dialogic Media Literacy Gatherings in different contexts: Spain, Italy and Romania. 2- Transfer the Dialogic Media Literacy methodology to tackling disinformation in adult education with an intercultural and intergenerational approach, in diverse topics such as health, migration, ethnic minorities, gender violence, etc. 3- Offer an innovative Toolkit (PR1) co-created with vulnerable adults that supports inclusive and participative ICT and Media Literacy training through the implementation of SEAs. 4- Promotion of EU values, civic engagement, and participation by enhancing social, intercultural competences, and media literacy among vulnerable adults. 5- Training adult education professionals and volunteers to combat disinformation across ICT with the DMLG methodology, aiming to enhance staff competencies. This will improve the quality, focus, and impact of adult education in media literacy through innovative, evidence-based approaches.

1. C1 LTTA in Barcelona: 13 2. 3 pilot courses: 12 in Spain, 15 in Italy and 17 participants 3. Implementation of the MOOC in 3 countries: 20 in Italy, 18 in Spain, 3 in Romania 4. 4 multiplier events: 16 attendees in the ME in Spain, 30 attendees in the ME in Italy, 13 attendees in ME1 in Romania and 42 in the ME2 in Romania. 5. 1 final conference: 31 (19 locals and 12 Europeans).

The desinfoEND project successfully generated a range of concrete outputs and achieved significant results, aimed at enhancing media literacy and combating disinformation: 1. Dialogic Media Literacy Gatherings Implementation: across Spain, Italy, and Romania, the project hosted numerous Dialogic Media Literacy Gatherings, engaging adults from the target group in critical thinking discussions about media content and enhancing their ability to contrast disinformation. 2. Innovative Toolkit Development (PR1): co-created with the participation of adults from the target group, offering resources and activities to support inclusive and participative ICT and Media Literacy training. 3. Training for Educators and Volunteers (PR2): the project developed and delivered a MOOC for adult education professionals and volunteers, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to use the Dialogic Media and Digital Literacy (DMDL) methodology in their ICT courses and beyond. 4. Enhancement of Digital Education Quality: By focusing on digitally excluded groups, the project significantly increased the quality of educational offerings in the digital field, ensuring that more individuals have access to essential digital literacy skills necessary for today’s world.