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Misinformation Week at UH West Oʻahu

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Image courtesy of Thirdman from Pexels

Sorting fact from fiction on the internet, learning how to navigate misinformation with grace, and teaching media and information literacy are among the topics of presentations that will be held during Misinformation Week — March 20 through 24 — hosted by the James & Abigail Campbell Library at the University of Hawai‘i—West O‘ahu.

The series of events will explore important themes related to misinformation: strategies for teaching students to evaluate online content, understanding how misinformation spreads, and examples of how misinformation has affected communities.

“Learning to identify and inoculate oneself from misinformation is an essential lifelong skill, both now and, most critically, in the future,” said Alphie Garcia, Information Resources and Collection Management Librarian at the James & Abigail Campbell Library. “Misinformation Week presenters come from several academic backgrounds and perspectives, and their sessions will help us navigate the information landscape and make informed decisions.”

Organizers said the planned activities will allow participants to learn about media ethics, the motivations of those who spread false information, the biases we each hold, and our responsibilities when sharing information with others online.

All presentations are free and open to the public. All presentations, except the first event, will be held online via Zoom. For more information or to register (required), click on the links below:

  • “How to Survive a Plague: ACT UP and the Fight for Health Care Justice,” noon to 2 p.m. March 20 at the Academy for Creative Media screening theater, with Xóchitl Mota-Back, PhD, Professor, UH West O‘ahu. Register here.
  • “Civic Online Reasoning: Sorting Fact from Fiction on the Internet,” 3 to 4 p.m. March 20 via Zoom, with Joel Breakstone, PhD, Director, Stanford History Education Group. Register here.
  • “Getting Past the Trigger: Learning How to Navigate Misinformation with Grace,” 4 to 5 p.m. March 20 via Zoom, with Meera Garud, MLISc, Instructor, UH Mānoa. Register here.
  • “NorthStar: A Starting Place for Digital Literacy,” 5 to 6 p.m. March 20 via Zoom, with Stacey Aldrich, State Librarian, Hawai‘i State Public Library System, and Sandy Yamamoto, Library Media Specialist, Kapolei High School. Register here.
  • “Misinformation and the Raid on Parihaka, NZ, 1881,” 6 to 7 p.m. March 21 via Zoom, with Kealani Cook, PhD, Professor, UH West O‘ahu. Register here.
  • “Psychological Drivers and Inoculators of Misinformation,” 6 to 7 p.m. March 22 via Zoom, with Katherine Aumer, PhD, Professor, UH West O‘ahu. Register here.
  • “The Art of Scientific Evaluation: Identifying Reliable Information,” 6 to 7 p.m. March 23 via Zoom, with Alphie Garcia, MLIS, Librarian, Information Resources and Collection Management Librarian, UH West O‘ahu. Register here.
  • “Helen Keller’s Not Real?! Developing a Media Literacy Curriculum for 9th Graders,” 3 to 4 p.m. March 24 via Zoom, with Jennifer Agena, Upper School Librarian, ‘Iolani School. Register here.
  • “Teaching Media and Information Literacy: What We Have Learned,” 4 to 5 p.m. March 24 via Zoom, with the UH Libraries Information Literacy Committee (UHLILC). Register here.

“We hope our West O‘ahu ‘ohana, students, faculty, and staff will join us,” said Garcia, who is one of the event presenters.

Misinformation Week programming was made possible, in part, with support from UH Mānoa SEED Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Success (IDEAS), UH Libraries Information Literacy Committee (UHLILC), and partners including UH West O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Association of School Librarians, Hawai‘i Library Association, Library & Information Science Program, and Student Activity Fee Board.

For more information about Misinformation Week, click here or email uhwolib@hawaii.edu.

Image courtesy of Thirdman from Pexels