Fighting Misinformation in Public Health

Fighting Misinformation in Public Health

Instructor: Sara van Leusden

Included with

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Define key concepts related to health misinformation, including misinformation, disinformation, cognitive bias, and prebunking.
Analyze the prevalence, drivers, and consequences of health myths and false health claims.
Design effective, ethical, and empathetic communication strategies to counter misinformation.
Apply digital monitoring and critical evaluation skills to assess health information across media platforms.

Skills you'll gain

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There are 5 modules in this course

This introductory course examines the foundations of health misinformation and disinformation and how they affect public health. Learners explore the distinction between public and individual health, key drivers of misinformation, and common psychological influences such as confirmation bias and the illusory truth effect. The course introduces core concepts, red flags, and scientific literacy fundamentals, including peer review, retractions, and how vaccines work, to help learners build a strong public health literacy toolkit.

What's included

11 readings1 assignment

11 readingsTotal 180 minutes

1.1 Course Overview10 minutes
1.2 How to Navigate This Course10 minutes
1.3 Glossary15 minutes
1.4 Module 1 Overview10 minutes
1.5 Cloud Mind Podcast: Growing Together with Evidence and Insight20 minutes
1.6 Understanding Public Health30 minutes
1.7 Public Health Functions15 minutes
1.8 The 12 Great Achievements of Public Health15 minutes
1.9 Public Health and Planetary Health20 minutes
1.10 Public Health and Misinformation20 minutes
1.11 Key Points15 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Module 1 Quiz10 minutes

What's included

9 readings1 assignment

9 readingsTotal 175 minutes

2.1 Module 2 Overview15 minutes
2.2 Cloud Mind Podcast: Growing Together with Evidence and Insight30 minutes
2.3 Misinformation and Disinformation 30 minutes
2.4 Tactics to Combat Misinformation and Disinformation20 minutes
2.5 Health Literacy15 minutes
2.6 Comprehensive School Health: A Complementary Approach to Health Literacy15 minutes
2.7 How to Be a Health Literacy Advocate15 minutes
2.8 Spot the Misinformer Tactic!20 minutes
2.9 Key Points15 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Module 2 Quiz10 minutes

What's included

11 readings1 assignment

11 readingsTotal 220 minutes

3.1 Module 3 Overview15 minutes
3.2 Cloud Mind Podcast: Growing Together with Evidence and Insight30 minutes
3.3 The Importance of Being Critical, Curious, and Collaborative 30 minutes
3.4 Who Keeps Scientists Accountable?30 minutes
3.5 Misinformation and Public Health5 minutes
3.6 Vaccine Safety and Efficacy15 minutes
3.7 Why Are Vaccines Important?15 minutes
3.8 Misinformation About Vaccines30 minutes
3.9 Why Do We Need Public Health Restrictions?15 minutes
3.10 Health and Lifestyle20 minutes
3.11 Key Points15 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Module 3 Quiz10 minutes

What's included

8 readings1 assignment

8 readingsTotal 130 minutes

4.1 Module 4 Overview 10 minutes
4.2 Cloud Mind Podcast: Growing Together with Evidence and Insight20 minutes
4.3 What Is Information? What Is Knowledge?20 minutes
4.4 Exploring Mindsets10 minutes
4.5 Drivers of False Beliefs15 minutes
4.6 How We Think30 minutes
4.7 Game Time15 minutes
4.8 Key Points10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Module 4 Quiz10 minutes

What's included

1 reading

Instructor

Sara van Leusden

University of Alberta

1 Course73 learners

Offered by

University of Alberta

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