Digital Literacy in the Post-Truth Era: Employing Fact-Checking Applications in Adult EFL Reading Classes

Abstrak / Ringkasan

The term ‘digital literacy’ encompasses many skills, which include the ability to evaluate
information received through digital technologies, such as internet platforms, social
media and mobile devices. Due to the fast spreading of hoax news through digital
platforms in this post-truth era, it is urgently needed for this particular skill to be
taught in educational settings, and English as a foreign language (EFL) classes are no
exception. This study focused on exploring adult EFL students’ experiences in using
two fact-checking applications (web-based apps) to help identify fake news in reading
comprehension classes, and examining their efficacies from the students’ points of
view. Employing a descriptive statistics approach, the researchers collected the data
using an online survey administered to 130 students of a Science and Technology study
programme at a university in Medan, Indonesia. The results indicated that in general
students had positive attitudes toward the use of two fact-checking web-based apps.
Specifically, they reported that the apps were very helpful in raising their awareness of
digital literacy and fact-checking prior to reading and sharing digitally spread news. A
closer look at the data reveals students’ preferences toward one of the two web-based
apps. This study recommends the integration of anti-hoax education not only in EFL
classes, but also in any other classes to prevent the threats of fake news, particularly
to young generations.

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