Democracy and Disinformation is a single-semester computer science course at Poly Prep Country Day School. This course covers disinformation across several different countries and time periods within politics. Jean Belford, the Computer and Information Science Department Chair at Poly, created this course three years ago and is its only teacher.
Belford said she created this course with the intention of exposing students to “the role of social media in democracies around the world and the tampering of democracies in elections.”
For the first half of the semester, students learn about disinformation in China, the USSR, and Iran throughout the course of the Cold War. The course then transitions into the digital age, using the historical foundation they now have to understand how purposeful disinformation has been, and continues to be, in politics. Most of the second semester is spent on the present day issues in the media; therefore, depending on what is currently happening when one is taking the course the contents can vary.
Beyond teaching students about historical disinformation and present disinformation, the course dives into how to detect disinformation throughout everyday life. When describing the course Belford said, “we talk about how to question. We go into ways to decide whether a website is credible, how to look back on the history of a website, how to question social media posts, etc.”
One major goal of the course is that students will apply the skills they have learned to their daily lives. Belford shares one specific skill students will learn: how to question social media posts. “That first impression where there is someone questioning it goes so much further, and that is just one personal way of stopping disinformation.” She pointedout that people need to start questioning social media posts more because if someone sees their peers taking the initiative they are more likely to as well.
This course also goes into A.I. and the power it is gaining. Belford said when the course first began, A.I. was not as prevalent as it is now and there was no reason to cover it throughout the semester. However, A.I. is quickly growing and adapting, forcing Belford to fold it into the curriculum. The scariest part, according to Belford, is that anyone can use it to spread disinformation. It is important for students to be made aware of its power and know how to properly use it because with every negative to A.I. comes a positive.
This course tries to prove to students that disinformation is not random or coincidental but that “these are state and government sponsored disinformation campaigns that have a very long history and very clear playbook,” said Belford. Teaching students that they must be careful with what information they internalize because governments and big world powers have already calculated their every move.
Lila Daniels, a junior at Poly, took the Democracy and Disinformation class during the spring semester of the 2023-2024 school year. “It’s one of my favorite classes because I feel like there is so much media and information about democracy, and I think that Ms. Belford has done a really good job of picking what’s important.”
Sienna Klauss, a junior at Poly, did not take the course, but given her understanding of it, she believes it should be mandatory. “Especially in our society today, there is a lot of exposure on social media to A.I. and fake information. Making sure that you’re able to differentiate what is fake and what is real is important, especially with A.I.”
“We talk about how to question. We go into ways to decide whether a website is credible, how to look back on the history of a website, how to question social media posts, etc.”
– Jean Belford
This course teaches students not only about information they are not as exposed to but skills they need as well. When scrolling on social media everyone is exposed to true and false information, and being able to differentiate between the two is necessary. Virginia Dillon, History Department Chair at Poly, brought up the idea that combatting disinformation on social media is difficult for teachers as much as it is for students. She believes in this day and age, people use TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter as places to unwind but that can be very dangerous. Dillon gives an example of what may go through one’s mind when scrolling through social media: “Sometimes I look at a thing and I don’t trust it or I’m unsure and I do the extra work. A lot of times [I don’t do that work] because I’m feeling like I want to be a passive receptor of information right now.”
Lulit Adefris-Yaxley, a junior at Poly, took the course in the fall semester of her sophomore year and said she learned several different ways to verify and fact check information that she might be exposed to in her daily life. However, she would only use these skills sometimes, specifically when she is “interested in the information that’s being shared.” This is similar to many students because it is difficult to do the extra work in checking if a source is reliable on TikTok while you’re just trying to unwind after a long day at school.
The question still stands: Should Democracy and Disinformation be a mandatory course for high school students to take? It teaches students skills they need, but is it useful if they don’t use them?
