The effectiveness of a virtual learning companion for supporting the critical judgment of social media content

This paper evaluates a virtual learning companion (VLC) called 'Courage' that helps high school students develop critical thinking skills for identifying manipulated images and fake news on social media through Socratic questioning and reverse image search. An empirical classroom study with 22 German high school students assessed how the VLC's guidance improved students' ability to judge real versus manipulated social media content.

Social media usage has become a daily habit for the younger generation. It can have positive effects on educational processes, but it also raises concerns about harmful content, such as fake news or hate speech. Fake news is often distributed with the intention to manipulate the public opinion by propagating disinformation. This includes the manipulation of images taken from reputable news resources. In response to these concerns and manipulations, we developed a web-based learning environment w

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