Evaluating information | RMIT Information Integrity Hub

ABC Education Resources

Free media literacy resources for students (years 5–12), developed by Australia’s national broadcaster. The collection includes interactive modules for students, classroom materials and lesson plans for teachers, and explainers on topics such as news production and media bias. The site also features BTN High, a curriculum-linked news program for upper-primary and secondary students, and “Real, LOLZ, Oops or Fake”, an online game through which players evaluate news sources and assess the headlines, content and imagery of stories to develop their critical thinking skills.

ABC’s Fact Check Essentials

A series of curriculum-aligned interactive lessons to introduce basic fact-checking and verification concepts, developed by RMIT ABC Fact Check and ABC Education. Covering topics such spotting fake videos, identifying misinformation and using verification tools, the lessons build media literacy, critical thinking and fact-checking skills in an engaging way.

ACMI’s School Program and Resources

Professional learning resources from Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI. These courses and webinars are designed to help educators (F–12) teach media and digital literacy, including how to critically evaluate AI-generated content.

ADM+S Learning Resources

ADM+S is a national research centre dedicated to responsible, ethical and inclusive automated decision-making. Its suite of learning resources, aimed primarily at researchers, policymakers and educators, includes a classroom module on the use of digital technologies and data in the context of health information, suitable for years 9–12 (More-than-Human Wellbeing) and an introductory course on AI, suitable for general adult audiences (We Are AI).

Applying Critical Thinking to Navigate Online Information

A professional learning course for secondary school teachers to boost their ability to navigate the digital landscape. Developed by Australia’s Cool.org and the RMIT Information Integrity Hub, it explains why misinformation spreads and how educators can apply critical thinking and fact-checking skills to build resilience against false and misleading content in the form of text, photos and videos. Presented by RMIT digital literacy expert Sushi Das.

AAP FactCheck

An independent, Australian-based fact-checking service that publishes fact-check articles and media literacy resources. Useful for educators and the public, it offers real-world examples of how misinformation spreads and how facts are verified using credible sources.

Be Internet Awesome

A US-based digital citizenship program that uses interactive slides and a Roblox gamified experience to help parents and primary school educators (years 2–6) teach online safety and media literacy. Designed by Google and covering topics such as digital habits, misinformation, scams, safety and respectful online behaviour, the program encourages critical thinking, ethical behaviour and confident digital participation.

Break the Fake

A Canadian digital literacy campaign offering explainers for parents, lesson plans for teachers (years F–12) and quizzes to build critical thinking skills using real-world examples. Designed to help audiences spot and fact check suspicious content, the collection was developed by the nonprofit organisation MediaSmarts.

Breaking Harmony Square

A game to help audiences aged 15+ understand the mechanics of political disinformation. Players assume the role of “chief disinformation officer” in a fictional town, learning to manipulate public opinion through tactics such as trolling, amplification and the use of emotional language. Developed by University of Cambridge psychologists and Dutch media experts, the game builds audiences’ critical thinking skills and their ability to recognise and resist online manipulation.

Checkology

A “virtual classroom” in which students (years 5–12) learn to spot misinformation, recognise bias and question conspiratorial thinking. Lessons draw on real examples from social media and the news to engage students in critical analysis. Developed by The News Literacy Project, a US-based education nonprofit, the platform supports learners to become critical thinkers and informed and responsible digital citizens. Teacher registration is required.

Children and Media Prompt Cards

A card pack for starting conversations with students (years 1–6) about media and technology. Each card aligns with one of 6 key concepts of media literacy education: representations, institutions, audiences, languages, relationships and technologies. The cards were created by Southern Cross University education lecturer Dr Amanda Levido.

Choose Your Own Fake News

A text-based game in which players navigate through relatable scenarios involving misinformation and disinformation, such as job scams, vaccine claims and election rumours. Developed by Ugandan civic technology organisation Pollicy, with support from the Mozilla Foundation, the game builds skills in critical thinking and decision-making, preparing players to recognise and respond to false information online.

Common Sense Education

A US database packed with digital and media literacy lesson plans for teachers (years F–12), created by Common Sense Education and Harvard University education experts. Major collections include the Digital Citizenship Curriculum, the Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum and the Essential News & Media Literacy Skills collection. Together, these lessons cover digital footprints, healthy habits, relationships and cyberbullying, social media algorithms, AI, media balance and much more.

Cranky Uncle

A humorous game designed to help audiences identify common tactics used to spread climate and science denial, developed by Australian psychologist and cartoonist John Cook. Players learn to identify common logical fallacies by interacting with the “Cranky Uncle”.

CTRL-F

A Canadian digital media literacy program to build AI literacy and help students (years 7–12) identify false and misleading information online. Designed by civics educational nonprofit CIVIX, it includes evidence-based strategies for critically assessing online content and a short curriculum adapted from digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield’s SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims).

Digital Citizenship: Prepare Learners for Online Success

A professional learning module designed by Microsoft Learn to help educators (years F–12) teach media literacy and digital citizenship. With a strong focus on identifying misinformation and disinformation, it supports teachers, parents and guardians to foster the critical thinking skills that are essential for students’ safe and informed digital engagement.

Digital Citizenship+ Resource Platform

An expansive database of classroom resources dedicated to building digital and information literacy among young people (years 5–12). Designed for educators by Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center, lesson plans cover everything from understanding information quality and the digital economy to protecting your privacy and reputation.

Digital Investigations Toolkit

A dashboard of essential tools and tips for online investigations and digital storytelling. Produced and curated by the RMIT Information Integrity Hub, the toolkit covers the basics of gathering, assessing and reporting evidence and is ideal for anyone getting started with fact checking, online verification and open-source intelligence (OSINT).

eSafety’s Professional Learning for Lower Primary Teachers

eSafety offers a range of professional learning modules for primary school educators (years F–3) teaching online safety. Its Fostering Early Critical Thinking module, designed to help teachers turn students into curious and confident online safety investigators, provides practical teaching strategies and classroom activities that encourage young learners to question what they see, hear and do online and that develop the self-regulation skills needed to balance their online and offline lives.

eSmart

An extensive program of lesson plans and online modules (years F–10) designed to keep children informed, responsible and safe online. Younger students can earn their “Digital Licence”, while older students can explore the Media Literacy Lab (requires teacher registration). Created by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and endorsed by eSafety, these resources are aligned to the Australian curriculum and cover topics such as advertising, consent and AI images. Teachers can also complete professional development modules.

Fakey

An online media-literacy game that immerses players in a simulated social media environment and awards points for identifying misinformation or promoting legitimate news stories. Developed by Indiana University’s Observatory on Social Media, the game can be used as an educational resource to teach students skills in verification and responsible digital citizenship, providing immediate feedback to help develop their critical thinking.

First Draft’s Training Resources (Archived)

First Draft was a nonprofit (2015–2022) dedicated to training journalists and combating misinformation and disinformation. Its resources offer practical advice to researchers on how to find, verify and publish content sourced from the social web. First Draft’s website is now hosted by the Internet Archive and may trigger a browser security warning.

Framework for Countering Misinformation

A framework for choosing the most appropriate response to counter misinformation. Suitable for general audiences and students (years 7–12), the framework is set out in a video, short guide and comprehensive report, which explain how responses to falsehoods should take into account their prominence, relevance and persuasive potential.

How Good Are You at Spotting Fake News?

An online quiz about false and misleading content which requires players to critically evaluate news headlines and social media posts. Designed as part of the Digital Tattoo Project, a collaboration between two Canadian universities, the quiz can be used as an educational resource to develop media literacy, critical thinking and fact-checking skills.

Internet Matters

Internet Matters is a UK-based nonprofit that helps parents and teachers to keep children safe online by fostering critical media awareness. Its resources include Find the Fake, an interactive quiz to build children’s understanding of misinformation, along with lesson plans and other classroom resources for pre-school, primary and secondary educators.

MediaWise

MediaWise is an initiative of the Poynter Institute that provides learners of all ages with the tools and critical skills they need to identify misinformation via online modules, explainers, videos, fact checks and lesson plans for educators. Its program includes the Hit Pause Media Literacy Curriculum, which offers 11 ready-to-use lessons for secondary students, focusing on fact checking, critical evaluation of information and responsible sharing online. Poynter is the home of the International Fact-Checking Network, and MediaWise oversees the Teen Fact-Checking Network.

Misinformation Susceptibility Test

An online psychological test that assesses users’ ability to separate fact from fiction by asking them to classify a series of news headlines. Developed by the University of Cambridge, the test forms part of an Oxford-led study that aims to develop a universal framework for assessing misinformation susceptibility. Responses can remain anonymous.

Newshounds

A nine-part, curriculum-aligned media literacy resource designed by the producers of the Squiz Kids news podcast. Aimed at primary school educators (years 3–6) and built like an online board game, it helps kids become “internet detectives” by teaching them how to question, analyse and verify online information. The resource includes a ready-to-teach lesson sequence, student workbook and comprehensive teacher manual, making it accessible for parents without prior media literacy expertise.

Other Side of the Story: News and Media Literacy Resources

A collection of explainers, lesson plans, games and quizzes designed by the UK’s BBC Teach to help secondary students (years 7–10) develop skills in media analysis and critical thinking. Covering topics such as misinformation and media influence, the resources explain how to critically evaluate sources, identify bias and make informed decisions. Some video content may be geo-blocked and unavailable in Australia.

Reality Check: The Game in Media Smarts

An online game for secondary students (aged 14–18) designed by the Canadian charity MediaSmarts. Players navigate social media stories that may be true, false or partially accurate and are guided to investigate sources, compare information and use tools such as fact-checking sites and reverse image searches. Students practise critical thinking, digital literacy and information verification skills, learning to assess the reliability of online content and make informed decisions.

RMIT ABC Fact Check

An independent Australian fact-checking service that operated as a partnership between RMIT University and the ABC between 2017 and 2024. During that time, which included the COVID-19 pandemic and Voice to Parliament referendum, its journalists tested claims made by public figures and debunked social media misinformation. The unit’s archive of fact checks offers real-world examples of how misinformation spreads and how facts are verified using credible sources.

Triage Your Fact-Checking

A board game exercise designed by US public broadcaster NPR to help journalism students evaluate facts and consider how they are presented in news reports. Using a four-quadrant card printout with pre-prepared examples, the game develops skills in critical thinking, decision-making and media literacy by challenging learners to assess how information is attributed or omitted, offering hands-on experience in navigating real-world news verification.

Young and eSafe – Critical thinking (for students)

This video produced by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner offers guidance to help young people evaluate online content. By developing their critical thinking skills to separate what’s real from what’s fake, it encourages learners to verify information before acting on it.

Young and eSafe – Critical thinking (teaching resources)

A collection of lesson plans, videos and classroom resources for educators to help students (years 9–10) create a positive, respectful and responsible online environment. Developed by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, the resources cover topics such as respect, safety and critical thinking. Its lesson on critical thinking supports students to evaluate the trustworthiness of online sources and build essential skills for safe and informed digital participation.

Back to RMIT Information Integrity Hub

Sort by: