When a new technology arrives, schools often rush to build a separate curriculum around it, but Finland takes a different route…
Misinformation online is widespread and helping students to spot it is a constant challenge as technologies change.
Rather than teaching things piecemeal, however, the strategy in Finland is to first strengthen students’ foundational media and information literacy skills, then apply them to whatever platform, app or AI tool comes along next.
Getting the foundations right
Whatever the technology, the core media-literacy skills of reading, writing, understanding, producing content, questioning sources, and evaluating information remain constant. So, rather than designing a new curriculum for every emerging technology, Finland builds these abilities into education right from primary school.
The thinking is that students who can read, understand and create content well are better able to adapt to new technologies, applications and platforms.
Media literacy across subjects
In Finland, media literacy is embedded across the curriculum, but the topics become more sophisticated as students grow older. Asking questions is key. For example, when investigating sources, students are encouraged to ask about who published a piece of content, why it was published, when it appeared, and what else was being published at the time.
These questions are pertinent in a today’s environment where AI can generate convincing text, images, audio and video. A student who can question and investigate the provenance, purpose, timing and context of any piece of content will be better prepared to distinguish between human-created text and AI content.
Start early and keep building
Finland’s long-term aim is for everyone in society to able to read, question, contextualise, and think for themselves. Educating their young people to be equipped with the habits of critical reading, source evaluation and independent thought forms the foundations of a country-wide defence against misinformation – regardless of the technology tool it’s delivered through.
