Misinformation and disinformation have recently become a focus of public attention because of their influence on politics and the news cycle. De Facto explores the negative impact of misinformation and disinformation once they leave the news cycle and become part of the many resources available on the internet to learners of all ages and in various learning contexts. The impact on education. The impact on us.
De Facto Problem

The problem we attempt to solve is how to shield our education and training systems from factually inaccurate information. We acknowledge there is a double vulnerability issue - on one side there are the learners, who use such information inadvertently in their learning projects, on the other - the teachers and trainers, who use it to design and prepare their lessons, and to assess learners' submissions.
Having worked on this problem for over 2 years, we are launching De Facto project in the fall of 2018.
De Facto Approach

We are putting together our sectoral experience and selected Cognitive Science research in an attempt to design practical solutions which would equip teachers, trainers and their learners with better understanding of the cognitive processes, their triggers, biases and limitations.
Our approach includes concepts and findings from 4 key pillar areas of science: Frames and Framing, Motivated Cognition, Systemic Causality, Equivalency and Emphasis Frames.
Reading and Multimedia Corner
A collection of research papers, articles and videos for those of you who would like to know more about the science on which we are basing our methodological approach.
We are addidng resources to these pages as we progress, so please come back often and check for any new materials which may be of interest to you.
We are collecting a list of links to other initiatives and tools for standing up against misinformation and disinformation. If you think that we are missing something, please get in touch - we would love to add your initiative as well.
Quick updates and resources
Funding & Legal disclaimer
The De Facto Project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.