Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users

Phys · May 20, 2026 · 387 words · By McGill University

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What to know about Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users

Researchers at McGill University developed and tested a digital literacy program for elementary school students in Quebec. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Education, indicates that the intervention improved students' abilities to evaluate website credibility and navigate conflicting information.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor A digital literacy program for elementary school students designed by researchers at McGill University was successful in improving students'…

Why it matters

Skills targeted included how to search for information, how to identify credible websites, how to evaluate the quality of information sources and how to address conflicting information.

Common ground

Students' global performance increased across all skill categories, in most cases by significant margins.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users?
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What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-children-critical-internet-users.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

cancel Disputed 1

info

Claim 1: “A digital literacy program for elementary school students designed by researchers at McGill University was successful in improving students' ability to evaluate websites and their content.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Web search results mention the general concept of digital literacy and a specific intervention for elementary students, but the provided evidence does not explicitly link the success of a McGill-designed program to the results. The evidence for claim 4 mentions an intervention that helped students outperform a control group, but the provided evidence for claim 0 is too generic to corroborate the specific McGill attribution.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The McGill Redbirds (formerly the McGill Redmen) and McGill Martlets are the varsity athletic teams that represent McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Redbirds refer to the men's teams …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGill_Redbirds_and_Martlets

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter, the university bears the name of James Mc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGill_University

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The McGill–Queen's University Press (MQUP) is a Canadian university press formed as a joint venture between McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. McGill–Qu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGill–Queen's_University_Pres…

+ 3 more evidence sources

cancel

Claim 2: “Krista R. Muis et al, A Design-Based Intervention to Develop Elementary Students' Digital Literacy Skills, The Journal of Experimental Education (2026). DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2026.2634379”

DISPUTED

The claim states the paper was published in 2026. However, the web search results for the same title ('A Design-Based Intervention to Develop Elementary Students...') explicitly list a date of 'August 2022'. This creates a direct contradiction regarding the publication year.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In education, Response to Intervention (RTI or RtI) is an academic approach used to provide early, systematic, and appropriately intensive supplemental instruction and support to children who are at r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_Intervention

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Early childhood intervention (ECI) is a support and educational system for very young children (aged birth to six years) who have been victims of, or who are at high risk for child abuse and/or neglec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_childhood_intervention

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) is a set of ideas and tools used in schools to improve students' behavior. PBIS uses evidence and data-based programs, practices, and strategies to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_behavior_intervention…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 3: “"A Design-Based Intervention to Develop Elementary Students' Digital Literacy Skills," by Krista R. Muis, Heather A. Pearson, Armaghan Montazami and Adam K. Dubé was published in the Journal of Experimental Education.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for claim 3 consists of generic Wikipedia entries for 'Paper' and 'Intervention' and does not mention the specific paper title, authors, or the Journal of Experimental Education.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “In total, 216 students (12 classes across grades 4, 5 and 6) from two Quebec schools, one suburban, the other urban, participated.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence contains generic information about urban/suburban areas, a highway numbered 216 in Quebec, and a different event in Calgary, but no evidence regarding a study with 216 students from two Quebec schools.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following highways are numbered 216:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highways_numbered_216

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; French: Ligue de hockey junior Maritimes Québec, LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey le…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Maritimes_Junior_Hockey…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Route 216 is a two-lane east/west highway in Quebec, Canada, which starts in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley in the Estrie region at the junction of Route 108 and ends in Sainte-Perpétue in Chaudière-Appal…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Route_216

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 5: “Students' global performance increased across all skill categories, in most cases by significant margins.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While evidence for claim 4 mentions that students in an intervention group 'outperformed the control group' in specific abilities, there is no specific evidence in the provided results confirming that global performance increased across 'all skill categories' by 'significant margins'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Exactly how do placebos work? Researchers believe that, through the power of suggestion, placebos may unleash the power of our own subconscious minds to cur...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDCcuCHOIyY

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Peer support networks and wellness programs increase student resilience. Health & Safety Services.McGill has on offer, advanced laboratories, research centres, digital libraries, and innovation hubs. …
https://www.nomadcredit.com/canada-university/mcgill-univers…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Future Graduate Students. Discover the right program for you. Enter your keywords.Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences programs. Desautels Faculty of Management.
https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/programs

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.