Fostering critical thinking skills in tertiary-level students for media and information literacy

To discern the authenticity of online content, one must possess Media and Information Literacy (MIL). MIL enconwasses the knowledge, mindset, and skill set needed to determine what information is necessary, how to access it. when to do so, where to find it, critically evaluate it upon acquisition, and employ it ethically. In the context of fake news, individuals must engage in critical thinking when engaging with the media and content they encounter to prevent misinformation. Some materials may contain misleading content that could be mistaken for humour, misuse, or explicit language or expressions. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to examine how undergraduate students at tertiary-level educational institution employ Critical Thinking to interpret media and information, ultimately enhancing their MIL. This research employs a quantitative research approach, incorporating an online questionnaire and specific media content sourced from social networking platforms. The queslionnaire is based on the Delphi report, which outlines six fundamental critical thinking skills. 340 participants are asked to indicate whether they have put into practice these skills while examining the provided media materials. The anticipated outcomes indicate a moderate level of critical thinking capability among students in comprehending and critically evaluating media information. This underscores the pressing need to enhance their critical thinking skills to a higher level, enabling thenm to effectively process a variety of media information. Additional, the findings illuminate which of the six critical thinking skills delineated in ihe Delphi report were more commonly employed and how the application of core critical thinking skills in the interpretation of media information varies by gender, year of study, and programme. Critical thinking assumes a pivotal role in MIL as it plays a determining role in assessing the reliability of information sources, swiftly recognising fake news, and effectively sifting through information to uncover the truth.