Media Literacy and Critical Thinking

In a world of information overload, critical thinking is a survival skill.

Participation in Democratic LifeDigital TransformationErasmus+ KA1 Eligible

About This Course

Disinformation, deepfakes, algorithmic echo chambers and the weaponisation of social media have made media literacy one of the most urgent educational priorities in Europe. The EU's European Democracy Action Plan identifies media literacy as a cornerstone of democratic resilience, yet most European schools still treat it as a marginal topic.

This course gives education professionals a thorough, current and practically focused grounding in media literacy and critical thinking education. Participants develop their own critical evaluation skills, explore pedagogical approaches for teaching these competences across subjects and age groups, and design media literacy activities ready to implement in their classrooms.

The course is aligned with DigComp 3.0 Area 1, the European Democracy Action Plan, the Digital Education Action Plan and the Erasmus+ priorities of Participation in Democratic Life and Digital Transformation.

Who Should Attend

  • Teachers across all subjects who want to develop students' critical thinking and information literacy
  • Citizenship, social studies and PSHE teachers
  • ICT and digital literacy coordinators
  • Librarians and information professionals
  • School leaders concerned about disinformation and its effects on young people

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course participants will be able to:

  • Explain the EU and Council of Europe frameworks for media literacy and connect them to classroom practice.

    Media literacy encompasses information literacy, digital literacy, news literacy and visual literacy. You will navigate these overlapping frameworks and connect your work to the EU media literacy policy agenda for Erasmus+ reporting.

  • Apply DigComp 3.0 Information and Data Literacy to curriculum planning.

    The DigComp 3.0 Information and Data Literacy area covers browsing, searching and filtering data, evaluating sources, managing personal data and protection against manipulation. You will use it as a planning tool to identify gaps in your current provision.

    DigComp 3.0 Area 1Digital Education Action Plan
  • Use fact-checking tools, lateral reading strategies and critical evaluation frameworks with students.

    Lateral reading, developed by the Stanford History Education Group, involves checking a website's credibility by reading what other sources say about it. You will have practiced it yourself, taught it to peers and adapted it for different age groups.

    DigComp 3.0 Area 1European Democracy Action Plan
  • Design media literacy activities for your own subject area that are engaging and practically transferable.

    Media literacy is a cross-curricular responsibility. You will design an activity for your own subject, whether fact-checking for a history essay, evaluating statistical claims in science or analysing a political speech in social studies.

  • Connect your school's media literacy work to the EU Democratic Values agenda.

    A school that takes media literacy seriously contributes to European democratic resilience. You will make that case to your headteacher and connect your work to the EU Democratic Values agenda for Erasmus+ funding.

A 7-Day Professional Development Experience

Five days of intensive training with a structured arrival day and cultural excursion. We tailor every programme to your institution's needs.

Day 1
Sunday - Arrival and Welcome

Participants arrive and are welcomed by the Sude Nexus local team. Welcome dinner and orientation walk.

Day 2
Monday - The Information Landscape
MorningWhat is media literacy and why does it matter now? The disinformation ecosystem: types of misleading content and why people believe them.
AfternoonIntroduction to fact-checking and lateral reading. Participants work through real disinformation examples.
Day 3
Tuesday - Critical Evaluation Frameworks
MorningDigComp 3.0 Information and Data Literacy as a planning tool. Applying it to your subject area.
AfternoonVisual literacy and deepfakes. How to evaluate images, videos and AI-generated content.
Day 4
Wednesday - Classroom Approaches
MorningPedagogical approaches: debate, Socratic questioning, media analysis and news production.
AfternoonCross-curricular media literacy: integrating critical evaluation into every subject.
Day 5
Thursday - Designing Your Media Literacy Programme
MorningParticipants design a media literacy activity or unit for their own context. Peer review.
AfternoonWhole-school approach and farewell dinner.
Day 6
Friday - Action Planning
MorningPersonal and institutional action planning.
AfternoonPresentations, certificates and farewell dinner.
Day 7
Saturday - Cultural Excursion and Departure

Guided cultural excursion. Departure at convenience.

This outline is a starting point. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor this programme for your institution.

EU Policy Alignment

Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priorities

EU Policy Initiatives

European Democracy Action Plan 2020Digital Education Action Plan 2021 to 2027Council of Europe Recommendation on Media and Information Literacy 2022
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Available Locations and Dates

Available across all 13 Sude Nexus destinations.

Check Dates and Availability

Ready to Join This Course?