(Mis)informed: What it takes to be science-literate in the 21st century
Paper Title: (Mis)informed about what? What it means to be a science-literate citizen in a digital world.
Author(s) and Year: Emily L. Howell, Dominique Brossard, 2021
Journal: PNAS (open access)
TL;DR: The constant bombardment of factual and false information demands a scientifically literate society to be well-informed and make better decisions. However, what once may have been sufficient to be scientifically literate may not be enough in today’s climate.
Why I chose this paper: More and more, I see the importance of scientific literacy, not only to stay informed but to make better decisions in a technology-driven world. Nevertheless, information and misinformation can flow equally through internet pipelines. This is why it’s important to review what it means to be scientifically literate in today’s world.
What is science literacy?
Modern times have received scientific research with great uncertainty. From the prevalence of fake news and conspiracy theories, distrust of digital media caused by the proliferation of AI, and a general suspicion of the information delivered by an algorithm, not knowing what to trust becomes an increasingly prevalent problem. More and more, science literacy becomes a necessity to keep pace with a changing, uncertain, technology-driven world.
As was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, dynamic and complex issues are particularly hard to navigate, especially as they unfold live. Such an amount of information, research, and misinformation gives place to forming judgements based on our values, as the research catches up with our evolving opinion. This results in further polarization of discourse and thought.
In theory, greater science literacy could help disqualify the spread of science-related misinformation by familiarizing individuals with the capacities and practices of science. However, modern studies have not yet addressed the validity of such a claim. Complementing this premise, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of the United States conducted a study in 2016 that highlighted the gaps and issues in modern science literacy. In said report, science literacy was defined as “familiarity with the enterprise and practice of science.” However, Emily L. Howell et al. argue that this definition is too broad and can’t encompass science literacy’s main issues and necessities, at least at present. More specifically, how should we conceptualize science literacy? How can we achieve science literacy? And, what can we expect science literacy’s most important outcomes to be?
“(Mis)informed about what”
What does it mean to be science-literate in the present day? Instead of understanding science as simply results and outcomes, Howell, et al. argue that we must understand science as a human product, created by humans and backed by human interests. Following this line of thought, scientific knowledge has to follow what the authors call the “science information lifecycle”: a concept that encompasses the complete path of the production of science, its repackaging by the media, and how it turns into individuals’ opinions and decisions.
The Methods
In the author’s view, modern day science literacy should be conceived as a three-dimensional concept that spans through the entire lifecycle of science information (Fig. 1). As such, it could work as a framework to help identify the skills and needs for reaching science literacy.
- Civic science literacy.
- Digital media science literacy.
- Cognitive science literacy.
Civic science literacy
This is the first stage in the science information lifecycle, which begins at the time scientific research is conducted. Here, rather than being informed about the latest research done, a science literate individual should be aware of the principles and practices that allow science research to be developed in the first place. For example, all types of investigation are founded with an interest in mind, and that, as scientific knowledge spreads through the population, it will impact the type of research performed back in the lab.
Of course, a typical individual can’t be an expert in every scientific field, so understanding how science works can provide a basis for knowing how to approach new research. For example, the need for and problems of science reproducibility; how uncertainty can exist within a scientific field, or even how publishing in science journals works. Understanding these processes helps to discern what is scientific and what isn’t, what science can answer and what it can’t.
Digital media science-literacy
The way science reaches society is through media content, predominantly through digital media. This means of communication makes information-sharing easier and more accessible than ever before, still, its reach is typically limited to those with access to a smartphone, a personal computer, and a stable internet connection. Additionally, it can also restrict the reach of science to only the technologically savvy.
However, the reality of the current climate of science dissemination makes digital content the most attractive option to reach a wider audience. At this stage of science literacy, consumers need to be aware of why information is created and for what purpose: what type of science is highlighted, what is fact vs.opinion, and how the information we receive will influence the type of information we seek.
Cognitive science literacy
The science information lifecycle concludes with society. This is the step where the consumers of science information have to accept or filter out the information they encounter. Therefore, understanding our own biases and how our values readily affect what we accept as false or factual is crucial to developing science literacy. As the authors put it, “the problem then, is not that people are gullible, it’s that we are selectively gullible.”
The Results
In the authors’ opinion, all of these aspects that define modern scientific literacy should be part of formal education. Nevertheless, they argue that implementing these competencies in adults, especially those outside traditional formal education, will be challenging.
Journalists and media should be encouraged to incorporate aspects of scientific literacy into their projects, too. Journalists should also be aware of what science they highlight and the importance of adding context and different perspectives to their pieces. In addition to that, social media sites could offer science literacy tools rather than just fact-checking. The idea being that whenever “someone accesses science information, they are also accessing science literacy-increasing information.”
The Impact
“It won’t be a Panacea”
The authors agree that, if these steps and skills were successfully developed, scientific literacy should become more than the sum of its parts, developing into a scientific community that filters and accepts certain types of content. As mentioned above, we can’t expect everyone to be an expert in every scientific field, but interactions and knowledge sharing of a well-informed community can reinforce individual shortcomings. In turn, a science-literate community can be more involved in the educational, environmental, and health-related policies that affect them, helping them know what to expect from them and what to demand.
Although seemingly opposite, greater science literacy should lead to a more skeptical society, but also one that favors the development of science. “It won’t be a Panacea,” the authors warn, “but it is vital for today’s world.”
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Written by Diego Ramírez Martín del Campo
Edited by Mariella A. Mestres-Villanueva and Sarah Ferguson
Featured image credit: Gerd Altmann