Exercer son esprit critique à l’ère informationnelle (Coursera)

Offered by University of Geneva,
Exercer son esprit critique à l’ère informationnelle (Coursera)

Aujourd’hui, notamment du fait de l’essor des technologies, nous sommes en permanence assaillis par une multitude d'informations. Pourtant, beaucoup d’entre elles semblent peu fiables voire volontairement mensongères, comme les fake news. Ainsi, même si nous n’avons jamais été aussi bien informés qu’avec Internet et les réseaux sociaux, la société fait paradoxalement face à un phénomène de désinformation.

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Comment exercer son esprit critique dans ce contexte et pour quels enjeux ? Pourquoi les fake news et les théories complotistes peuvent-elles nous apparaître séduisantes ?
Tout au long de ce cours constitué de vidéos, d’interventions d’expert-es et d’activités variées, vous allez appréhender le phénomène de désinformation, en comprendre les ressorts et les manières de le contrer. Une première étape du cours sera d’identifier les divers biais cognitifs qui nuisent au raisonnement critique et à les reconnaître dans vos propres jugements. Puis, vous analyserez la diffusion des fake news : comment circulent-elles ? Quels sont leurs impacts sur le plan individuel et collectif ?
En termes de compétences vous apprendrez des stratégies pour reconnaître les fausses informations et trouver des sources fiables. Vous analyserez le mécanisme cognitif de flexibilité cognitive, et enfin, vous apprendrez des stratégies concrètes afin de développer votre vigilance informationnelle.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Les informations sur internet : info ou infox ?
Nous sommes en permanence entourés par une multitude d'informations dont la fiabilité n'est pas toujours avérée. Internet nous offre un accès quasi illimité à l'information mais paradoxalement, cela génère un phénomène de désinformation. Cette semaine, vous examinerez ce phénomène et identifierez ces ressorts. Puis, pour faire face à ce phénomène, vous aborderez la question de la production des connaissances. Vous verrez les critères caractérisant les connaissances et les distinguant d'autres types de représentations sociales et individuelles et vous aborderez le concept de vigilance épistémique.

WEEK 2
Pourquoi et comment croit-on aux fausses informations ? Les biais de jugement
Vous avez constaté que les fausses informations nous apparaissent séduisantes. Mais pourquoi exercer son esprit critique dans ce contexte est si difficile ? Une explication est que nous sommes sujets à de nombreux biais cognitifs, des raccourcis de pensée bien souvent efficaces mais qui peuvent aussi être à l'origine de notre manque de rationalité. Dans ce module, vous allez appréhender cette notion de biais cognitifs et identifier plusieurs de ces biais, qualifiés de biais de jugement.

WEEK 3
Pourquoi et comment croit-on aux fausses informations ? Les biais de raisonnement
Après s'être intéressés à des biais de jugement, vous analyserez, cette semaine, des biais de raisonnement. Vous allez apprendre, d'une part, à reconnaître les effets de ces biais de raisonnement dans notre vie quotidienne, et d'autre part, à identifier leurs mécanismes sous-jacent.

WEEK 4
Comment se diffusent les fausses informations ?
Après avoir caractérisé le phénomène de fausses informations et les raisons pour lesquelles elles nous séduisent, vous analyserez, cette semaine, comment se diffusent les fausses informations. Quel est le circuit d'information des fake news ? Quelles sont leurs impacts ?

WEEK 5
Gagner en flexibilité cognitive
Cette semaine vous questionnerez un mécanisme cognitif général susceptible d'aider à ne pas croire aux fausses informations. Il s'agit du mécanisme de flexibilité cognitive. Comment le caractériser ? Quel est son lien avec l'esprit critique ?

WEEK 6
Adopter une méthodologie scientifique
Afin de se prémunir de ses biais cognitifs et de sa rationalité limitée, on peut s'appuyer sur des méthodes. Cette semaine, vous allez aborder deux méthodes : la méthode historiographique et la méthode expérimentale.

WEEK 7
Adopter une vigilance informationnelle
Sur internet, il faut donc adopter une vigilance informationnelle afin de démêler le vrai du faux. Vous découvrirez plusieurs outils et grilles de critères qui peuvent aider à mieux s'informer.

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