The Questions Matters project aims to challenge the spread of misinformation by promoting critical media literacy in an increasingly polarised world and build the knowledge, capacity and confidence of adult literacy tutors to embed active citizenship through education.
Questioning Matters was be delivered in partnership in North Wicklow and the wider Wicklow/Kildare region with the Bray Area Partnership, the Bray Adult Learning Centre and the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA).
This literacy project expanded and built on a key education resource produced by NALA and 80:20 on the topic of facts, media literacy and adult education on global issues in 2021, titled Facts Matter.
The project:
- Promoted critical thinking alongside digital media literacy through anti-poverty and social inclusion education approaches. The project will take place in the north Wicklow region and be based around current events and protests recently.
- Aimed to empower adult literacy and education tutors to support adult learners to think and discuss key issues in the community such as poverty, migration, active citizenship and community development.
- Used inclusive and participatory approaches to include educators that work with minority groups.
The project made use of blended learning spaces through a combination of:
- Workshops and consultations on current topics and education materials
- Piloting a micro-learning text-messaging approach on WhatsApp through 3 on-demand courses to 197 participants.
- Sharing these approaches through learning networks in Wicklow / Kildare based on a half-day conference in December 2023 at The Mermaid Theatre in Bray. The Questions Matter Adult Educators Conference.
- Launching a magazine for adult learners to tackle disinformation through games, activities and exercises, co-published with the National Adult Literacy Agency. The magazine has been distributed through adult education centres and community groups across Ireland.
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This project is supported by the ALL Collaboration & Innovation Fund, 2023
