Seeing Isn’t Believing: Identifying Visual Health Misinformation and Results from a Pilot Class

Thursday, May 18, 2023

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

Primary Contact(s)

KC

Kelsey Cowles, AHIP (she/her/hers)

Research & Instruction Librarian
University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System

Slides

Presenter(s)

Rebekah Miller (she/her/hers)

Research & Instruction Librarian
University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rachel H. Suppok

Research and Instruction Librarian
Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh

Session

Overview:

Discussion of health literacy instruction and the identification of health misinformation often centers around fact-checking or debunking written materials. However, identifying misleading visualizations and imagery is a vital skill for navigating the current health information landscape. This session will increase your confidence in analyzing visual information and empower you to pass that knowledge along to your communities. We will share results from the pilot of a new class developed for a general university audience and other practical ideas for library programming.

Instructional

Methods:

We will utilize extensive case studies to illustrate concepts. Audience members will be engaged with numerous hands-on activities to practice identifying different types of visual health misinformation.
We will also allow ample time for Q&A and discussion.

Participant Engagement:

Participants will be asked to analyze examples of misleading health visualizations and engage in discussion at several points throughout the session.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize the importance of visual health information literacy.
Identify misleading visual communication including manipulated, AI-generated, or out of context imagery in both general and academic settings.
Incorporate visual health information literacy instruction into library programming.