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IS10050

Academic Year 2025/2026

Digital Judgement: Truth, Lies, & the Internet (IS10050)

Subject:
Information Studies
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Information & Comms Studies
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Claire McGuinness
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

In today’s world, the rapid evolution of digital media, the internet, and social networking brings constant change. Developments in information and communications technologies radically shape and reshape the ways in which we work, socialise, learn, communicate, spend our leisure time, and generally manage our daily lives, although the effects are not the same for all people across the globe. Socio-cultural, political, educational, infrastructural, and economic inequalities, which amplify the "digital divide," mean that the benefits and advantages of digital technologies are not equally shared by all. The changes in our information landscapes have also altered our understanding of “literacy”, as information is presented in new and dynamic formats, which require new forms of interpretation. What does it mean to be “literate” in the 21st century? How can we effectively navigate this new digital media landscape, and tell if the information we see can be believed and trusted?

An important skill today is the ability to identify high quality and trustworthy digital information that serves our needs in different situations. Recent worldwide events have clearly demonstrated the importance of distinguishing true from false information. However, the knowledge and skills required to find and evaluate digital information that we consume online through search engines, websites, apps and AI tools are not innate or automatic – they must be learned. In this module, you will learn to act as savvy digital judges, exploring the world of digital information and social media to empower you to identify, access, evaluate, use, create and share trustworthy digital information in personal, professional, and academic contexts. We will also consider the ways in which digital and social media are transforming the world, through exploring topical issues such as “fake news,” algorithms and search personalisation, online privacy, digital footprints, and generative AI, in order to understand the potential consequences of your online activities.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe how digital technologies have transformed the ways in which information is created, modified, shared and consumed, and explain the effects of these transformations on people, societies and cultures.

2. Discuss the different conceptions of “literacy” in today’s digital information landscape, such as information, digital and media literacy, and reflect on how you demonstrate different aspects of literacy in your own life.

3. Explain the importance of context when evaluating information in different media formats and know that there are different ways of perceiving “authority” and “value” when judging information quality and relevance.

4. Analyse how your online information behaviours, choices, preferences and interactions on various digital platforms, search engines, websites, wearables and apps work to shape and personalise your individual experience of the Internet and social media and discuss the consequences of this for individuals and societies.

5. Work independently on assigned projects and tasks, using a variety of online tools and information sources to support your work.

6. Display enhanced digital literacy skills, including information evaluation, analysis, synthesis, creation and sharing in various media formats, and apply these skills to real-world problems and tasks.

Indicative Module Content:

The weekly topics covered in IS10050 include:

-Conceptualising Literacy in the 21st Century.
-The Importance of Digital and Media Literacy.
-Digital Information Consumers - Global and Behavioural Perspectives.
-The Impact of Digitisation on Information Production and Consumption.
-The Age of Uncertainty - Fake News and AI.
-Evaluating Digital Information - Frameworks and Tools.
-Understanding Search Engines in the AI Era.
-Critical Approaches to Digital Academic Information.
-Cybercrime and Self-Protection Online.
-Understanding Digital Footprints.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

45
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Lectures

22
Online Learning

8
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
For Autumn 2025, module delivery is as follows

- Live on-campus lectures (every Monday and Wednesday)
- Eight online e-assignments (e-tutorials and quizzes)
- Various independent learning activities, including reading, viewing videos, reviewing class materials, and completing individual assignment work.

Full details, including a weekly schedule of learning activities are available in the module syllabus on Brightspace.

Generative AI in IS10050

In line with the new UCD Academic Integrity Policy, some limited use of Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, for your Digital Resource Guide project is permitted in this module. However, if you choose to use it (you don’t have to), you should ensure that you stick closely to the guidelines below.

For the IS10050 individual project, it is only acceptable to use AI to:

• Generate initial ideas for your digital resource guide.
• Generate information and suggestions about the potential audience for your guide, and what their information needs might be.
• Generate suggestions about an appropriate structure and layout for the guide.
• Seek assistance with regard to the appropriate tone and style for the guide.

It is not acceptable to use ChatGPT or other GenAI tools to generate references for your guide – these tools are very unreliable for this, and have been known to frequently make up or “hallucinate” fake references in response to prompts. Please see the module syllabus and individual assignment instructions for full details about GenAI use.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Students complete an individual written project, comprising a Digital Resource Guide on a subject of their choice. Week 10 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
80
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Students take a timed online quiz in Brightspace. Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
10
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Students complete a series of eight online tutorials during the trimester. Week 2, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 10, Week 11 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
10
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

For the online quiz and online tutorial components of the module, students receive feedback/results immediately in Brightspace. For the individual assessment, each student receives a detailed feedback form with a rubric comprising individually graded components, constructive comments, and an overall letter grade. Feedback forms are uploaded to Brightspace, and letter grades entered. Students should receive an automatic notification from Brightspace when grades are published.

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