#NoFakeFacts!
As part of Sparkling Science 2.0, our Media Change and Media Education team at the Department of Media and Communication Science at the University of Klagenfurt will carry out a three-year Citizen Science project together with Sapere Aude starting in September 2025. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research and the OeAD.
What is Sparkling Science 2.0?
Sparkling Science 2.0 is a program that supports projects in which research institutions collaborate with schools and – if possible – also with partners from business and society. The goal is to jointly generate new research results and strengthen the link between education, research, and society. In doing so, citizens are actively involved in research. Since 2021, 61 projects with a total of 21 million euros in funding have been supported. These projects have led to more than 400 partnerships between academia, schools, business, and society, reaching over 110,000 students and citizen scientists. The result is practice-oriented projects that spark curiosity, foster skills, and bring innovation directly into society.
You can find more information about Sparkling Science 2.0 here.
What is Citizen Science?
The Citizen Science approach means that members of the public actively participate in research. They not only provide data but – depending on the project – can also help with formulating questions, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, and sharing outcomes. The aim is to bring science and society closer together, address real-life questions, and gather more data and perspectives by involving many contributors.
What is being studied in the Sparkling Science 2.0 “#NoFakeFacts!” project?
#NoFakeFacts! connects science, civic education, and schools to develop well-researched, age-appropriate learning materials for media literacy – with a focus on democracy, politics, and science. In this way, we strengthen young people’s information and media literacy as well as their scientific thinking.
The project consists of four steps:
- COMPREHEND, with two workshops on media use, information quality, credibility, science, and democracy;
- CONDUCT, where pupils act as “Junior Scientists” and participate in simple studies;
- CREATE, in which age-appropriate learning materials are co-developed; and
- CONTINUE, where teachers receive training to use these materials in their classrooms.
At the same time, we are fostering closer cooperation between schools and universities to inspire interest in research and achieve long-term impact.
Our three goals are:
• To gain new insights: How do young people evaluate information, and why do they consider some sources trustworthy?
• To conduct low-threshold workshops on media and information literacy, scientific thinking, and democracy.
• To develop digital, age-appropriate materials that enable teachers to easily work with various classes on these topics.
The Project Team
At the Department of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, researchers study various aspects of media. In the Media Change and Media Education unit, we focus on the current challenges of an increasingly media- and digitally shaped society. We explore transformation processes triggered by digital media and examine their impact on communication, everyday life, social interaction, and society.
Project Team – University of Klagenfurt
If you have any questions or feedback about the project, please contact our team!
The project is carried out in cooperation with Sapere Aude. Since 2009, Sapere Aude has been supporting various projects with children, young people, and adults and promotes independent and professional civic education in Austria. You can find more information about Sapere Aude here.
Project Team – Sapere Aude
Mag. Patrick Danter
Administrative management of the project
Mag. Hermann Niklas MA
Conception & management of school workshops and training courses
hermann [dot] niklas [at] sapereaude [dot] at
