Last updated on 24 December 2024
In full TP of physics-chemistry on electromagnetic waves, a student raises her hand. “Madam, my cousin sent me a TikTok video that explains that the microwave turns food into poison and destroys all vitamins!” Several students acquiesce, some mentioning seeing the same claims on Instagram.
Instead of losing track of the course, draw your phone to interview Vera and introduce your students to this anti-fake news tool.
Vera is an AI-assisted voice assistant This will quickly analyse the issue and provide a rigorous scientific explanation of how microwaves actually work, with supporting studies. Or how to turn a viral infox into a mini-lesson on the waves and the scientific method.
Table of Contents
An anti-fake news assistant in your pocket
Vera is quite a good idea developed by theFrench NGO The Tech Response. Imagine having an information verification expert, available instantly and free of charge. This is Vera’s promise. Its principle? Check any information from a simple free phone call or WhatsApp message, without application to install or prior registration. You can call it by dialling a phone number or via Whats App in writing or orally.
Ease of use designed for the class
No more juggling between different websites or interrupting your course for a long time. verify a dubious claim. Vera responds live, whether you are in the middle of a session or in preparation for classes. A valuable asset when a senior student talks about a conspiracy theory on social media, or when a college student relays unverified viral information.
How does Vera decode the true from the false?
Behind its apparent simplicity, Vera relies on state-of-the-art but rigorously supervised technology. The wizard uses GPT-4 artificial intelligence to analyse your questions and instantly consult more than 300 reliable sources. First, it favours sites specialising in fact-checking (such as the AFP Factual or The Decoders), then completes if necessary with reference media.
An approach adapted to young users
Vera is a smart approach to NDE. Young people often prefer audio to writing and use their phones extensively. Vera plays on these habits by offering a natural vocal interaction. No complicated interface or tedious navigation: students ask their questions as they would a friend.
Vera's answers, concise and in accessible language, avoid the trap of journalistic or academic jargon. This simplicity of use allows adolescents to develop the reflex of verification without perceiving it as a chore. A major asset when you know that 95% 12-17 year olds can find out via social media.
Concrete pedagogical applications
In the course of EMI, have Vera called by the students to check information and analyse together the answers obtained. In history-geography, use the service to contextualize a news story or deconstruct a received idea. In science, rely on Vera for Distinguishing scientific consensus fabricated controversies.
The aim is not to replace research and analysis work, but to provide a first level of rapid and reliable verification, which can then serve as a basis for further work with students.
Limits to Know and Transmit
While Vera is an original ally for a course, its limitations for reasoned use should be highlighted. The assistant can only verify information already fact-checked by his sources, which sometimes involves blind spots on emerging topics. Moreover, it cannot replace the fundamental learning of research and verification methods. It goes without saying but it goes better by saying it.
Some sensitive or controversial topics will always require more in-depth framing than a simple automated response even if it is sourced with Vera.
For optimal pedagogical use, it is better when possible:
- Using Vera as a starting point for a broader reflection
- Provide complementary activities to develop research skills
- To train students to analyze and contextualize the answers obtained
Beyond the simple verification of information
More than just a fact-checking tool, Vera can become a pedagogical tool to develop students’ critical thinking skills. It makes it possible to address in concrete terms essential concepts: the reliability of the sources, the difference between fact and opinion, the importance of verifying the information.
In a world where disinformation is spreading at digital speed, Vera is an interesting and free tool to maintain a healthy and factual debate in the classroom, while training the citizens of tomorrow in information verification reflexes.
Vera is a free service offered by the NGO LaReponse.Tech. For more information or to do tests: appointment on www.askvera.org
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