Saffron Howden.
A 60-minute short course developed by University of Canberra researchers boosts media literacy in older Australians by an average of 23%, with gains sustained three months later, according to a report from the university's News and Media Research Centre.
The course, the first of its kind in Australia for people aged 55 and over, teaches participants how to identify misinformation, fact-check and verify information, find reliable sources and navigate the online world critically.
Those who completed it were 27% better at distinguishing reliable from untrustworthy content and 32% more confident in their ability to verify information.
Three months after completing the course, media literacy levels remained 11% higher than before.
The course was piloted through public libraries under a program called Stay Smart Online, with 97% of participants saying they would recommend it to a friend.
Report lead author Saffron Howden said misinformation has flourished in an environment where anyone with a digital device could instantly publish to the world without consistent guardrails for accuracy, independence or ethics.
"Media literacy is a cost-effective and proven way to build people's resilience to misinformation by developing critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate information in an increasingly overwhelming and polarised online ecosystem," she said.
Sora Park, director of the News and Media Research Centre, said the research showed older people were more vulnerable to misinformation online.
"We must embed the course in a national adult media literacy initiative, allowing people to refresh their skills regularly to keep pace with rapid technological change," she said.
Cathie Warburton, CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association, said library professionals saw media literacy as essential but only 10% felt well equipped to support it.
"This course is just the kind of ready-to-use resource that libraries need," she said.
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