During the COVID-19 pandemic we have been challenged with a huge volume of intentional online misinformation about the virus itself, about its origins, about potential treatments, and about government responses. This parallel “infodemic” has been spread by individuals, various organizations, media outlets (e.g. Russia Today, Fox News) political leaders and even governments. And especially at turbulent period like this, false health information can be extremely dangerous and have violent outcomes. More than often “fake health news” are strongly tied to political, ethnic/racial and class bias. Nearly 90% of such “news” are spread in social media and other digital channels of communication.The project “Join us in the battle against disinformation” is based on the production of 3 intellectual outputs, translated into 9 languages (EN, IT, TK, RO, GR, LT, BG, SP, RU) with the following characteristics and impact expected. 
– Online Manual for School Teachers against Fake News (O1) a 240 pages e-book targeted on school Teachers including methodologies for favouring critical and lateral thinking among students through problem-solving exercises focused on Fake News debunking, A psychological test dedicated in identifying students at risks for being subject to negative effects of fake news, a gamification methodology for debunking, lateral thinking, critical thinking detection of fake news led by school teachers and Practical examples and exercises for teachers designed to explain the effect of fake news in the several fields of teaching for the dedicated integration into classic school programmes 
– Massive Open Online Course for Fake News Detection among School Students (O2) – a MOOC dedicated to improving students capacities to correctly identify fake news and to improve learning of school programmes through an innovative methodology, including 32 problems to be solved referring to subjects studied at school and 16 lectures for increasing fact checking approach, debunking, lateral and critical thinking 
– Motivational Research Study for the implementation of School Programmes against Fake News (O3) a 160 pages document research study designed to motivate policy makers in the production and continuous update of important regulations for favouring school programmes against fake news, demostrate the effectiveness of school programmes against fake news, motivate schools in the implementation of programmes against fake news, increase general awareness of professionals in the importance of preventing fake news and favouring fact checking among school students and the general population 
The project is based on the innovative methodology of gamification applied to the detection of fake news. The promotion of critical thinking, civic and social responsibility among school students is the final goal of the project, which are characteristics useful also in the future workplace and for their engagement in society. 

• Start date 01-03-2021
• End date 31-08-2023