Navigating the Internet requires critical reading skills. Readers must constantly judge what to trust and whom to trust (i.e., engaging in online credibility evaluation). The Develop project will investigate the development of students' online credibility evaluation skills during upper secondary schooling. Students' (N= 510) online credibility evaluation skills and different types of prior knowledge essential for evaluation will be measured three times from the same students: in the first, second, and third study years. We will investigate factors that explain differences in students' online credibility evaluation skills, and whether there are different developmental trajectories for online credibility evaluation, and what factors may explain these developmental trajectories. The project also develops and validates a scenario-based assessment for measuring prior knowledge in online credibility evaluation. Results can be used in developing instruction, curriculum, and assessments.

2025

2029