Agnotology as a Teaching Tool: Learning Climate Science by Studying Misinformation

Abstract

Despite the existence of a clear scientific consensus about global warming, opinion surveys find confusion among the American public, regarding both scientific issues and the strength of the scientific consensus. Evidence increasingly points to misinformation as a contributing factor. This situation is both a challenge and an opportunity for science educators, including geographers. The direct study of misin- formation—termed agnotology (Proctor 2008)—can potentially sharpen student critical thinking skills, raise awareness of the processes of science such as peer review, and improve understanding of the basic science. This potential is illustrated with examples from a small, upper-division collegiate weather and climate class.

Key Words:

• global warming
• agnotology
• misinformation
• active learning

Acknowledgments

The comments of three anonymous reviewers greatly improved the quality of this article. Any remaining errors of content or omission are the author’s responsibility.

Daniel Bedford is an associate professor in the Geography Department at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, USA. His research and teaching interests include climate change impacts on water resources, and the Great Salt Lake.