Problem Description:

The manipulation of information is a widespread and serious threat, particularly affecting individuals in transitional phases. Due to the pervasive use of Online Social Networks (OSNs), young people are increasingly exposed to the risk of consuming false or misleading information. This disinformation can have significant impacts on worldviews, decision-making, and social behavior. Young people, including future voters, are a particularly attractive target group for disinformation campaigns and often lack the necessary skills to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources. In this critical phase, it is essential to empower young people by developing their competencies effectively. Media literacy is crucial for enabling students to recognize disinformation and mitigate its negative effects.

To facilitate this learning process, teachers should be supported with appropriate tools. AI-driven systems can help elevate the learning experience between students and educators to a new level. In this way, young people can playfully learn to critically question content on platforms and independently identify disinformation based on specific criteria.

Objective of the Study:

For the successful implementation of AI-supported tools in education, it is particularly important to engage young people in participatory formats during the design process, ensuring the creation of a solution that meets their needs. By involving them in the design process, students are empowered to develop their own design proposals that align with their requirements. Using co-creative approaches in technology development ensures that stakeholder needs are actively considered and incorporated into the development process.

Through a structured literature review, this study aims to identify, evaluate, and analyze existing participatory design methods regarding their suitability for the school context and the use case of developing an AI-driven disinformation-detection dashboard. This includes established methods from Participatory Design, Design Science Research, and User-Centered Design, as well as specific pedagogical approaches for involving young people in the design process. Additionally, a conceptual framework may be developed based on the findings, providing concrete recommendations for practical implementation.

Formal Requirements:

This thesis will be conducted at WIN in collaboration with the FZI Research Center for Information Technology. This is not an external thesis. You are free to write your thesis in either German or English. Please apply with a short motivation letter (approximately half a page), your CV, and a recent transcript of records. The thesis can be started immediately.