Beyond Detection: Designing for Epistemic Agency in Complex Information Environments

Abstract: Misinformation is often framed as a problem of false or misleading content—and of individuals who lack the skills to recognize it. This framing has shaped media and information literacy (MIL) interventions that largely emphasize detecting unreliable information. In this talk, I challenge both assumptions. Drawing on research that understands susceptibility to misinformation as shaped by the interplay of cognitive, socio-affective, societal, and informational conditions, I argue that the goal of MIL should extend beyond detection toward fostering epistemic agency.

I explore what this shift means in practice through my work co-designing misinformation escape rooms. These projects offer a concrete setting for examining how interventions can move beyond teaching people how to identify false information and instead support critical reflection, collective sensemaking, and more agentic participation in increasingly complex information environments.

Bio: Chris Coward is a Senior Principal Research Scientist and Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington Information School. His research examines media and information literacy (MIL) in complex information environments, with a particular focus on how individuals and communities develop the capacities and agency to navigate these environments. His recent work explores sociocultural approaches to MIL through the design and study of escape rooms and other play-based experiences. Chris works closely with communities around the world to co-design, implement, and study these interventions in culturally diverse contexts.

---

IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture Series