Melanie Trecek-King

Oct 24, 2024 | skepticalinquirer.org | Melanie Trecek-King

Most people agree that critical thinking is an important skill that should be taught in schools. And most educators think they teach critical thinking. I know I did. After all, I was a science educator, and science is critical thinking. Isnā€™t it? For years, I taught general-education biology, a course commonly taken by undergraduates who arenā€™t science majors. And while I love biology, I grew more and more frustrated with the content.

Jan 30, 2024 | tandfonline.com | Melanie Trecek-King |John Cook

AbstractInoculation theory, which applies the biological concept of vaccination to misinformation, provides a range of ways to effectively build resilience against misinformation. In this article, we define and organize the various types of inoculation, which includes three delivery mechanisms that can be useful in the classroom—passive, active, and experiential.

Oct 24, 2023 | skepticalinquirer.org | Melanie Trecek-King

We are drowning in misinformation. From wellness influencers making wildly inaccurate and baseless nutrition claims to fringe medical “professionals” selling pseudoscientific “treatments” online to conspiracy theorists enticing followers down the rabbit hole on YouTube, it’s nearly impossible to avoid exposure.

Jul 5, 2023 | skepticalinquirer.org | Melanie Trecek-King |Rob Palmer

This is the first in a series of interviews I will be conducting with the speakers appearing at CSICon 2023. This conference is run by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and will take place in Las Vegas from October 26–29. (You can find all the details and register right here.) For this first interview, my guest was science educator Melanie Trecek-King. Melanie is the creator of Thinking Is Power, an online resource that provides engaging and accessible critical thinking content.