People are hungry for online information. And the good news is, teachers care about
students getting it right. Cathryn van Kessel, associate professor of curriculum studies,
recently helped pen an article published in Theory & Research for Social Education that was the journal’s most downloaded for 2025, according to the journal’s social media. The article was co-authored by TCU doctoral student Jason D. Manriquez and Kip Kline
of Lewis University. The publication is open access, thanks in part to funding from
the College of Education.
“Baudrillard, hyperreality, and the ‘problematic’ of (mis/dis)information in social media,” focuses on current techniques teachers use to help students identify and counter misinformation and disinformation (the intentional and unintentional spreading of incorrect information, respectively) online. In van Kessel’s words, the goal was to “really honor the excellent work that's already been done in the field of media education. And then, at the same time, offer an invitation to entwine those a bit, as well as add in an element that I see as sort of neglected.”
That neglected element is ontology, defined by van Kessel as the study of the nature of being, existence and reality. She specifically draws on the ontological perspective of the French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard, who holds that reality no longer exists in a stable sense.
“It’s quite an uncomfortable thing to talk about,” van Kessel said. “Yet I think it’s really important. Not only is it reflecting reality when we have misinformation or disinformation, but it is actually creating reality at the same time, too.”
The article does not argue that the ontological perspective should supplant current methods of confronting mis/disinformation, but rather that it should be considered alongside them as another part of the puzzle. Not every technique may be applicable to every occurrence of mis/disinformation, but having the capacity to choose the best practice for each situation can help ensure students are prepared to recognize and counter mis/disinformation.
Her reaction to being the most downloaded?
“Thrilled, somewhat surprised, and excited about the ensuing conversations.”
One such conversation will take place at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in April, where van Kessel, along with TCU PhD student Lex Salazar, will participate in a symposium on mis/disinformation.