This thesis presents the design and development of an Educational Toolkit aimed at building the resilience of 15–16-year-olds against AI-generated extremist disinformation. With the rise of generative AI, AI-powered tools are rapidly increasing in sophistication and accessibility. Malicious actors, mainly extremist groups, leverage these technologies to manipulate, recruit, and radicalise youth through spreading disinformation by various tactics. Examples are the generation of deepfakes, memetic warfare, and AI-enhanced grooming. Existing media literacy interventions have not yet answered to these developments and a digital media literacy tool for this specific target group is yet to be made. This thesis aims to respond to this need.
To address this gap, an educational toolkit was designed, combining Inoculation theory with an interactive, gamified experience. The contents are structured through various frameworks. The toolkit will consist of multiple lessons, where each lesson is paired with a serious game that simulates real-world disinformation tactics in a controlled and ethical environment. These lessons will focus on key manipulation techniques such as meme-based manipulation (memetic warfare), source impersonation through AI, and emotionally charged misinformation campaigns.
The thesis uses Bloom’s Taxonomy to define cognitive learning objectives and Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction to guide lesson structure. Integrating the theory with the game, and connecting multiple lessons to form a reflective experience, is done by using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. This theoretical foundation is operationalised in the game through the Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics (MDA) framework. One of the toolkit’s most notable features is a genAI sandbox, a simulated chatbot and image generation interface that allows students to experiment with AI prompt creation in a fictionalised and safeguarded setting. This component encourages hands-on learning and enables learning by doing.
Two prototypes were developed: one using Twine and one via ChatGPT’s custom GPT function. A guest lesson with a live classroom gave insights on the target group and shifted the project focus to educational environments instead of standalone serious games. During the lesson, students created AI-generated memes containing disinformation. This activity was followed by reflection on narrative techniques and emotional impact. A general survey and classroom observation further supported the need for not only gamified approaches, but also teacher-led theory and reflection.
While the educational toolkit lays a strong foundation, further steps are needed to bring it into practice. These include further developing of the lesson theory and corresponding serious games and validating the toolkit in high-schools. Completing these steps will turn the educational toolkit from a high-level research-based solution into a digital media literacy solution for strengthening resilience among the target group.
This thesis contributes to the field of design for digital resilience by offering a proposed, research-based educational toolkit that acknowledges the current and evolving threat landscape as enabled by generative AI. It also provides a replicable framework for integrating serious games into (digital) media literacy education.