SAÉ 3 – Echo Chambers (My Friends Think Like Me)

SAÉ 3 “Echo Chambers (My Friends Think Like Me)”, created by Éditions Dokoma, is part of the Technology and Future Challenges component of the Quebec Culture and Citizenship (Grade 10) program. It invites students to explore how algorithms and information technology shape our view of reality, often confining us to “echo chambers” where our opinions are reinforced by the homogeneity of our contacts and information sources.

The initial Conference sets the stage: what are the risks and opportunities of these technologies that are so integral to our daily lives? In Activity 1, “One Chamber? Many Chambers!”, students analyze the diversity (or lack thereof) in their news feeds. Activity 2, “How to Manipulate in the Age of Bits?”, raises awareness of online manipulation tactics. Activity 3, “Algorithms: How Can We Escape an Echo Chamber?”, guides them to identify mechanisms for diversifying their sources and avoiding informational confinement. Finally, the Final Activity, “Thought Experiment,” concludes the learning path with a critical reflection on ethics and civic responsibility in the digital age.

Linked to the “Living Together and Citizenship” broad area of learning and the cross-curricular competency “Communicate Properly”, this SAÉ leverages the concepts of technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and technocriticism to encourage students to adopt a reflective stance toward digital tools.