Behind the Headlines was an interdisciplinary strategic project at OsloMet, originating from the Faculty of Health Sciences. The main goal was to strengthen the competence of OsloMet students in thinking critically about everyday claims and in finding robust knowledge on issues relevant to the professions they will go on to practice. As part of the project, a range of dissemination activities were organized, a network for critical thinking at OsloMet was established (which is still active), and a variety of digital teaching resources were developed.
Behind the Headlines was based on the international project Informed Health Choices (IHC). This framework consists of key concepts that help us evaluate claims, recognize reliable research, and make well-informed decisions.
About our learning resources
Our resources were developed by academic staff across four faculties and students at OsloMet.
The resources may be freely used for non-commercial purposes as part of teaching or research under the Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). If you have questions about the resources, you can contact us.
Learning resources in English
We have both films and learning paths in English. We have also developed guides to help find systematic reviews in the fields of health, education, social work, and engineering and technology.
You can explore our resources in English by clicking below.
Working group and reference group
Behind the Headlines consisted of an interdisciplinary working group with backgrounds in health services research, research methodology, journalism, technology science, and library and information science. Students were also part of the working group and contributed to the creation of learning resources, including films and games.
Publications
Oxman M, Habib L, Jamtvedt G, et al. Using claims in the media to teach essential concepts for evidence-based healthcare. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2021;26:234-236.
Elvsaas I, Myrhaug H, Garnweidner-Holme L, Kasper J, Dahlgren A, Molin M. Experiences Using Media Health Claims to Teach Evidence-Based Practice to Healthcare Students: A Mixed Methods Study [version 3; peer review: 3 approved, 1 approved with reservations]. F1000Research. 2025;13(224)
Astrid Dahlgren, Elizabeth Paulsen, Maryam Amini, Anja Naper, Hanne Vollen, Victoria Skjåvik. The development of the “Judge wisely”- digital learning trajectory for critical thinking about treatment claims: a user-centered design approach. Medical Education. Submitted November 2025.
Astrid Dahlgren, Zaneta Holmen, Elizabeth Paulsen. The involvement of student assistants in developing learning resources for critical thinking in higher education: A Process Evaluation. Dataanalyse under arbeid.