This study presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of Science in Society, an online training module (SPOC) aimed at fostering critical thinking about science among first-year university students from diverse academic backgrounds. Developed in response to challenges highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic—such as the spread of misinformation and the complex interplay between science and society—the module seeks to enhance students’ understanding of how scientific knowledge is constructed, debated, and contextualised.

The course, delivered asynchronously via a Moodle-based platform, consists of five two-hour interactive sessions integrating videos, texts, podcasts, quizzes, and reflective activities. Particular emphasis was placed on interactivity, accessibility, reflexivity, and a user-friendly digital environment. Attention was given to the clarity of instructions and the quality of feedback, fostering a sense of connection between course designers and students. This connection is further supported by a dedicated forum for direct exchange.

Centred on “authentic” scientific questions (Lai, 2011), the module includes 5 sessions on several themes. Each session addresses a specific facet of the science–society relationship:
(1) pseudoscientific claims (e.g., flat Earth theories),
(2) unstable or socially shaped scientific claims (e.g., brain dimorphism),
(3) emerging knowledge and the dynamics of scientific consensus (e.g., gravitational waves), and
(4–5) socially charged socio-scientific controversies (e.g., transhumanism and enhancement technologies). The final session, structured around a fictional trial set in 2039, prompts students to reflect critically on the legal, political, and ethical implications of human augmentation.

A micro-longitudinal study was conducted over one semester (N = 871), using online questionnaires to assess students’ scientific knowledge, critical thinking skills, and epistemological stances. Statistical analyses revealed that students with stronger scientific backgrounds performed significantly better in critical reasoning tasks. Significant differences were also observed between students from scientific and non-scientific disciplines, as well as between those enrolled in selective versus non-selective programs. Thus, a strong command of scientific knowledge and literacy is closely associated with students’ high performance across all critical analysis tasks in the five SPOC sessions—including the final session involving a fictional yet plausible trial centred on human enhancement technologies, where the issues at stake are primarily legal, social, and political rather than strictly scientific.

These findings highlight the pivotal role of disciplinary background and epistemological awareness in supporting informed and critical engagement with complex socio-scientific issues.

Keywords: SPOC, Science and Society, critical thinking, scientific knowledge.