Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

Media Literacy 4
OVERVIEW

.With the enormous range of information that people receive every single day, from
different formats and different sources, information overload is what people experience. With
this overload, not all information coming from the different media formats are to be taken as
true, as false information are also spreading anywhere. Knowledge of how to analyze and
evaluate information, hence, the need for media literacy.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specifically, after learning the module, you are expected to:

• relate media literacy with traditional literacy
• explain media literacy as part of 21st century skills
• distinguish the features of media literacy
• determine the stages of media literacy
• discuss the skills in media literacy
• distinguish the features of digital literacy
• discuss ways on how to foster digital literacy in the classroom
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1.1 MEDIA LITERACY

People take in a huge amount of information from a wide array of sources, far beyond the
traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines). There are text messages,
memes, viral videos, social media, video games, advertising, and more. Media literacy is the
ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they are sending. It
is also the ability to comprehend and produce messages in the media. If in traditional literacy
where a person must be able to read and write, a person must be able to create and
understand messages in media literacy.

All media share one thing: Someone created it. And it was created for a reason.
Understanding the reason of why messages are created is the basis of media literacy. Media
literacy is an essential skill in the digital age.

CONCEPT CHECK 1.1

How is traditional literacy different from media literacy?

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1.2 MEDIA LITERACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS FRAMEWORK

In today’s digital age, educators are expected to integrate 21 st century skills into the
teaching of academic subjects. To accomplish this, the Partnership for 21 st century
organization has developed a unified, collective vision for learning known as the Framework
for 21st Century Learning. This Framework describes a blend of content knowledge, specific
skills, expertise and literacies that students must master to succeed in work and life.

In the 21st century skills framework shown in Figure 9, one of the three sets of essential
skills within the framework, which comprise “21st century student outcomes” is Information,
Media, and Technology Skills.

st

The Framework for 21 Century Learning (Source: www.P21.org)

People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment,
marked by various characteristics, including: 1) access to an abundance of information, 2)
rapid changes in technology tools, and 3) the ability to collaborate and make individual
contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and
workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to
information, media and technology (www.P21.org).

The information, media and technology skills is subdivided into three literacies:
information literacy, media literacy, and ICT literacy. The specific skills for the three literacies
are as follows:

1. Information Literacy

1.1 Access and Evaluate Information

 Access information efficiently (time) and effectively
(sources)  Evaluate information critically and competently

1.2 Use and Manage Information

• Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand
• Manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources

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• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the

access and use of information

2. Media Literacy

2.1 Analyze Media

• Understand both how and why media messages are constructed, and for what
purposes
• Examine how individuals interpret messages differently, how values and points
of view are included or excluded, and how media can influence beliefs and
behaviors
• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the
access and use of media

2.2 Create Media Products

• Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools,
characteristics and conventions
• Understand and effectively utilize the most appropriate expressions and
interpretations in diverse, multi-cultural environments

3. ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

1.1 Apply Technology Effectively

• Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate
information
• Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS, etc.),
communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate and create information to successfully function in a
knowledge economy
• Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the
access and use of information technologies

CONCEPT CHECK 1.2

How is media literacy related to information and ICT literacy?

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1.3 WHAT IS MEDIA LITERACY AND WHAT IT IS NOT

The website www.medialit.org presents some differences of media literacy with other type
of literacies, to wit:

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Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

1. Media 'bashing' is NOT media literacy, however media literacy sometimes involves
criticizing the media.
2. Merely producing media is NOT media literacy, although media literacy should
include media production.
3. Just teaching with videos or CDRoms or other mediated content is NOT media
literacy; one must also teach about media.
4. Simply looking for political agendas, stereotypes or misrepresentations is NOT
media literacy; there should also be an exploration of the systems making those
representations appear "normal."
5. Looking at a media message or a mediated experience from just one perspective is
NOT media literacy because media should be examined from multiple positions.
6. Media literacy does NOT mean "don't watch;" it means "watch carefully, think
critically."

CONCEPT CHECK 1.3

Give three situations in the past where you think that are media literacy but
actually are not.
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1.4 STAGES OF MEDIA LITERACY

Media literacy consists of three main stages (www.teach-nology.com).

1. The first stage is for a person to become aware of all the media they consume in their
day-to-day lives and manage this. They should limit the amount of time they spend
reading newspapers, watching TV shows and playing video games to a sensible
amount.

2. The second stage is to

develop critical thinking -
what message is this media
trying to portray? What
information may have been
left out to produce the desired
effect on the consumer?
Thinking in depth about
various media items will
develop this skill. By
analyzing and evaluating the
media, a person can develop

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Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

a more rounded opinion on the subject being discussed and become less influenced
by the media.

3. The final stage of media literacy is to consider who is creating the media we
experience every day. Why are they producing the media? The most obvious
example is when companies advertise their products to encourage consumers to buy
them, in order to maximize their profit. This proves very effective - it costs millions to
broadcast an advertisement on prime time TV, but companies are willing to pay as
the benefits outweigh this high cost. A simple ad can influence television viewers.

CONCEPT CHECK 1.4

How can you say that media literacy is already in its peak or highest
stage?
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1.5 MEDIA LITERACY SKILLS

Everyone is constantly exposed to media’s influence, which means all must understand
the messages around us.
.
1. Slowing down in a fast-paced world

One of the first challenges we encounter is keeping up with the speed of information. The
rate at which media is produced and distributed is both fascinating and overwhelming. As
consumers, we must be willing to do our own verification, especially in a world where the
term
“fake news” is being used with abandon. Just by emphasizing the importance of slowing
down, stopping to verify a source, and backing it up with three other credible publications,
we can better equip our students with the basic skillset and understanding to intelligently
digest media.

2. Finding the source(s)

There was a time when the dots of information were clearly connected, with fewer
gobetweens from the direct source to the media outlet that was publishing it. Now,
everything is significantly more complicated. When it comes to online media, start by
following the links. They’ll help take you back to the places where the information came from.
If they lead to a personal social media account, you might want to consider your confidence
in the information before sharing it. For all media, backing up a source by comparing the
information on several different media networks is always a good idea. The key is to find the
right balance for you. Take the time to say, “Let’s see who else is saying this.” Backing up
information is a great way to verify that it’s true.
Bottom line: If you don’t have time to verify it, you shouldn’t share it.

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3. Exploring media as a creator

Not long ago, the definition of media

literacy expanded to include media
creation. No longer are students merely
passive consumers of media—they are
now active content creators via online
sharing, posting, and commenting. For
example, every time people upload a
TikTok video or a song cover, they
contribute to the media landscape. As we
empower students to become effective
creators, we instill critical thinking skills to
support them as they navigate the
incredible information flow they encounter daily. And as they learn to create, they will also
learn to question what others have created, what they are consuming, and what they choose
to share.

4. Understanding bias

Evaluating the media for bias includes asking questions about news sources, point of
view, stereotypes, loaded language, etc. Identifying this type of bias is extremely important
and is often covered in media literacy classes. Lipkin (2018) suggested that educators
include personal bias in media literacy lessons. Personal inherent bias, also known as
implicit bias, refers to beliefs or attitudes that impact decisions we make. These biases are
often unconscious rather than explicit. We may not even understand that we have them or
know how they impact our actions. Personal bias impacts the way we see the world and
interpret media messages. Helping children understand that they may process news or
information differently based on their personal bias is a key component of critical thinking
and media literacy skills. Teaching students that they see the world a certain way based on
factors including their environment, hometown, race, gender, and family make-up is
important. Getting to know your personal bias not only helps you understand yourself, but it
also allows you to understand your reaction to media and to others.

CONCEPT CHECK 1.5

How will you act in the midst of so many fake news at present?
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1.6 DIGITAL LITERACY – WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT

Cornell University defines digital literacy as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and
create content using information technologies and the Internet.” Digital literacy is the ability

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Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create and

communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills (American Library
Association). Digital literacy is more than technological know-how; it includes a wide variety
of ethical, social, and reflective practices that are embedded in work, learning, leisure, and
daily life (www.mediasmarts.ca).

Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan (2008) suggested that digital literacy represents a person’s
ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment; digital meaning information
represented in numeric form and primarily use by a computer, and literacy including the
ability to read and interpret media, to reproduce data and images through digital
manipulation and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments.
Aviram and EshetAlkalai (2006) described digital literacy as a combination of technical-
procedural, cognitive and emotional social skills. Erstad (2007) defined it as “skills,
knowledge and attitudes in using digital media to be able to master the challenges in the
learning society”. Similarly, EshetAlkali and Amichai-Hamburger (2004) gave a broad
meaning to the term to consist of five major digital skills: photo-visual skills (“reading”
instructions from graphical displays), reproduction skills (utilizing digital reproduction to
create new, meaningful materials from existing ones), branching skills (constructing
knowledge from non-linear, hypertextual navigation), information skills (evaluating the quality
and validity of information), and socioemotional skills (understanding the “rules” that prevail
in cyberspace and applying this understanding in online cyberspace communication). In
addition, one more skill was added to the list: real-time thinking skill (the ability to process
and evaluate large volumes of information in real time (Aviram & Eshet Alkalai, 2006).

Digital literacy is one component of

being a digital citizen – a person who
is responsible for how they utilize
technology to interact with the world
around them.

Digital literacy is –
• understanding how to use web
browsers, search engines, email,
text, wiki, blogs, Photoshop,
PowerPoint, video creation/editing
software, etc. to showcase learning.
• evaluating online resources for accuracy/trustworthiness of information.
• using online classes to enhance learning in the classroom
• choosing appropriate media to showcase learning – understand what platforms will best
illustrate message and learning to peers and educators.
• using an interactive whiteboard in the classroom for lessons and allowing students to use
the interactive whiteboard on a daily basis.
• encouraging students to use technology to showcase their learning.
• using the web (web sites video, music) to enhance the learning of students.
• students and teachers creating online content to be utilized both in and out of the
classroom.

However, digital literacy is not –

• learning just how to use multi-media to research and investigate a specific topic.
• having a computer lab in your school.
• technology as a special class separate from the daily classroom.
• typing papers (research, opinion or narrative stories) on a computer or using search
engines only to find information.

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Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

• children dropping out of school to independently learn without guidance.

• using online media without any knowledge of guidelines on how to judge whether the
information is accurate or trustworthy

CONCEPT CHECK 1.6

If a teacher in your school knows how to encode assessment tasks using

MS Word, can she be considered digital literate? Why?
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1.7 FOSTERING DIGITAL LITERACY IN THE CLASSROOM

Most students already use digital technology, such as tablets, smartphones, and
computers, at home. Many students already know how to navigate the web, share images
on social media, and do a Google search to find information. However, true digital literacy
goes beyond these basic skills.

Because digital literacy is so important, educators are increasingly required to teach

students digital literacy in the classroom. In many ways, this is similar to what educators
have always done in teaching students to read and write. In other ways, however, digital
literacy is a brand new skill.

Many teachers are using technology in

the classrooms to support different learning
styles and to engage students. What is
missing are guidelines to help teachers do
this in ways that promote innovative
thinking and collaborative work, promote
ethical practices, and strengthen
their own professional development.
Some suggested activities to promote
digital literacy, higher order thinking and
construction of meaning in the classroom
are to:
• use an interactive whiteboard as often as possible to design and deliver lessons.
• allow students to maintain blogs, wikis, web pages related to their learning.
• engage in email/video chat exchanges with students from other countries.
• utilize storytelling media to allow students to create and publish stories.
• set up a blog site/Facebook page and post weekly discussion questions for students
to respond to and encourage them to respond to each other too.
• use video cameras to dramatize stories, record scientific experiments and expose
students to video editing software to create video productions of learning.
• engage students in discussions about how and why various media work well to
showcase learning and why others do not.

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CONCEPT CHECK 1.7

Is it enough that a student is capacitated only with skills in operating

computers and other gadgets?
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FEEDBACK

Hello there my dear students! You have already finished Module 4 of our subject. In this
module, you were introduced to the concept of media literacy and the skills that you have to
develop.

Look back at the literacies in this module. Do you see these literacies already in you?
There will be more of these various literacies in the next modules. Just be patient in reading
the modules and I know you will get far.

Congratulations so far!

SUMMARY

To aid you in reviewing the concepts in this module, here are the highlights:

 Media literacy is the ability to identify different types of media and understand
the messages they are sending.
 In the 21st century skills framework, one of the three sets of essential skills is
Information, Media, and Technology Skills, subdivided into three literacies:
information literacy, media literacy, and ICT literacy.
 The stages of media literacy are composed of becoming aware of the media
consumed in day-to-day lives, developing critical thinking, and considering
who is creating the media experienced every day.
 Some media literacy skills are slowing down in a fast-paced world, finding the
source(s), exploring media as a creator, and understanding bias.
 Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication
technologies to find, evaluate, create and communicate information,

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Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

requiring both cognitive and technical skills.

 Digital literacy is one component of being a digital citizen – a person who is
responsible for how they utilize technology to interact with the world around
them.

SUGGESTED READINGS

To further your understanding on some of the topics, you can refer to the following links:

Multiliteracies in the 21st Century. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=on2XyAlWh64

REFERENCES

Alata, E. J. & Ignacio, E. J. (2019) Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the
Curriculum. Rex Bookstore: Manila

Digital Literacy Fundamentals. Retrieved from https://www.mediasmarts.ca

Erstad, O. (2010). Educating the Digital Generation. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 1, 56–
70.
Eshet-Alkali, Y., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004). Experiments in digital literacy. Cyber
Psychology & Behavior, 7(4), 421–429.

Hall, M., Nix, I. and Baker, K. (2013). Student experiences and perceptions of digital literacy
skills development: engaging learners by design? The Electronic Journal of e-Learning
11(3), 207-225.

JISC InfoNet (2012) Digital literacy. [Online]. Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumbria University
on behalf of JISC Advance, Retrieved from
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/collaborativetools/digital-literacy

Jones-Kavalier, B., & Flannigan, S. L. (2008). Connecting the digital dots: Literacy of the
21st century. Teacher Librarian, 35(3), 13-16.

Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.renaissance.com/2018/07/26/blog-4-essential-

skillsmedia-literacy/

Lynch, M. (2017) What is Digital Literacy? Retrieved from https://www.theedadvocate.org

Pierce, D. (2015) The 9 essential elements of digital citizenship. Retrieved from

https://www.eschoolnews.com

Reynolds, R. (2008). Reconstructing ‘‘digital literacy’’ in a constructionist computer club: The

role of motivation, interest, and inquiry in children’s purposive technology use.
Doctoral dissertation (unpublished), S. I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications, Syracuse University.

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Modules in Building and Enhancing New Literacies across the Curriculum

Reynolds, R. (2016). Defining, designing for, and measuring “social constructivist digital
literacy” development in learners: a proposed framework. Education Tech Research
Dev. doi:10.1007/s11423-015-9423-4

What is Media Literacy? Retrieved from

https://www.teachnology.com/currenttrends/media.html

What is media literacy, and why is it important? Retrieved from

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-media-
literacyand-why-is-it-important

What Media Literacy is NOT. Retrieved from https://www.medialit.org/reading-room/what-

media-literacy-not

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