Contents
- 1 Impact of Digitalisation
- 2 1. Ability to access the media
- 3 2. Understanding the media
- 4 3. Adopting a critical approach to media content
- 5 4. Creating communications in a variety of contexts
- 6 Promoting Media Literacy
- 7 UNESCO: Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
- 7.1 Explore: Broad MIL Learning Outcomes or Competences
- 7.1.1 1. Recognize and articulate a need for information, media, and digital communications in personal and civic life
- 7.1.2 2. Understand the role and functions of providers of information such as libraries, archives, museums, publishers, media, digital communications, etc.
- 7.1.3 3. Understand the conditions under which relevant providers can carry out their functions
- 7.1.4 4. Locate and assess relevant information relating to personal, educational, political, cultural, religious, and other societal needs
- 7.1.5 5. Critically evaluate information, media and digital content
- 7.1.6 6. Be able to protect oneself from risks online in relation to software, content, contacts and interaction
- 7.1.7 7. Analyse, share, organize, and store information, media and digital content
- 7.1.8 8. Synthesize or operate on the ideas abstracted from information and media content
- 7.1.9 9. Ethically and accountably use information and communicate one’s understanding or knowledge to an audience or readership in an appropriate form and medium
- 7.1.10 10. Be able to apply ICT skills in order to use software, to process information and produce content
- 7.1.11 11. Be able to apply ICT skills to create products and services of societal or commercial value thus fostering entrepreneurship
- 7.1.12 12. Be able to use ICT with critical capacities
- 7.1.13 13. Engage with content providers as active and global citizens
- 7.1.14 14. Manage privacy online and offline
- 7.1.15 15. Manage interactions with games, including when AI is used within them
- 7.1.16 16. Engage with media institutions (whether with offline or online presence or both) and all content providers to promote access to information, freedom of expression, intercultural dialogue and interreligious dialogue, democratic participation, and gender equality, and to advocate against all forms of inequality, intolerance, and discrimination
- 7.1.17 17. Apply MIL to other forms of social literacy
- 7.1.18 18. Apply MIL to problem-solving and collaboration
- 7.1.19 19. Know how to recognize and respond to hate speech and content designed for violent extremism.
- 7.2 Values and Attitudes that Can be Encouraged by Media and Information Literacy Competencies
- 7.1 Explore: Broad MIL Learning Outcomes or Competences
- 8 Inspiring Handbooks and Sources by Others
Impact of Digitalisation
Our global society is moving from a literary to a digital society. Media, especially digital, have an extraordinary impact on society’s formative processes; they have an enormous influence on our beliefs and even behaviour. For these reasons, all fields of pedagogical work need to engage with media. Media literacy must therefore be discussed as one of the key competences that young people need to learn. All over Europe, many organizations are dealing with media literacy, while the European Commission has shown strong recognition of its importance:
“The way we use media is changing and the volume of information we get today is enormous. People need the ability to access, analyse and evaluate images, sounds and texts on a daily basis, especially if they are to use traditional and new media to communicate and create media content. Consequently, the European Commission considers media literacy an extremely important factor for active citizenship in today’s information society. Just as literacy was at the beginning of the twentieth century, media literacy is a key prerequisite of the twenty-first century.”
The European Commission, assisted by an expert group of European media literacy experts, has developed a definition of media literacy as broad knowledge in the daily use of media. More specifically, it defines media literacy as the ability to:
- Access the media
- Understand the media and have a critical approach toward media content
- Create communication in a variety of contexts (Source)
Media literacy is ubiquitous and therefore a necessary part of lifelong learning. However, the main focus of media educators all over Europe is still on children and adolescents. With reference to the Commission’s definition, the promotion of media literacy has to deal with four main challenges:
1. Ability to access the media
Children and adolescents must be able to use media in their daily life, according to their needs. This includes the technical part of having media in classrooms, in places of open youth work and at home. Although we often call the young generation ‘digital natives’, it is wrong to assume that all young people automatically have access to fast Internet and the newest media devices.
Open youth work
takes place in youth clubs, youth projects, youth centres and youth houses as well as on the street. It is learning in a non-formal or informal learning context.
Being able to use media also includes knowledge on how to find answers to different questions. Especially in dealing with specific media and media applications, young people often know more than adults and can take over independent tasks in educational processes.
We have to keep in view that technical access should be guaranteed for everybody, while also developing overall competence in dealing with information and maintaining a pedagogical perspective.
2. Understanding the media
Young people have to be informed about how media systems work in their country, in Europe and worldwide. They also need to deal with issues such as maintaining a media/life balance, the connection between media and economics, and between media and violence, and so on.
The media/violence correlation is particularly acute when it comes to computer games. For many young people, playing computer games is an important leisure activity. They spend a lot of their spare time playing. But there seems to be a clash of two worlds: on the one hand, young people are fascinated by computer games; on the other, society holds a rather negative view about these new media forms. The challenge is to teach the young gameplayers to be critical users, but at the same time to help outsiders to understand youngsters’ fascination with these games and consequently that computer games can also be a tool for learning.
To counteract a clash of generations, we have to support communication between children and their parents, children and teachers, and children and politicians. In this dialogue all involved parties can voice their point of view and learn much about the other generation and about media and media use. Teachers have to be aware of the meaning of media and reflect upon their own role. They are no longer just the ones who ‘have the information’; they also need to know how to moderate the processes of learning.
3. Adopting a critical approach to media content
Young people mainly use online media to stay informed, but they have to learn to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy information, and to pay attention to the sources. Especially with social networks and user-generated content, this is becoming increasingly crucial. In all educational contexts, critical selection of content, the need to form one’s own opinion, and debate on questions such as copyright and privacy are very important.
A critical approach to media content also implies taking into consideration the combination of media content and advertisement. Early on, children are confronted with many kinds of advertisement. They are surrounded and directly targeted by media protagonists (e.g. SpongeBob & Princess Lillifee) representing a worldwide merchandising system. They are also confronted with advertisements in films, in computer games, on the Internet and even in apps for children.
Many young people have never been taught the economic aspects of media. The process of developing the media literacy of children and adolescents must embrace these issues so as to help them acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to use media critically and distinguish valuable media content from other content, such as advertisements, especially when indirect or disguised.
4. Creating communications in a variety of contexts
Media are very important for young people to stay in contact and to communicate with their peers, and using media is the most effective way of influencing opinion or even behavior in society. Young people have to learn how to use media to respectfully express their opinion and how to involve others in public discussion of important topics – in other words, how to ethically use media to participate in society. Therefore, they have to know how media information is produced, how to create their own media content, and what channels they can use to take part in public communications – either in their neighborhood, in their society at large or even in worldwide discussion.
Promoting Media Literacy
Promoting media literacy includes supporting young people in creating their own media content and making available channels for the distribution of media content. There are radio and TV channels for young people in many countries, but it is a new challenge to find the right, trustworthy way to publish content online. Teachers have to decide whether to use commercial options or to create safe spaces for pedagogical work.
Taking into consideration the phenomenon of mediatization and the development of the ‘social web’ and mobile media, the question is no longer: Does education need to deal with media? The question is rather: Do educators perceive the potential of media use, or do they simply dismiss the media as problematic and dangerous? Following the definition of media literacy, the answer is obvious: It must be the goal of media education to take the interests of adolescents in media seriously and to help them to express their interests and viewpoints by using media. Activities concerned with media must have a wide focus and give the young people many options to engage and participate. Young people, with their particular interests and cultural and social backgrounds, should be central to media literacy education. In the educational process they should be taught how to handle media and how to use them as a means of communication.
To promote media literacy, we need examples of good practice as well as teachers who understand the media and the issues involved, and who are open to the interests of young people. Therefore, media educators must take recent developments into consideration and assess their significance for their own concepts and actions. All processes concerned with the promotion of media literacy must reflect both media and socio-political developments, reflect on them critically, and draft, test, evaluate and publish innovative practical concepts, which can then serve as models.
Media Literacy In Europe
This article was published first as "Media Literacy in Europe" in Media Literacy In Europe: 12 Good Practices That Will Inspire You. The Media Literacy in Europe Magazine by Evens Foundation, Antwerp 2013, Susanne Eggert and Tim Verbist (ed.), pages 6-7.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivs 3.0 Unported Licence.
UNESCO: Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
The UNESCO MIL Curriculum and Competence Framework resource combines three distinct areas – media literacy, information literacy, digital literacy – under one umbrella term: Media and Information Literacy (UNESCO, 2021).
Explore: Broad MIL Learning Outcomes or Competences
The Media and Information Literacy Curriculum for Educators & Learners gives in the first part an overview of the proposed approach, which can be very well integrated in its parts in democracy-related and human rights education as well as in digital education:
1. Recognize and articulate a need for information, media, and digital communications in personal and civic life
- Is able to recognize, determine and articulate the nature, type, role and scope of the content, institution and media and digital technology relevant to personal, social and civic needs and interest;
- can distinguish between their own needs, and the needs, systems and motives of the content service providers.
2. Understand the role and functions of providers of information such as libraries, archives, museums, publishers, media, digital communications, etc.
- Is able to understand the necessity and function of media, information and ICT providers in society, including on the Internet, and how digital communications companies and media can work to aid sustainable development, including of open, transparent and inclusive societies.
3. Understand the conditions under which relevant providers can carry out their functions
- Understand the importance of freedom of information, freedom of expression and press freedom; issues of media and digital communications platform ownership;
- rights-based, open, decision-making protocols and technologies; as well as professionalism an ethics for information repositories; is aware that many providers are profit-driven, which may compromise public good an wellness; and can understand the conditions of use and decide, evaluate, and act accordingly;
- can recognize where people use digital communications to produce hate speech and/or misinformation, know how to counter these by offering positive and verified narratives and strengthening fact-checking kills, and understand the need for digital communications companies to ensure mitigation mechanisms and reporting strategies.
4. Locate and assess relevant information relating to personal, educational, political, cultural, religious, and other societal needs
- Is able to apply search techniques and locate, as well as assess, information and media content effectively, efficiently and knowledge of the provenance, ranking logic, and data that is derived from generating search results – connecting to social and development issues.
5. Critically evaluate information, media and digital content
- Can assess, analyse, compare and evaluate information and media, as per the initial criteria for assessment of the information encountered or received;
- can identify and debunk misinformation such as conspiracy theories; can also critically evaluate the information providers for authenticity, authority, credibility and current purpose, weighing up opportunities and potential risks.
6. Be able to protect oneself from risks online in relation to software, content, contacts and interaction
- Is aware of digital security practices and can apply this knowledge to protect themselves from online risks (identity theft, phishing, spyware, virus infection, invasion of privacy),
- is aware of threats to personal safety (such s grooming, bullying, potentially harmful advice, profiling, inappropriate age content, illegal content, incitement to harm, infringement of human rights, etc.) and knows not to spread or share such content.
- Can analyse information and media content using a variety of methods and tools.
- If needed, the media and information literate person is also able to organize information, media and digital content according to predefined analytical categories suiting their needs and/or resources
8. Synthesize or operate on the ideas abstracted from information and media content
- Can collate and summarize gathered information, media and digital content.
- Once gathered, can abstract resources from information and use ideas, as well as put into action concepts resulting from the retrieval and organization of information, media and digital content.
9. Ethically and accountably use information and communicate one’s understanding or knowledge to an audience or readership in an appropriate form and medium
- Communicates and uses information, media and digital content and knowledge in an ethical and effective manner.
- Is also able to select the most appropriate form and method depending on the needs of the audience.
10. Be able to apply ICT skills in order to use software, to process information and produce content
- Has the ability to use ICT in order to seek, evaluate and create information, media and digital content, and has the requisite ICT skills to engage in generating and distributing information
11. Be able to apply ICT skills to create products and services of societal or commercial value thus fostering entrepreneurship
- Has the ability and requisite skills to create information, media and digital content and other services for entrepreneurial enterprises, thereby engaging in the knowledge economy.
12. Be able to use ICT with critical capacities
- Is able to transcend the basic use of ICTs, in order to understand the development of ICTs – the processes, mechanisms and conditions of ICT development, its ownership, control and path dependencies.
13. Engage with content providers as active and global citizens
- Understands how to actively engage institutions and individuals in promoting rights-based, open, accessible and multi-stakeholder governance, as regards the digital roles of libraries, archives, museums, media and digital communications companies.
14. Manage privacy online and offline
- Understand the needs for and value of personal privacy rights online and offline for the full development of one’s personality, and for protection of one’s rights, while respecting the rights of others; can demand these rights in the face of interferences;
- has awareness of the commodification and monetization of personal profiles and information;
- is able to to adjust privacy settings/levels;
- can address the balance of privacy and transparency, freedom of expression and access to information; ethically use the personal information of others and respect the privacy of others.
15. Manage interactions with games, including when AI is used within them
- Understands the benefits and risks of games for learning and sustainable development;
- understands when freedoms may be compromised when interacting with games;
- engages in promoting the development of games; knows how to advocate for transparency and audits of AI and games;
- monitors the links between privacy and interaction with AI and games.
16. Engage with media institutions (whether with offline or online presence or both) and all content providers to promote access to information, freedom of expression, intercultural dialogue and interreligious dialogue, democratic participation, and gender equality, and to advocate against all forms of inequality, intolerance, and discrimination
- Is aware of the value of social participation through engaging with content services in terms of access to information, the right to expression, freedom of opinion (without engaging in hate speech), intercultural dialogue, participating in democratic discourse through various means in an ethically aware manner.
17. Apply MIL to other forms of social literacy
- Understands how to integrate critical thinking competencies in addressing health literacy, financial literacy, science literacy, intercultural literacy and other forms of social literacy.
18. Apply MIL to problem-solving and collaboration
- Recognizes life`s opportunities and challenges as being information-based; understands how to connect with others physically and through technology and media to combine information and knowledge to develop ideas and solve problems.
19. Know how to recognize and respond to hate speech and content designed for violent extremism.
- Understands how content can mitigate or propagate hat and violent extremism; is able to identify discrimination or hate content and knows what steps to take when one encounters such content.
Values and Attitudes that Can be Encouraged by Media and Information Literacy Competencies
- 20. Intercultural dialogue and interreligious dialogue
- 21. Freedom of expression, freedom of information, and freedom of participation
- 22. Tolerance and respect of others
- 23. Awareness of self and value of challenging one’s own beliefs
- 24. Understanding of international human rights standards
- 25. Sustainable development, solidarity, and peace
Source: United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (2021). Alton Grizzle, Carolyn Wilson, Ramon Tuazon, C.K. Cheung, Jesus Lau, Rachel Fischer, Dorothy Gordon, Kwame Akyempong, Jagtar Singh, Paul R. Carr, Kristine Stewart, Samy Tayie, Olunifesi Suraj, Maarit Jaakkola, Gina Thésée, Curmira Gu, Andzongo Menyeng Blaise Pascal, Zibi Fama Paul Alain (2021). Media and information literate citizens: think critically, click wisely!. Paris, https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377068
Inspiring Handbooks and Sources by Others
Digital Citizenship Education Handbook
by Council of Europe. Being online. Well-being online. Rights online
Download
Learning the Digital
Competendo handbook
more
Bookmarks
CoE's manual for combating hate speech through human rights education
Download
DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens
2022 edition of the EU framework
Download
Think Critically, Click Wisely! (UNESCO)
Media and Information Literate Citizens. UNESCO's Media & Information Literacy (MIL) curiculum for educators and learners
Download
Media Literacy for Global Education
Toolkit for Youth Multipliers by North-South Centre of CoE
Download
Digital Competence of Educators
What has digital competency to do with you as a teacher or educator?
Download
'DigCompSat
DigComp 2.1 Self Assessment Tool
Download
Digital Citizenship Education - Trainers' Pack
The concept of DCE applied in education and learning, published by Council of Europe
Download
DigComp into Action
A guide on how to make use of the DigComp framework
Download
FI.DO Training Material
FIghting fake news and DisinfOrmation in a lifelong learning context.
Download
DIGIT Manifesto and guidelines for adult educators
Boost Competences for responsible online identity
Download
Digital competence toolbox for youth work
Verke's toolbox includes criteria for digital competences, a self-assessment tool and also an online test.
online
Human vs AI Test
Can We Tell the Difference Anymore? By K. Rajnerowicz
Online
Maker activities in youth work
A reader about maker culture and youth work by Verke
Download
Handbook Educational Robotics
From the eMedia Project: Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship for All.
Download
DOIT Toolbox
from the project DOIT - Entrepreneurial skills for young social innovators in an open digital world
Online
Makerspaces for Education and Training
Exploring future implications for Europe, by JRC
Download
Tech for Good
Possibilities and limits of using digital instruments in international development projects of NGOs
Download
Your Data Mirror
Learn about the mechanisms of data collection and the impact this practice on society. By Interactive Media Foundation.
online
Handbook Media Literacy
From the eMedia Project: Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship for All.
Download
Online test: filter bubble
interactive introduction by Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB) Luxemburg
Online
EU vs. Disinfo
The EU portal on disinformation
online
Open your eyes
Handbook: How to identify and tackle online disinformation?
Download
Open your eyes
Database: Fake news
Online
STEPS -Survival Toolkit for EDC in Post-factual Societies
Texts, studies and methods from the project STEPS Download
Visual Literacy
How to think and act with images?
Download
Cinema Stories
Working with movies
Read more
Freedom of Press Report
by RSF - Reporters without Borders
Online
Digtal News Report
by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Online
