Media literacy perspectives
Watch this video and complete the activity. In this extract from the Real Time interview with Bill Maher, President Obama highlights the importance for a modern democracy of educating our children on media literacy.
Educating for media literacy
Activity - Contemporary definitions of media literacy
Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to conduct a general online search for contemporary definitions of media literacy, comparing the emphasis on various issues for different age groups and to post a short critique of the Aspen definition below.
Aspen definition of media literacy
Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms[1].Stimulus resource
Tasks
- Consult the stimulus resource
- Conduct a general online search for definitions noting differences in emphasis for youth and adults.
- Construct a table listing important issues of media literacy for youth and adults, for example:
| Youth | Adults |
|---|---|
| Access: Strategies for managing age – appropriate access to online content | Access: Knowledge and understanding of new forms of peer-produced media distinctly different from traditional print media. |
Prepare a short blog post (200 words) evaluating the Aspen definition of media literacy:
- Cite the Aspen definition in your post
- Consider the following questions:
- Is the Aspen definition of media literacy still relevant today? Justify your opinion.
- Are different definitions of media literacy required for different contexts? If so why.
References
- Aspen Media Literacy Leadership Institute (1992) cited by Center for Media Literacy.
Last modified: Wednesday, February 28, 2018, 3:57 PM