Foundations in Media Literacy

This course is one of the first classes available in the sequence of courses. As such this is a foundational course and allows students to work their way into the theory, literature and most importantly work process of the program. Course specifics are available below.

Catalog Description

Students in this course will consider the Internet and other communication technologies (ICTs) as they shape social and educational systems. This examination will be guided by critical foundational theories to include a focused study of traditional and new media, including social media that attempts to account for the feedback loops between institutions, audiences, and technology. The class will examine foundational research across various media to evaluate how media is as used in K-12 instruction, with an awareness of how these skills will play out in higher education, or in individual’s lives. They will also investigate how critical thinking and the Internet shape how we learn. The class will consider the distinct contours of media and information technologies and how these influence current students’ perceptions of theirs and others’ realities. Media literacy means not just accepting what is presented, but being an active user, a critical media evaluator, understanding content, systems, application and effect, to be a better informed decision maker.

Core Objectives

1. Students will examine the evolving nature of subject-matter knowledge and the need for constantly acquiring new ideas and understandings within one’s discipline, including the impact of technology and information sources on the nature of teaching, communications and development of knowledge.
2. Students will design strategic questions and opportunities that appropriately challenge students and actively engage them in exploring the content through strategies such as discourse and/or inquiry-based learning.
3. Students will debate and critique the ethical and legal issues associated with bringing new media technologies and participatory culture practices into the classroom.
4. Students will outline some of the ethical challenges which youth face in their roles as media producers and members of online communities.
5. Students will apply their theoretical understandings to the development of curricular resources for use in school or after school programs.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to be “literate” and how has this changed as a consequence of the introduction of new communications technologies?
• What social skills and cultural competencies do young people need to acquire if they are going to be able to fully participate in the digital future?
• What are the ethical choices young people face as participants in online communities and producers of media?

The full version of the syllabus is embedded below. This version of the syllabus is an artifact and does not contain all of the edits and revisions to the syllabus we use each semester for the class.

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