Media Competences for Digital Citizenship

Keywords

Digital citizenship, online risks and opportunities, digital culture, fake news and disinformation, media content and effects, media literacy

Problem justification

Recent studies and research reports have underlined the raise of the media use and online time spent during the last period (and more accentuated by the pandemic restrictions) by the youth and adult population. Along with the online immersive lives, besides benefits and opportunities, different approaches and challenges have occurred: the use of the internet in a safe and creative manner, online behaviour: networking/ social relations, active participation to the communities online life, information search, leisure and professional/ educational time. The internet has been changing our life and society and transform it in a mediatized society, not just for the iGen generation, but for all (Millenials, Gen X, Baby Boomers etc.). Even if the process started 20 years ago, the contemporary context stressed out more than ever the need for forming, assessing and practising media competence and digital skills in order to: critical understand and evaluate media (in terms of content, effects and practices), to actively participate within society (at all levels) and to create/ produce media content with an added value for ourselves and society.

Thus, in line with the need to develop the digital skills at a more advance level, as pointed in these strategic policy documents, the proposed activity addresses the aim to enable the future teacher with a digital competence at more advance level, trans-curricular, so she/he can guide not only the students, but the parents, and other relevant stakeholders to navigate in the digital world and society.

Furthermore, the teacher needs for this so called meta-competence, as enlarged general culture and of his/her specialization culture, as all teachers preparing to teach social sciences, education for democratic citizenship, social education, etc. (see all subjects of the curricular area Man and society, as foreseen in the curriculum for primary and secondary school) need to master the Information and Data Literacy & Communication and Collaboration, as foreseen in the DigiComp Framework for teachers (EU, 2017).

Competences

The specific pinpointed competences that are to be developed are to be found in the following media dimensions (DeBenedittis, 2003): Access, Analyse, Evaluate, Produce.

Dimension of the Media Analysis / Specific competences:

To analyse the media context of the media message

To draw up media content interpretative tests and analysis criteria

Dimension of the Media Accessing /Specific competences:

To identify optimal and legitimate information sources depending on personal and professional needs

To decode and interpret perturbing, pathological message contents

To use communication and information means in a diversified way

Dimension of the Media Assessing / Specific competences:

To establish evaluation objectives and criteria in view of observing efficient and authentic information and communication principles

To use evaluation techniques and tools, specific to the educational process in the context of communication and mass media education

To evaluate the educational approach in view of identifying the media and technological informational requisite

Dimension of the Media Production / Specific competences:

To use the new and the traditional media creatively and ingeniously in the instructional educational process

To conceive digital and media-oriented didactic materials and strategies

To exercise action schemes to acquire/polish practical skills

Assessment strategies and instruments

Exercises and group projects.

Assessment criteria

Individual project: Analysis of 3 case studies, at choice, according to the model discussed at the seminar

• The project will be uploaded in pdf format in the G-Suite Classroom and present on the date set by the teacher responsible for the seminar

• The project represents 5 points from the final grade

• The following will be presented and argued: selection of the chosen case study, analysis and role of communication techniques, impact analysis, deconstruction of the message and media content, means and indicators of verification

• All information mentioned in the project comes from credible sources

• The project will comply with the writing and grammar rules of the Romanian language.

Description of the feedback

Evaluation/Assessment (mixed) 3-2-1

• 3 concepts that can be named and were interesting for them

• 2 ideas that they would like to learn more afterwards

• 1 skill that they master after the graduation of the course

Type of digital tools

• Collaborative – G Suite
• Slido, Mentimeter, Polleverywhere or any tool that offers live polls, Q&A, quizzes and word clouds, to engage students, capture their views and make everyone feel connected.

Levels of potential digital transformation

Under exploration: the technology exists but it is not easily accessible

Accessible and available: developed lots of times, easy and known

Example of a case

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333138620_An_Effort_to_Improve_Students'_Activeness_at_Structure_Class_ UsingSlidoApp

https://www.sli.do/education

https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-slido-for-education-best-tips-and-tricks

References

Bolter, Jay David, Grusin, Richard (2000), Remediation. Understanding New Media, The MIT Press, Cambridge.

Ibarra, Arriaza Karen, Nowak Eva, Raymod Kuhn (2015). Public Service Media in Europe. A Comparative Approach, Routledge, London and New York.

Guțu – Tudor Dorina (2008). New Media, Tritonic, București.

Jenkins, Henry (2006), Convergence Culture. Where Old and New Media Collide, New York University Press, New York and London.

Kellner Douglas (2001), Cultura media, Institutul European, Iaşi.

Kerr, Aphra, Julian Kucklich, Pat Brereton (2006), „New Media – New Pleasures?”, International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol.9 (1), pp.63-82.

Lister, Martin, Jon Dovey, Seth Giddings, Iain Grant, Kieran Kelly (2007), New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, London.

Rotaru, Ileana (2014), Virtual communication, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main

Russo, Angelina, Watkins, Jerry (2005), „Digital Cultural Communication: Enabling new media and co-creation in South –East Asia”, International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), vol.1, nr.4, pp.4-17.

Tokes Gyonyver, Velicu Anca (2015). Poveștile de dincolo de statistici: despre competențele digitale ale copiilor și adolescenților din România. Revista Română de Sociologie, serie nouă, an XXVI, nr.5-6, p.431-458, București

Turkle, Sherry (2008), Always-on/Always-on-you: The Tethered Self în Handbook of Mobile Communication Studies, MIT Press, Cambridge.

*** Strategia Națională privind Agenda Digitală pentru România 2020 (http://www.ancom.ro/uploads/links_files/Strategia_nationala_privind_Agenda_Digitala_pentru_Romania_2020.pdf )

*** Cadrul European pentru Competenţe Digitale 2.0 (The Digital Competence Framework 2.0) (http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC101254/jrc101254_digcomp%202.0%20the%20digital% 20competence%20framework%20for%20citizens.%20update%20phase%201.pdf)