Abstract

Discussions about online media often neglect the engagement and interpretation of these technologies. The Internet has become a primary resource for learning, but schools are often not prepared to train students to understand online content. Outside of the classroom teenagers are active online. Conversely, many schools rely solely on analog tools to teach this already digital generation. This disconnect may result in teenagers who are not prepared to be critical digital citizens. According to research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, teenagers tend to rely on the look of online information to determine credibility. As design software and image manipulation tools have become more available, average users can create content that looks professional and therefore trustworthy. Online content facilitates public discourse, but positions amateurs and experts at the same level. This flattening of source credibility is problematic for teenagers with limited cognitive abilities and life experiences to make judgements. As online participation in inevitable we must determine ways for students to practice communication and col- laboration in activities that are facilitated by an educational framework. We cannot simply ignore participatory communities and reject interactive tools as learning strategies. Educators have an opportunity to encourage new media literacy by leveraging existing social participation into teachable moments. Based on literature, field interviews, persona development and research, we have identified five main challenges that merit pedagogical shifts to address media literacy. We propose two speculative case studies to address these five challenges.

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Jul 7th, 12:00 AM

Interactive Tools and Online Communities that Support Media Literacy

Discussions about online media often neglect the engagement and interpretation of these technologies. The Internet has become a primary resource for learning, but schools are often not prepared to train students to understand online content. Outside of the classroom teenagers are active online. Conversely, many schools rely solely on analog tools to teach this already digital generation. This disconnect may result in teenagers who are not prepared to be critical digital citizens. According to research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, teenagers tend to rely on the look of online information to determine credibility. As design software and image manipulation tools have become more available, average users can create content that looks professional and therefore trustworthy. Online content facilitates public discourse, but positions amateurs and experts at the same level. This flattening of source credibility is problematic for teenagers with limited cognitive abilities and life experiences to make judgements. As online participation in inevitable we must determine ways for students to practice communication and col- laboration in activities that are facilitated by an educational framework. We cannot simply ignore participatory communities and reject interactive tools as learning strategies. Educators have an opportunity to encourage new media literacy by leveraging existing social participation into teachable moments. Based on literature, field interviews, persona development and research, we have identified five main challenges that merit pedagogical shifts to address media literacy. We propose two speculative case studies to address these five challenges.

 

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