Media & Information Literacy For Teachers

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  • Home
  • Introduction
  • Modules
    • Module 1 : Citizenship, Freedom of Expression and Information, Access to Information, Democratic Discourse and Life-long Learning
      • Unit 1: Understanding Media and Information Literacy – An Orientation
      • Unit 2: MIL and Civic Participation
      • Unit 3: Interactive with Media and Other Information Providers such as Libraries, Archives and the Internet
      • Unit 4: MIL, Teaching and Learning
    • Module 2: Understanding the News, Media, and Information Ethics
      • Unit 1: Journalism and Society
      • Unit 2: Freedom, Ethics and Accountability
      • Unit 3: What Makes News – Exploring the Criteria
      • Unit 4: The News Development Process – Going Beyond the 5Ws and 1H
    • Module 3: Representation in Media and Information
      • Unit 1: News Reporting and the Power of the Image
      • Unit 2: Industry Codes on Diversity and Representation
      • Unit 3: Television, Films, Book Publishing
      • Unit 4: Representation and Music Videos
      • Unit 5: Digital Editing and Computer Retouching
    • Module 4: Languages in Media and Information
      • Unit 1: Reading Media and Information Texts
      • Unit 2: The Medium and the Message – Print and Broadcast News
      • Unit 3: Film Genres and Storytelling
      • Unit 4: Camera Shots and Angles – Conveying Meaning
    • Module 5: Advertising
      • Unit 1: Advertising, Revenue and Regulations
      • Unit 2: Public Service Announcements
      • Unit 3: Advertising – the Creative Process
      • Unit 4: Advertising and the Political Arena
      • Unit 5: Transnational Advertising and ‘Superbrands’
    • Module 6: New and Traditional Media
      • Unit 1: From Traditional Media to New Media Technologies
      • Unit 2: Uses of New Media Technologies in Society – Mass and Digital Communications
      • Unit 3: Use of Interactive Multimedia Tools, Including Digital Games in Classrooms
    • Module 7: Internet Opportunities and Challenges
      • Unit 1: Young People in the Virtual World
      • Unit 2: Challenges and Risks in the Virtual World
    • Module 8: Information Literacy and Library Skills
      • Unit 1: Concepts and Applications of Information Literacy
      • Unit 2: Learning Environments and Information Literacy
      • Unit 3: Digital Information Literacy
    • Module 9: Communication, MIL and Learning – a Capstone Module
      • Unit 1: Communication, Teaching and Learning
      • Unit 2: Learning Theories and MIL
      • Unit 3: Managing Change to Foster an Enabling Environment for MIL in Schools
    • Module 10: Audience
    • Module 11: Media, Technology and the Global Village
      • Unit 1: Media Ownership in Today’s Global Village
      • Unit 2: Socio-Cultural and Political Dimensions of Globalized Media
      • Unit 3: Commoditization of Information
      • Unit 4: The Rise of Alternative Media
    • Module 12: Freedom of Expression Toolkit
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Home / Modules / Module 11: Media, Technology and the Global Village / Unit 3: Commoditization of Information

Module 11: Media, Technology and the Global Village

Unit 3: Commoditization of Information

DURATION: 2.5 hours

KEY TOPICS

  • Information as a social (public) product and a commodity
    • Advertising as the lifeblood of commercial media
    • Ratings and circulation figures as gauges for media products and services
    • The threat of consumerist culture (audience needs vs. wants and desires);
  • Strategies and approaches in commoditizing information;
  • Intellectual property rights and public-domain information
    • Copyright and other proprietary information rights
    • Public domain information
    • Free and open-source software (and Creative Commons).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this unit, teachers will be able to:

  • Define commoditization of information
  • Recognize the different strategies and approaches in commoditizing information
  • Explain how the media feeds into a consumerist culture, or more specifically, how media messages create needs, wants and desires for commercial ideas, products and services
  • Distinguish between proprietary information rights and public-domain information, and appreciate the use of public-domain information to promote universal access to information and to serve the common good

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES and ACTIVITIES

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

For at least two to three days, review the issues covered in the business section of a major newspaper or news channel. On a daily basis, count the number of stories about private corporations vis-à-vis the total number of stories for the section. Also, stories can be classified as ‘good’ news, ‘bad’ news or ‘neutral’ concerning the corporations.

ISSUE-ENQUIRY APPROACH/RESEARCH

ISSUE-ENQUIRY APPROACH/RESEARCH

Teachers interview at least ten primary-school children and ask them why they prefer a particular brand for a particular product. The trainees collate the answers of the children and compare the top answers with the advertisements of the preferred products.

RESEARCH PAPER ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR)

RESEARCH PAPER ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR)

Teachers explore the various dimensions of intellectual property rights and their implications for universal access to information. The paper may cover the historical background of IPR, advantages and disadvantages of IPR, specific cases of problems arising from IPR, issues of developing countries against IPR, etc.

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

Teachers obtain the latest copy of audited newspaper circulation figures or ratings of national television stations. The trainees then reflect on the editorial content or programming style of the leading circulated newspaper or top-rated television station and write an essay on what they have learned from the exercise.

ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Written papers on results of textual/contextual Analyzes exercises and research
  • Case studies/research paper
  • Participation in class discussions and other group learning activities
TOPICS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION

TOPICS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION

  • The information/knowledge society
  • The digital/knowledge divide
  • Issues on universal access to information: IPR and public domain information
  • Unit 1: Media Ownership in Today’s Global Village
  • Unit 2: Socio-Cultural and Political Dimensions of Globalized Media
  • Unit 3: Commoditization of Information
  • Unit 4: The Rise of Alternative Media

Modules

  • Module 1 : Citizenship, Freedom of Expression and Information, Access to Information, Democratic Discourse and Life-long Learning
  • Module 2: Understanding the News, Media, and Information Ethics
  • Module 3: Representation in Media and Information
  • Module 4: Languages in Media and Information
  • Module 5: Advertising
  • Module 6: New and Traditional Media
  • Module 7: Internet Opportunities and Challenges
  • Module 8: Information Literacy and Library Skills
  • Module 10: Audience
  • Module 11: Media, Technology and the Global Village
  • Module 12: Freedom of Expression Toolkit

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