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 8: Information Literacy and Library Skills

Module 8: Information Literacy and Library Skills

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Teachers will have been exposed to the basics of media and information literacy (MIL) in the introductory unit of Module 1 and subsequent units. The purpose of this module is to show that many other important information skills are vital components of MIL.

This module emphasizes the building blocks that contribute to information literacy. Many courses concentrate on the delivery of knowledge rather than on learning how to learn. However, the increasing emphasis on the value of MIL in education and the wider society highlights the importance of users being skilled learners. This means learning how to recognize their information needs; efficiently and effectively locate/retrieve information; analyze, organize, and evaluate this information; and use, apply, reproduce and communicate that information for specific decision-making and problem-solving ends (UNESCO, 2008).

Teachers have to acquire for themselves and develop in their students a set of competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) for obtaining, understanding, adapting, generating, storing, and presenting information for problem analysis and decision-making. These are competencies applicable to any teaching and learning context, whether in the education environment, general work/professional environment or for personal enrichment. A media- and information-literate teacher is capable of understanding information and media messages from different information sources and is able to evaluate and use that understanding appropriately to solve problems. He or she has also acquired basic library skills and is capable of maximizing the use of documentary resources for learning and information sharing. The media- and information-literate teacher understands and appreciates the functions in society of media and other information providers, such as
libraries, museums, archives, the Internet, and educational and research institutions working in this field.

Information providers offer an important service for people to access and in some cases store their own information. Beyond the media, there are other sources of information that people use, (e.g. health notices, government reports and information communicated orally, both informally and through public debates). These may be carried electronically, (e.g. as election debates on television) or in face-to-face sessions (e.g. town hall meetings). These events may be mediated by ‘the media’ or by people. Essentially, MIL also embraces library skills, study and research skills, and technology skills.

This module focuses on developing understanding and skills in information literacy, library skills and digital literacy for problem-solving and decision-making in educational contexts. It intends to enable teachers to understand the concepts of information, information literacy and digital technology and the relationship between these in order to increase their skills in accessing and using the wide range of information resources available in today’s world. Gaining these skills will provide opportunities for life-long learning through information access, thus ensuring teachers’ continued participation in an active intellectual life.

RESOURCES FOR THIS MODULE

RESOURCES FOR THIS MODULE

  • http://dis.shef.ac.uk/literacy. This site discusses features for information literacy. It also provides links to other websites and information literacy resources
  • UNESCO. 2008. Towards Information Literacy Indicators – conceptual framework paper. Paris, UNESCO
  • http://www.big6.com. This website features a wealth of resources relating to the stages of information literacy
  • Gaunt, J., Morgan, N., Somers, R., Soper, R., and Swain, E. 2007. Handbook for Teaching Information Literacy. Cardiff, Cardiff University
  • Unit 1: Concepts and Applications of Information Literacy
  • Unit 2: Learning Environments and Information Literacy
  • Unit 3: Digital Information Literacy

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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