Assessing New Media Literacies in Social Work Education: The Development and Validation of a Comprehensive Assessment Instrument

Abstract

The focus of this article is to replicate the validity and reliability of a newly developed assessment tool for self-reported media literacy levels by assessing the new media literacy levels of social work students and educators. The study is grounded in the New Media Literacies (NML) framework and the concept of participatory culture. Findings indicate a significant difference between the levels of new media literacy of students and educators. Students were also found to be more engaged with new media. The study demonstrates the need to incorporate new media literacies into the social work curriculum to increase the digital competencies of both educators and students. Implications for social work education and future research are suggested.