Media Literacy Levels Research Articles

La educación mediática como estrategia de participación cívica on-line en las escuelas portuguesas

Whilst various studies have examined participation on the Internet as a key element of a new emergent civic engagement, informally or formally through national and local governments’ online measures, less has been done to measure or suggest ways of overcoming social and technological constraints on online civic participation. Additionally, few studies have looked at the relationship between the actual implementation of such initiatives in classrooms and the messages which are conveyed indirectly as a result of teachers’ own conceptions of classroom strategies, which are perhaps better described as a “hidden curriculum”. This paper reports on these constructions through a set of detailed quantitative and qualitative case studies of the implementation of civic engagement through online activity in several regions of Portugal. The data, obtained through questionnaires, were used to produce novel composite scores reflecting the participatory and media literacy strategies of schools, as well as teachers and students’ media literacy and online civic actions. We present empirical results from a study population consisting of 12 public secondary school principals, 131 teachers, and 1,392 students in grades 11 and 12, suggesting that students’ online civic engagement and media literacy levels are affected by their teachers’ classroom practices and further training and by the implementation of a project-based approach to media education.Mientras que numerosos estudios han examinado la participación en internet como elemento clave de una nueva involucración cívica emergente, informal o formal, a través de medidas gubernamentales locales o nacionales on-line, el esfuerzo ha sido menor para medir o sugerir formas de superar las restricciones sociales y tecnológicas de la participación cívica on-line. Pocos estudios se han centrado en la relación entre la implementación de las iniciativas en las aulas y los mensajes expresados indirectamente como resultado de las concepciones personales de los docentes en las estrategias didácticas que probablemente pueden ser descritas como «currículo oculto». Nos basamos en un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de un conjunto de estudios de casos sobre la implementación del compromiso cívico a través de actividades en línea en varias regiones de Portugal. Los datos obtenidos a través de cuestionarios fueron usados para crear un sistema de puntuación capaz de reflejar las estrategias escolares sobre la participación y la alfabetización mediática, así como, la acción cívica on-line de docentes y alumnos. Presentamos los resultados empíricos con una población que comprende 12 directores de escuelas públicas secundarias, 131 docentes y 1.392 alumnos de los cursos 11º y 12º. Los resultados sugieren que los niveles mediáticos de los estudiantes y sus niveles de compromiso cívico on-line están influenciados por las prácticas de sus profesores, su formación y por la implantación de proyectos de alfabetización mediática.

Social Media, Social Competence and Teenagers (Study of Students' Digital Media Literacy Level's in Jakarta)

Objective - This study aims to determine the ability of the digital media literacy of students in Jakarta, in particularly of the usage of social media. Methodology/Technique - The research used the instrument of Social Competence Framework based on European Commission (2009) to determine the level of digital media literacy of students. Findings - The results showed that the media literacy of students in Jakarta including medium level based on their social competence. Novelty - The result can be used as a foundation in creating digital media literacy education programs. Type of Paper - Conceptual Keywords: Digital media literacy, Social Competence, teenagers, Social media

Determining the Students’ Media Regime in Ministry of Education

Since the media plays an important role in forming and changing the attitude, thought and behavior of the audience, teaching and recognizing the methods and performances of the media gain importance. The aim of the present study is to determine the students’ media regime in Tehran’s Ministry of Education, district 12. This research is applicable in terms of aim, descriptive-survey in terms of methodology, quantitative in terms of the relationship between the variables and cross sectional in terms of time. The statistical population of this study includes all the students of high schools (first three-year and second three-year grades) in Tehran’s Ministry of Education, district 12, who were selected by means of Cochran’s sample size formula and simple random sampling (370 individuals). The main tools of this research are library studies and questionnaire, which include the components of the study. The advisor has confirmed the face validity and content validity of the questionnaire and its reliability was determined by means of Cronbach’s Alpha (0.84). The data has been analyzed through descriptive and referential statistics and SPSS software (version 22). According to the results, students use the media with different goals, in other words, they use it according to their needs. The students selected ―entertainment‖ as the most important reason of using the media. The results also indicated that students have more tendencies to use the media (television, the Internet, satellite, social networks, playing computer games etc.) than before. On the other hand, students are less eager than before to read newspapers and magazines and do their homework. Students’ media literacy level is not sufficient and they spend time using the media. They also have different styles of using the media and search for some goals. In other words, students use the media for different reasons.

La alfabetización audiovisual entre adolescentes vascos: implicaciones para las prácticas educativas y propuesta de intervención

En este trabajo se presentan algunos resultados de una investigación desarrollada por profesores de la Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea–Universidad del País Vasco (EHU–UPV) durante el periodo 2003–2005. Los objetivos han sido: averiguar el nivel de equipamiento tecnológico de los adolescentes vascos; conocer el consumo que realizan de las diferentes tecnologías de la información y la comunicación; escrutar sus hábitos culturales e investigar, en definitiva, su grado de alfabetización audiovisual.

Media competence in adult citizens in Andalusia, Spain

Videogames, televisions, and computers in all their forms, and smartphones, are everywhere to the extent that the time spent in front of a screen by all sectors of society now takes up most of the leisure time of the citizens of all four corners of the world. Yet in the face of this barrage of media, citizens have developed few formative experiences for acquiring these audiovisual and media languages or for increasing their audiovisual and media skills. The main aim of this study is to assess media competence in the Spanish region of Andalusia with the use of an instrument specially designed for the purpose. The measurement criteria and indicators of this tool are shaped by media literacy paradigms and leading international reference models, in particular the model proposed by Hobbs. The instrument consists of indicators which, according to their features, are measured via subjective or objective questions and multiple choice (ordinal or nominal) options. Measurement is standardized by the interpretation of the responses to the items on a scale of 1– 4. The construct is validated by means of factorial analysis to confirm the presence of the five factors (criteria) that form the instrument. The sample consists of 667 adult citizens aged 18–55, resident in Andalusia. The results corroborate the influence of demographic factors on media literacy levels and help identify clusters of citizens that can facilitate the design of targeted literacy projects. The results show that media competence is a construct articulated by dimensions of a varied nature that correlate in many different ways to distinctive social groups within this study.

Adolescent health literacy and the Internet: challenges and opportunities.

Adolescents have increasingly turned to the Internet as a resource for insight into their health questions and concerns. However, the extent to which adolescents will benefit from using the Internet as a source for health information will be determined in great part by their level of media literacy and health literacy. The purpose of this review is to explore challenges that adolescents face when using the Internet to access health information and opportunities for intervention. Adolescents must be able to access, understand, analyze, and evaluate health information on the Internet and then apply this information to make appropriate health decisions. Challenges faced by adolescents fall into the realm of functional literacy (e.g., not being able to spell a medical term needed in a search), critical literacy (e.g., not being able to differentiate accurate from inaccurate online health information), and, lastly, interactive literacy (e.g., translating online health information to appropriate health behaviors). More research is needed in this field to better understand the challenges and to propose effective solutions. However, a multifaceted approach that engages policymakers, educators, healthcare providers, online health information providers, and parents may be positioned to make the largest impact.

La competencia mediática de las perso-nas mayores andaluzas: retos para una inclusión social plena

Older people in current society represent a high percent age that tends to be higher over the years. In addition, these seniors are becoming more active within this society taking part of even the developments resulting from the use of digital technologies. This paper analyzes the level of media literacy of people over 55 years in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

A longitudinal study on the uses of mobile tablet devices and changes in digital media literacy of young adults

This study examined whether gaining access to a new digital device enhanced the digital media literacy of young adults and what factors determine such change. Thirty-five young adults were given a mobile tablet device and observed for one year. Participants engaged in an online community, responding regularly to online surveys and discussion forums. Digital media literacy, using multidimensional scales, was measured at the beginning and end of the study. Usage was measured every month to track changes over time. When measured with multiple dimensional scales, the participants’ digital media literacy levels increased over time. Those who used the tablet device for information access and social activities increased their digital media literacy in some dimensions. However, an increase in digital media literacy was not directly related to the time spent on the tablet.

Laisvalaikio medijų naudojimo ypatumai skirtingose Lietuvos auditorijos gyvenimo stilių grupėse

Straipsnio tikslas – atskleisti skirtingų Lietuvos auditorijos gyvenimo stilių grupių naudojamų medijų ypatumus. Atlikto kokybinio tyrimo duomenų analizė parodė, jog medijų naudotojai savo repertuarus suformuoja iš visų jiems prieinamų pasirinkimų, atsirinkdami tik kai kuriuos iš jų ir suformuodami savo individualius medijų repertuarus, tačiau įvairios auditorijos grupės savo daugialypės medijų terpės pasirinkimus projektuoja skirtingai.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: auditorijos, naudojimasis medijomis, selektyvumas, medijų repertuaras, gyvenimo stilius.Characteristics of leisure media usage in different lifestyle groups of the Lithuanian audience Daiva Siudikienė SummaryProcesses of the media digitization and convergence generate new practices of media usage and new patterns of audience activity and selectivity. Media audiences perform their choices of media when, where, and what to use in the multimedia environment, which is characterized by a completely differrent nature and logic of operation than the traditional media. The article has been prepared on the basis of a qualitative research. The aim of this article is to reveal the characteristics of leisure media usage in different lifestyle groups of the Lithuanian audience. The applied approach of the media repertoire is suitable for investigating the specifics of media usage in the multimedia environment. Analysis of the data has revealed that media users combine their own individual repertoires selecting only some of the available choices. The findings show that, despite the growth of media and content resources in the living environment of the individuals, respondents regularly use only part of them, selecting and combining those best suited to the rhythm of their lives, daily habits, and needs. Various lifestyle groups have differently designed their media repertoires in the multimedia environment. Schemes of the use of the media are closely related to the rhythm of an individual’s everyday life, when in each phase of the day users select different media related to the functions they perform, and different media used to satisfy different needs. Each medium performs a particular function in an individual’s life, depending on his needs, lifestyle, mobility, the media that are used by his peers and friends, employment, and the necessity of continuing professional activity after working hours. The number of combined media is determined by the level of media literacy (ability to use digital and mobile technologies and an understanding of their facilities), the variety of needs and aims (a greater number of needs and aims has an influence on a longer time span of using the media), predominant habits of the use of media (respondents explained media selections, for example, reading paper magazines, by habitude), recommendations from influence groups. Selections of media content encompass both rational and irrational reasons; nevertheless, making decisions on the selectable content is based on the corresponding strategy of personal behaviour, which takes the identification of topics as an important aspect. Among all available alternatives, media users look for attributes of the dominant topics they are familiar with and which are related to their interests, recommendations, pre-existing experience or the established criteria of merit and expedience. Individuals of a higher social status describe rational criteria for their selection, most frequently relating them to professional aims. Individuals of a lower social position state that they have no criteria; nevertheless, in the process of investigation they used such expressions as “I mostly like”, “most frequently I choose”, etc. This enables one to claim that alternatives of selection are filtered according to dominant topics. The research data show that the use of the media is not a planned activity; it is a daily activity which is rather habitual than spontaneous. bsp;

Determining the Relationship between Media Literacy and Social Skills

In this study, determining the relationship between media literacy and social skill levels of the eighth grade primary school students, considering various variables, is aimed. With this design, the questions of whether the relationship between media literacy and social skill levels of the eighth grade primary school students differs significantly according to gender, having access to internet; as well as whether there is a relationship between media literacy and social skill levels are tried to be answered. This study is based on correlative survey model among general survey models. The study group consists of 947 eighth grade primary school students who study at the schools selected randomly from five different educational areas in the city center of Elazığ. Economical conditions and family profiles were considered in selection of those schools. In the study, two different assessment scales have been used to receive students’ opinions. One of them is the “Level Determination Scale for Media Literacy” which was developed by Karaman ve Karataş (2009) and the other one is the “Social Skill Inventory”, as translated into Turkish by Galip Yüksel in 2004, which was developed by Riggio in 1989. The study has showed that there is not a significant relationship between media literacy level and social skill level. Considering the relationship according to the sub-factors, it is observed that there is a relationship between some sub-factors; however this relationship is very weak. It is observed that gender of the students does not form a significant difference for media literacy but it does for social skill level. Furthermore, female students’ social skill levels are found to be higher. It is observed that the school which the students attend affects neither media literacy nor social skill levels.

Beyond the Couch Potato: Reconceptualizing Media Literacy

This paper is a description of the first step in a research project aiming at the development of an instrument to measure media literacy. Media literacy is concerned with the extent to which people are critical media users. Although media literacy has been a popular research topic for several decades, no attempt has yet been made to develop an instrument with which one can measure the level of media literacy of the general population. In light of the increasing importance of the media in our daily lives, finding out the extent to which people appraise the media in a critical manner is worthwhile. This paper describes the first step towards the creation of such an instrument; the reconceptualization of media literacy.