Learning objectives
The course aims to achieve the following objectives, aligned to the "Dublin descriptors":
1. To know the basic terminology and concepts of media pedagogy and media literacy education, as well as their historical development.
2.1. To critically analyze and elaborate the concepts studied, linking themes, authors and trends.
2.2. To connect the theories to typical cases of media-educational work, analyzed and understood with the conceptual tools of the discipline.
3. To critically analyze mainstream media texts, and the processes/products of media literacy education activities.
4. To communicate in oral and multimedia format their own thoughts on the studied issues.
Prerequisites
The course requires the prior knowledge of terms, concepts and theories of theory of education, social pedagogy, teaching methods and educational design.
Course unit content
The graduate course aims to reconstruct the essential lines of the theoretical profile of media literacy education and show some significant episodes, also from the practices point of view. Coming to the contemporary, Italian and international, experiences and reference theories, we will try to draw a critical balance and propose the guidelines for future developments.
Full programme
The course begins with an overview to the current situation of the so-called "new media"; then, it presents the contemporary theories of media literacy education; analyses some experiences of the past ('50s, '60s and '70s); and it ends with a critical balance and a comparison with the nowadays situation.
Bibliography
- R. HOBBS, Digital and Media Literacy. Connecting Culture and Classroom, Thousand Oaks (California), Corwin Press, 2011.
- D. FELINI, Pedagogia dei media. Questioni, percorsi e sviluppi, Brescia, La Scuola Editrice, 2004.
- D. FELINI (a cura di), Video Game Education, Milano, Unicopli, 2012.
Teaching methods
Oral lesson, group discussion, project work, online collaborative work.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final evaluation will take place through an oral examination, which also considers the term papers carried out by the students.
The questions concern the concepts of media literacy education, the connection between terms, concepts, theories, and trends, and the link between theories and typical media literacy education experiences in different contexts and with different audiences.
The examination which shows, with proper language and terminology, the understanding of the basic concepts is considered sufficient. The appropriate reference to authors and trends, the connection or comparison between theories, and the application of theory to practice (and vice versa) are elements that concur to determine a grade above satisfactory.
Other information
- - -
