Media and Information Literacy
Course Description
The 21st century is characterised by a digital age that is driven by information and knowledge. To appropriately fit into or acclimatise to any society, today students require appropriate skills, knowledge and desired attitudes. Media and information literacy refers to the skillset, attitudes and knowledge students need to enable them to effectively engage with media and other information providers that will help them develop critical thinking and lifelong learning skills needed for socialisation in their environment. These will help them succeed in all facets of life in their daily endeavours, be they political, economic, academic, religious or social. These skills will aid them to harness a diverse range of information passing through media channels and determine a choice of action that can enhance their total life experiences. Thus, the essence of MIL is to ensure that students can fully participate in public, community, political and economic life by critically examining information they receive, creatively review and then share the information responsibly as required from a good citizen.
Course Objectives
Media and Information Literacy aims at preparing and equipping students to be able to:
i. Understand media and Information and how it prepares them for life in an information-based society
ii. Understand the concept of disinformation, misinformation, malinformation and fake news
iii. Evaluate media messages and values offered by media to strengthen the cultural values of the society.
iv. Access information effectively and evaluate critically the news reports, other media content and sources of information.
v. Be aware of the Internet opportunities and challenges to guard against being vulnerable to the risks of new media.
vi. Develop critical thinking skills in order to be consumers and producers of media content as well as contribute to the development of media for promoting values and attitudes that will enhance individual and societal media participation.
vii. Use MIL skills (analytical) to identify various media sources, critically analyse and use them for their development.
viii. Become media creators by telling their stories through their productions.
Methodology
This course will follow theoretical and practical orientations. This means that students are expected to engage in weekly assignments based on the themes of the week. This will help them to begin to be active and critical “Prosumers” of the media texts in earnest. The evaluation process of this course would be based on: Continuous Assessment (tests, attendance, quizzes, creativity and examination).
Course Outline
Module 1: Foundations of Media and Information Literacy (Week 1-3)
Week 1: What is Media and Information Literacy? (Introduction)
Week 2: The Media Ecosystem in Africa
Week 3: Understanding Media’s Influence and Purpose
Module 2: Critical Information Evaluation and Verification (Weeks 4-6)
Week 4: The Threat of Misinformation
Week 5: Fact-Checking and Verification Tools
Week 6: Source Credibility and Bias
Module 3: Digital Security, Privacy and Ethics (Week 7-9)
Week 7: Personal and Community Digital Security
Week 8: Privacy and Data Protection
Week 9: Digital Ethics and Responsibility
Module 4: MIL for Social Impact and Peacebuilding (Weeks 10-12)
Week 10: MIL and Intercultural/Interreligious Dialogue
Week 11: Leveraging Technology for Community Development
Week 12: Course Synthesis and Action Plan
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