The model of Medialiteracy
At the top you see a model with 4 core value’s. The core values are understanding, use, communication and strategy. In the model you see the 4 core values are splitted in 2 or 3 values. Down below you’ll find the information of these values. But first I explain what the arrows mean in the model;
- The arrows of Understanding’ are passive. You have to understand how the media works. The media doesn’t change to the way you work.
- The arrows of Use are active. This is the way you have to deal with the media. It’s you that have to use the media and not the other way around.
- The arrows of Communication are interactive, because you share and receive media from others.
- The arrows of Strategy are effective. All different types of media needs their own strategy to use.
The boxes have their own levels. When you’re a child you have a different level in the box when you compare it with an adult. The most of the adults got a computer, phone, television, etc.. Not every child got an own computer or phone.
Understanding 1: Media, old and new, play an ever more important role in our lives. We are connected with computers, tablets, smartphones, television, radio, newspapers, game consoles and mp3-players almost round the clock.
Understanding 2: Much media content comes to us fully formed. Newspapers, movies and commercials are ‘finished’ when you get to see them. The final form involves technical, economic and strategic decisions. Being media-literate means understanding how the media you consume take shape.
Understanding 3: The media always present reality from a particular perspective. This perspective often stands out, like in product commercials or a documentary exposing injustice.
Use 1: Active participation in the media society starts with the technical skills to use media. They range from simple tasks like using a mouse or opening attachments to more difficult skills like setting up Internet on your mobile phone or making a Prezi to highly complex skills like video editing or building websites.
Use 2: Media are ever more pervasive in our lives. What used to be a beach is now a place where you check in for your flight, upload pictures and get out when your rainfall radar warns you. We also spend more and more time in environments that are entirely online or virtual, like Facebook and Second Life.
Communication 1: We are deluged by information in our present-day information society. Public and commercial media channels broadcast 24/7. Three million newspapers are printed every day. Uncountable books are loaned from libraries every year.
Communication 2: The present media society is a 2.0 society. Citizens have evolved from consumers to prosumers. We don’t just watch TV passively, but react to what we see on Twitter. We don’t just go to the movies, but also put our own videos on YouTube. We learn about the world not from books and encyclopaedias, but also write about it in blogs and contribute to Wikipedia.
Communication 3: The present media society is a network society. We are in contact with another 24/7 through email, smartphones, online games and social media. And we join in online communities through networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, World of Warcraft and Second Life.
Strategy 1: Understanding, Use and Communication are ultimately just conditional for the last competence group: Strategy. As the word suggests, basically ‘media’ are always a means to realise personal, social, professional or societal goals.
Strategy 2: In the present media society it is virtually impossible to achieve personal, social, professional or societal goals without using media in some way.