The document Learning and Media Literacy, from Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory, “outlines the importance of understanding the concept of media literacy in theory and how these skills develop and are used in practice”. It goes on to explain a variety of digital sources of information and how the advancements in technology has “had a major impact on learning and teaching across all educational sectors at all levels”. It speaks about the Importance of Media Literacy as well as its development and how it has become an Individual Skill and a Social Practice.
The authors of the encyclopedia article lays out a compelling explanation concerning Becoming Media Literate and speaks about parental behaviors, use of technology, attitudes, and skills that children observe, adopt, and learn to improve upon. In this ever-changing world, technology users are no longer just those in the office, labs, and classrooms. Technology is integrated into our lives at a very early age and is virtually all around us, especially with the explosion of the internet. Dr Peters draws the connection between media literacy and internet safety and the need to understand how to “optimize the benefits” so that learning isn’t just the end of a lesson, but it develops into a “life skill”.
The resource is deemed credible in that it passes the CRAAP Test.
It is current, with the work being completed in 2017 with many references from 1997 through 2015.
It is relevant, as it discusses and expounds upon many of the points we have already begun learning concerning Digital Literacy and is an exhaustive compilation explaining the many facets which affect our learning.
It has authority in that it is a published work by Drs. Judith Ramsay and Melody Terris and was edited for publishing by Dr. Michael Peters who is the editor of the book, Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory. An internet research finds a site which says the following concerning the book, “ …a dynamic reference and study place for students, teachers, researchers and professionals in the field of education, philosophy and social sciences, offering both short and long entries on topics of theoretical and practical interest in educational theory and philosophy by authoritative world scholars…”
It is accurate in the understanding that the work is part of a larger compilation published by a doctor who has many degrees, earned and honorary, from prestigious universities around the world. He has also authored several books including Digital Learning (Skolske Novine & Univ of Applied Sciences 2015) and Critical Learning in Digital Networks (Springer 2015).
The article serves a great purpose and represents exactly many of the points this class is based upon, just at a much lower level. It shows the vastness and the importance of digital learning in such a grand perspective that the possibilities seem endless.
When I searched the web for Digital Literacy, dozens of other possibilities came up. This article was not one of them. I then searched the web for the name of the encyclopedia and author’s name. I found each separate but not this article. I did locate a really good article from the 90’s by Dr. Peters though and could see major differences in his writing because of the differences in technology over the past 20-25yrs. I also located a much later document by Dr. Peters but did not locate the same document found in online in the Credo Reference Infobase, accessed through the Samford portal. (Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.samford.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sprepat/learning_and_media_literacy/0?institutionId=3477)
I did locate other sources and most appeared to be legitimate and upon opening some, it was evident they passed the CRAAP Test. There were other sites which would probably not and the more I searched the easier that was to see, as several seemed to be connected to personal student/teacher sites & blogs, home schooling, training sites, book sales, or other commercial reasons. DigitalLiteracy.gov had several interesting articles within the site, as did mediasmarts.ca.
The article chosen is from the following library source:
Judith Ramsay, School of Social, Psychological and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Calverley Building, City Campus, Leeds, LS1 3HE, UK, j.ramsay@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Melody M. Terras Division of Psychology, School of Media, Culture and Society, University of the West of Scotland, High St, Paisley, PA1 2BE, UK, melody.terras@uws.ac.uk
© Springer Science+ Business Media B.V. 2017 APA Chicago Harvard MLA
Ramsay, J., & Terras, M. M. (2017). Learning and Media literacy. In M. Peters, Springer reference: Encyclopedia of educational philosophy and theory. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer Science+Business Media. R
David Warren 