Renee Hobbs shares results of 3 research studies exploring how school-based media literacy programs advance critical analysis skills, promote intellectual curiosity and contribute to civic engagement.

1. Media Literacy and
Adolescent Development
Renee Hobbs
Professor of Communication Studies
Harrington School of Communication and Media,
University of Rhode Island USA
Email: hobbs@uri.edu
Twitter: @reneehobbs

2. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Theoretical Framework
Communication & Education. Institutions of education, communication
practices & democratic values are interconnected.
Inquiry Learning. People learn best from experiences that are carefully
supported or scaffolded to meet the needs of the learner.
Critical Pedagogy. Awareness, analysis, and reflection enable people to
take action to make society more just and equitable.
Medium Theory. Media & technology are immersive cultural
environments; media structures re-shape human perception & values.
Active Audience Theory. Audiences are active; meaning-making is
variable; lived experience & social context are key dimensions of
interpretation.

4. expanding the concept of text

5. expanding the concept of literacy
ACCESS
CREATE ACT
ANALYZEE
REFLECT
ACCESS

11. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Question
How does media literacy education affect
dimensions of adolescent development?

12. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Approach
Participatory Action Research uses iterative cycles of
planning, reflection, action and evaluation. Key
characteristics:
• Participants collaborate at every stage
• Intended to result in some action, change or improvement

13. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Overview of Three Studies
Montgomery Blair High School: How does ability grouping
affect the acquisition of media literacy competencies?
PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs: What is the
impact of a high school program in broadcast journalism on
adolescents?
Mark Day School: How can a social media pen-pal
experience between American and Turkish middle-school
students promote global understanding?

14. Communication Arts Program (CAP)

15. Communication Arts Program (CAP)
GRADE 9 - 10
INTERDISCIPLINARY
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS
The projects synthesize information
from various disciplines into
comprehensive presentations that
highlight the events of the era
assigned.
MOVIE REVIEWS
Each quarter the
Students watch a movie in the
auditorium that relates to the
historical period focused on in History
class. They write a movie review and
for homework, watch movies from a
list compiled by the faculty.
The project entails an in depth
argument and analysis for a major
social issue facing humanity.
A comprehensive program
that connects the
humanities to the media,
now in its 24th year

16. Communication Arts Program (CAP)
Crystal Ball
Students research demographic
and voter characteristics and then
predict the Presidential, US Senate,
US House of Representatives, and
gubernatorial races throughout the
United States.
Critical Thinking Essay
The Critical Thinking Essay requires
students to select an issue of
national importance and write a
persuasive essay arguing one side
of that issue, supported by
documented and cited sources. In
10th grade, each student supports
the issue from the side opposite to
the one advocated in the 9th grade
essay
CAP Congress – Foreign Policy
Students research foreign policy
issues concerning seven “hotspots”
from around the world, draft
resolutions, debate the issues, and
prioritize the foreign policy needs
of the US.
CAP Court
Students hold mock trials on court
cases drawn from each of the four
10th grade subjects: English,
Government, Journalism and
Media. Students act as lawyers
trying the case and also role-play
the defendants and witnesses.
GRADE 9 - 10
INTERDISCIPLINARY

17. Selective Admission Programs
Communication Arts Program (CAP)
Science, Mathematics and Computer Science
Magnet Program
Open Admission Programs
Media Literacy
Entrepreneurship
International Studies and Law
Human Service Professions
Science, Math and Technology

18. Research Design
Quasi-experimental study
2 x 2 factorial
Open Selective
Admission Admission
Media
Literacy
No ML
ML ACADEMY CAP
CONTROL CONTROL
Academy Level
Treatment

19. MEASURES
Internet use
Information Motives (U&G)
Civic Engagement
News Analysis
Ad Analysis
Media Knowledge
We asked respondents to identify how much
they use the Internet on an 8-point scale
ranging from never to every day.

20. MEASURES
Internet use
Information Motives (U&G)
Civic Engagement
News Analysis
Ad Analysis
Media Knowledge
To assess students’ motives to seek out
information as a part of daily life, we used an
instrument developed to assess Internet uses
and gratifications by Papacharissi & Rubin
(2000). Using a five-point scale, students were
asked to respond to four statements:
I use the internet:
• to search for information
• to see what is out there
• to keep up with current events and issues
• because it provides me with a new and
interesting way to do research

21. MEASURES
Internet use
Information Motives (U&G)
Civic Engagement
News Analysis
Ad Analysis
Media Knowledge
Students were asked to report if they expect to
engage in the following activities when they
become an adult:
• vote in national elections
• get information about candidates before
voting in an election
• join a political party
• write letters to a newspaper about social or
political concerns
• be a candidate for a local or city office
• volunteer time to help poor or elderly
people in the community
• collect money for a cause
• collect signatures for a petition, and
participate in a peaceful rally or protest.
A 4-point scale was used, scaled as certainly
will not do, probably will not do, probably will
do, and certainly will do.

22. MEASURES
Internet use
Information Motives (U&G)
Civic Engagement
News Analysis
Ad Analysis
Media Knowledge
In the news analysis task, students were given
a short Time magazine piece (Van Biema,
2007) and asked to read it, responding to
open-ended questions including:
• summarize the main point of the article
• identify the target audience & explain what
specific information from the reading
supports your answer
• identify the message purpose
• identify what techniques were used to
attract and hold attention
• list some different points of view presented
• identify omitted information
Scores were summed to form an additive index
which ranged from 14 to 0.

23. MEASURES
Internet use
Information Motives (U&G)
Civic Engagement
News Analysis
Ad Analysis
Media Knowledge
In the ad analysis task, students were given a print
ad and asked to respond to open-ended questions
including:
• identify the target audience & explain what
specific information from the reading supports
your answer
• identify the message purpose
• Identify the ad’s implied message or subtext
• identify what techniques were used to attract
and hold attention
• list some different points of view presented
• identify omitted information
Scores were summed to form an additive index
which ranged from 14 to 0.

24. MEASURES
Internet use
Information Motives (U&G)
Civic Engagement
News Analysis
Ad Analysis
Media Knowledge
We asked students to complete short tests
relating to different facets of the media
industry, including information about history,
economics, institutions, audiences and
effects.
MULTIPLE CHOICE (6 items):
• identify the main purpose of photos in a
newspaper
• recognize the most common kind of economic
control over mass media
• name the system of financing used to pay for
commercial radio.
TRUE FALSE (11 items)
• The number of companies that own mass media
outlets is growing
• Newspapers make most of their money through
the price paid by the consumers who buy them

25. Students in the Selective Admission media literacy program
have stronger media knowledge and news and advertising
analysis skills than students in other programs.
Table 1 Comparing means
Open Admission Program Selective Admission Program
Other program ML program Other program ML program
Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Mean (SD)
Media knowledge .53 (.17) .62 (.22) .71 (.17) .75 (.13)
News analysis 4.80 (3.09) 4.27 (3.32) 7.60 (3.16) 8.86 (2.58)
Ad analysis 8.20 (3.45) 8.38 (4.02) 9.31 (3.18) 11.10 (3.16)
n = 191 n = 55 n = 87 n = 59
Students in the Open Admission media literacy program
have weaker news and advertising analysis skills than
students in other programs.

26. Students who participate in media literacy programs are
more likely to be civically engaged than students enrolled in
other programs.
Predictors of Civic Engagement

27. News analysis skills, media knowledge & information motive
predict civic engagement. Amount of Internet use and
advertising analysis skills are not associated with civic
engagement.
Predictors of Civic Engagement

28. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Finding #1
How does media literacy education affect dimensions of
adolescent development?
 Media analysis and production activities are associated
with media knowledge, critical analysis of print media,
and information seeking motives, all of which contribute
to civic engagement

29. www.studentreportinglabs.com

31. PILOT STUDY
N = 85 HS students
61% African American
33% Caucasian
3% Hispanic/Latino
MAIN STUDY
N = 544 HS students
36% Hispanic
30% Caucasian
13% African American
RESEARCH DESIGN
Pre-Post Online Survey
Teacher Interviews
Analysis of Student Work
Samples

32. PRODUCTION SKILLS
Communication skills
Technical skills
MEDIA LITERACY
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
Sign an online
petition
Express an
opinion to news
media
Blog about an
issue
Write an opinion
letter

33. PRODUCTION SKILLS
Non-technical skills
Technical skills
IN-CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES
Gathering &
Synthesizing Info
Using Digital Media
Revision
Gathering and Synthesizing Information
Percentage
Analyzed videos 70%
Created a story board 65%
Conducted interviews 68%
Fact-checked information 49%
Pitched a news story 54%
Discussed different points of view about
social and political issues 53%
Using Digital Media to Communicate Ideas
Used a video camera to record visuals 69%
Wrote a script 64%
Performed MEDIA in front LITERACY
of the camera 65%
Worked behind the scenes/different roles 64%
Logged footage 43%
Edited visuals and sounds 68%
Used images/sounds to tell a story 54%
Posted videos online 38%
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
Sign an online
petition
Express an
opinion to news
media
Blog about an
issue
Write an opinion
letter
Engaging in Cycles of Revision & Feedback
Edited reports in response to feedback 38%

34. PRODUCTION SK]ILLS
MEDIA LITERACY
Communication skills
Technical skills]
ANALYSIS
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
Sig an online
petition
Express an
opinion to news
media
Blog about an
issue
Write an opinion
letter

35. ATTITUDES
Intellectual Curiosity
Giving & Receiving
Feedback
Confidence

36. PRODUCTION SKILLS
Communication skills
Technical skills
ATTITUDES
Intellectual Curiosity
Giving & Receiving
Feedback
Confidence
MEDIA LITERACY
ANALYSIS
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
IN-CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES
Gathering &
Synthesizing Info
Using Digital Media
Revision

37. PRODUCTION SKILLS
Communication skills
Technical skills
ATTITUDES
Intellectual Curiosity
Giving & Receiving
Feedback
Confidence
MEDIA LITERACY
ANALYSIS
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
IN-CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES
Gathering &
Synthesizing Info
Using Digital Media
Revision

38. PRODUCTION SKILLS
Communication skills
Technical skills
ATTITUDES
Intellectual Curiosity
Giving & Receiving
Feedback
Confidence
MEDIA LITERACY
ANALYSIS
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
Sign an online
petition
Express an
opinion to news
media
Blog about an
issue
Write an opinion
letter
IN-CLASSROOM
ACTIVITIES
Gathering &
Synthesizing Info
Using Digital Media
Revision

39. OTHER VARIABLES
THAT DID NOT AFFECT
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
• Attitudes Towards
School
• Leadership
• Cynicism towards
Media
• Vocational Interest in
Media
• News Media Use

40. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Finding #2
How does media literacy education affect dimensions of
adolescent development?
 Media pre-production activities support media
analysis skills and contribute to intellectual curiosity,
practices of creative collaboration & civic
engagement

41. University-school partnership program
Six-week pilot project designed to explore media
literacy pedagogy in the context of global
communication
Subjects: Middle-school children ages 11 – 13 and
their teachers
• SAINT MARK’S SCHOOL – San Rafael CA USA
• Gokkusagi MIDDLE SCHOOL, Canakkale, Turkey
Method
Interviews with teachers
Analysis of student work samples
Classroom observation

44. 1. Getting to Know You
2. Learning about Two Countries
3. Analyzing TV Shows that Feature High School
4. Discussing Current Events

47. American students have
only basic information
about Turkish history,
daily life and culture

48. Information sharing about
Turkey includes student-curated
images and links

49. American students lack
knowledge of Turkish
history, life and culture

50. As a result of popular
culture, Turkish students
have significant
information about
American culture

52. Students recognize how
values are
(mis) represented in
entertainment television

54. Feelings of social and
emotional connectedness

55. ANALYSIS OF POPULAR CULTURE IN SCHOOL. Students can identify
cultural values in the representation of school in popular television
programs. They can identify misrepresentations only from home country
programming.
DISCUSSING CURRENT EVENTS IN SCHOOL. Turkish students are not
comfortable talking about the current political situation in their country.
MEDIA LITERACY SUPPORTS CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE. For adolescents, the
asymmetrical knowledge gap between Turkish and U.S. students can be
mitigated through media literacy activities involving online interpersonal
communication. American students gain new awareness
of the power imbalance in their own lack of access to global popular
culture.

56. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Finding #3
How does media literacy education affect dimensions of
adolescent development?
 Social media activities that involve global dialogue & critical
analysis of entertainment media promotes an awareness of
inequalities in information flows

57. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Overview of Findings
How does media literacy education affect dimensions of
adolescent development?
 Media analysis and production activities are associated with media
knowledge, critical analysis of print media, and information seeking
motives, all of which contribute to civic engagement
 Media pre-production activities support media analysis skills and
contribute to intellectual curiosity, practices of creative
collaboration & civic engagement
 Social media activities that involve global dialogue & critical
analysis of entertainment media promotes an awareness of
inequalities in information flows

58. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Future Questions
How could news and current events best be used in the classroom to
promote intellectual curiosity, critical analysis & civic engagement?
How could critical analysis of entertainment media be incorporated
into work with younger adolescents?
How do teacher motivations for the use of digital media & technology
shape their instructional practices?
What are best practices in teacher professional development in
implementing media literacy programs?

59. Martens, H. & Hobbs, R. (in press). How media literacy supports civic engagement in a digital age. Atlantic
Journal of Communication.
Hobbs, R. & Tuzel, S. (2014). The Use of Media Literacy Instructional Strategies for Promoting Intercultural
Communication in U.S. & Turkish Middle Schools. Paper presentation to the International Association for
Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS). Providence, RI. August 1, 2014.
Hobbs, R., Donnelly, K., Friesem, J. & Moen, M. (2013). Learning to engage: How positive attitudes about the
news, media literacy and video production contribute to adolescent civic engagement. Educational Media
International 50(4), 231 – 246.
Hobbs, R. (2013).“Kids Who Produce News Become Better Citizens,” Panel presentation, SXSWEdu, Austin, TX,
March 6.
Hobbs, R. & Donnelly, K. Friesem, J. & Moen, M. . (2013, August). Evaluation of PBS NewsHour Student
Reporting Labs. Kingston, RI: Media Education Lab. University of Rhode Island.
Hobbs, R. (2013). “Global Developments in Media Literacy Education,” Media and Digital Literacy Lab
(MDLAB). Keynote address at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. August 18.
Hobbs (2011). “How Digital and Media Literacy Supports Global Understanding,” Arab-US Association of
Communication Educators (AUSACE), Beirut, Lebanon, October 30.
Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Beverly Hills: Corwin/Sage.
Hobbs, R., Clay, D., Clapman, L. & Cheers, I. (2010). PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs. [News reporting
and production curriculum.] PBS News Hour: Washington, D.C.
www.mediaeducationlab.com

60. Media Literacy and Adolescent
Civic Engagement
Renee Hobbs
Professor of Communication Studies
Harrington School of Communication and
Media, University of Rhode Island USA
Email: hobbs@uri.edu
Twitter: @reneehobbs