This module introduces media and information literacy (MIL) as an important prerequisite for harnessing information and communication technologies and participating fully in public, economic, and social life. It discusses how MIL helps citizens engage critically with media and information providers to understand their role in democracy and governance. The module aims to help teachers understand key concepts of MIL and develop skills to integrate MIL into primary and secondary curricula, focusing on critical thinking, self-expression, and participation. It explores questions around the functions of media and information and why MIL is important for informed citizenship, lifelong learning, and more.

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Home / Modules / Module 1 : Citizenship, Freedom of Expression and Information, Access to Information, Democratic Discourse and Life-long Learning
Module 1 : Citizenship, Freedom of Expression and
Information, Access to Information, Democratic Discourse
and Life-long Learning
If it were possible to define generally the mission of education, it could be said that its
fundamental purpose is to ensure that students benefit from learning in ways that allow them
to participate fully in public, community and economic life.”
— New London Group
Background and Rationale
The rapid growth of media and information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the attendant convergence of
communication and information make it imperative that media and information literacy (MIL) be seen as vital to the empowerment
of people. MIL has become an important prerequisite for harnessing ICTs for education and fostering equitable access to
information and knowledge. The societies in which we live today are driven by information and knowledge. We cannot escape the
English
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ubiquity of media and all forms of information and communication technologies and the role that they play in our personal,
economic, political and social lives. Clearly, then, new forms of competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) are required for
people to effectively participate and succeed throughout all stages of life in the information and knowledge societies. This has led
to media and information literacy becoming increasingly important to teaching and learning.
According to the most recent statistics of the ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, 2009, 1.3 billion (3/4) of the
world’s 1.7 billion households, representing 4.9 billion people, have a television; 0.6 billion (1/3) of all households, representing 1.9
billion people, have access to a computer, and 4.6 billion mobile phone subscriptions were projected by the end of 2009. Added to
this there are over 2.5 billion radio receivers. The World Association of Newspapers reports paid-newspaper readership worldwide
to be in excess of 1.4 billion in 2007. The UNESCO Institute of Statistics estimates that close to 1 million new books are published
annually in the world.
When taken together, the number of television and radio stations, newspapers, cell phones, access to and use of the Internet,
books, libraries, billboards, and video games determine much of what we learn about ourselves, our country, our cultures and the
world around us.
Media and other information providers are central to democracy and good governance, both as a platform for democratic
discourse and as providers of information and knowledge. If the media are to support democracy, citizens need to understand how
to use them critically, knowing how to interpret the information that they receive, including the use of metaphors, irony, and the way
that stories and events are framed to suggest certain meanings. As citizens, people need specific competencies (knowledge, skills
and attitudes) to engage with the media, and ultimately with their political processes and governance, and to effectively use
resources provided by media, libraries, archives and other information providers. Media and information literacy offers a necessary
set of competencies for the 21st century.
In many aspects, traditional literacy has been redefined. It is no longer sufficient for people to only learn reading, writing and
arithmetic. While the importance of these fundamental numeracy and literacy skills cannot be underestimated, the inclusion of
media and information literacy in the curriculum means that young people must also understand the functions of media and other
information providers and seek, evaluate, use and create information to achieve their personal, social, occupational and
educational goals. They must also possess basic skills for critical thinking, to analyze and use them for self-expression, for
becoming independent learners, producers, informed citizens, professionals, and for participating in the governance and
democratic processes of their societies (cf. Report of National Forum on Information Literacy, 2005).

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Unit 1: Understanding
Unit 1: Understanding
Media and Information
Media and Information
Unit 2: MIL and Civic
Unit 2: MIL and Civic
Participation
Participation
Unit 3: Interactive with
Unit 3: Interactive with
Media and Other
Media and Other
Unit 4: MIL, Teaching and
Unit 4: MIL, Teaching and
Learning
Learning
This module is built on three pillars: critical thinking, self-expression and participation. It will consider MIL as relevant to and
overlapping with a variety of disciplines/fields, and will explore such questions as:
What is information? What are media? Why teach about them? Why are they important?
What is media literacy?
What is information literacy?
Why media and information literacy?
The module will present MIL as a teaching and learning process rather than solely as a discipline. Therefore, it will broadly
introduce teachers to key issues and concepts of the field which will be dealt with in more detail in other modules, offering them
the opportunity to develop an understanding of the difference between ‘teaching about’ and ‘teaching through’ the media and
information literacy. The aim is for teachers themselves to become media and information literate, and to develop the
competencies and skill necessary for integrating MIL into the primary and secondary school curricula.
Resources for this Module
Civic Education for Media Professionals: A Training Manual
Understanding Informational Literacy: A Primer
Big6
Media Development Indicators: A framework for assessing media development
Committee of Concerned Journalists
Journalism.org
Media Education: A Kit for Teachers, Students, Parents and Professionals
Towards Information Literacy Indicators: Conceptual Framework Paper
RESOURCES FOR THIS MODULE
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Literacy – An Orientation
Literacy – An Orientation Information Providers such
Information Providers such
as Libraries, Archives and
as Libraries, Archives and
the Internet
the Internet
MODULES
MODULES

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