Elizabeth Daley
EDUCAUSE review. March/April 2003. pp 33 - 40.
What is your definition of “literacy”? I, like a majority of people would say, the ability to read and write, for that is the definition I grew up with. But what about media literacy? Is that different from “literacy”?
Elizabeth Daley’s article, Expanding the Concept of Literacy, suggests four arguments for an expanded definition of literacy:
1 – The multimedia language of the screen has become the current vernacular.
2 – The multimedia language of the screen is capable of constructing complex meanings independent of text.
3 – The multimedia language of the screen enables modes of thought, ways of communicating and conducting research, and methods of publication and teaching that are essentially different from those of text.
4 – Lastly, following from the previous three arguments, those who are truly literate in the twenty-first century will be those who learn to both read and write the multimedia language of the screen.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0322.pdf
I want to concentrate mostly on argument #4, but also want to highlight a few phrases from the first three; phrases I feel are the highlights of each section.
#1 - “Metaphors from the screen have become common in every aspect of daily conversations. Close-up is synonymous for “in-depth” and “penetrating.” We speak of flashing back to our earlier lives. We frame events to put them in context. We cut to the chase when we are in a hurry.”
#2 - “The author, a respected art historian, asserted that it was time for the academy to give up a deeply ingrained suspicion of images and realize that the visual could indeed contain intellectual content…”
“Like text, multimedia can enable us to develop concepts and abstractions, comparison and metaphors, while at the same time engaging our emotional and aesthetics sensibilities.”
“Think also for a moment of historic cinematic moments: the first moon landing; the planes slamming into the World Trade Center. What would it be like to try to fully share these and other momentous events without access to the language and power of the screen?”
#3 - “Accepting the language of multimedia as co-equal with text will require a major paradigm shift that challenges the domination of science and rationality, abstraction and theory.”
“Interactivity as a core factor in multimedia is in some ways closely related to performance and can enable the viewer/reader/user to participate directly in the construction of meaning.”
#4 – “Even with this history and ample evidence of the skill required to construct media, the attitude widely help by both faculty and administration is that complex media texts do not deserve classroom or research time, especially if such study might take emphasis away from traditional activities such as essays and research papers.”
“No doubt, young people today have less fear of the computer and more technical ability with software for rich media; multimedia is needed in their everyday language. However, they have no more critical ability with this language as do their elders – perhaps less. They need to be taught to write for the screen and analyze multimedia just as much as, if not more than, they need to be taught to write and analyze any specific genre in text”
My question to you:
Do you think a “beginners” multimedia class should be included in the freshman or sophomore required classes, no matter what the major might be? When you were an undergrad, did you wish you had known more about the multimedia world? Did you need it as an undergrad?
Would you have taken a multimedia crash course the summer before you started your Master’s program if it had been offered? If it was online? What if it was required?
Personally I would have loved a crash course in the basic multimedia software I have used during my two years in this program – both AHRD and Ed Tech. It is very frustrating for me to stumble my way through assignments and yet not have the real time to sit down and discover the functions on my own. When school is out, that is when I have my free time. And you can be assured I will be playing with all of the software I can to gain the confidence I need going into my last year of the Ed Tech program!
What is your definition of “literacy”? I, like a majority of people would say, the ability to read and write, for that is the definition I grew up with. But what about media literacy? Is that different from “literacy”?
Elizabeth Daley’s article, Expanding the Concept of Literacy, suggests four arguments for an expanded definition of literacy:
1 – The multimedia language of the screen has become the current vernacular.
2 – The multimedia language of the screen is capable of constructing complex meanings independent of text.
3 – The multimedia language of the screen enables modes of thought, ways of communicating and conducting research, and methods of publication and teaching that are essentially different from those of text.
4 – Lastly, following from the previous three arguments, those who are truly literate in the twenty-first century will be those who learn to both read and write the multimedia language of the screen.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0322.pdf
I want to concentrate mostly on argument #4, but also want to highlight a few phrases from the first three; phrases I feel are the highlights of each section.
#1 - “Metaphors from the screen have become common in every aspect of daily conversations. Close-up is synonymous for “in-depth” and “penetrating.” We speak of flashing back to our earlier lives. We frame events to put them in context. We cut to the chase when we are in a hurry.”
#2 - “The author, a respected art historian, asserted that it was time for the academy to give up a deeply ingrained suspicion of images and realize that the visual could indeed contain intellectual content…”
“Like text, multimedia can enable us to develop concepts and abstractions, comparison and metaphors, while at the same time engaging our emotional and aesthetics sensibilities.”
“Think also for a moment of historic cinematic moments: the first moon landing; the planes slamming into the World Trade Center. What would it be like to try to fully share these and other momentous events without access to the language and power of the screen?”
#3 - “Accepting the language of multimedia as co-equal with text will require a major paradigm shift that challenges the domination of science and rationality, abstraction and theory.”
“Interactivity as a core factor in multimedia is in some ways closely related to performance and can enable the viewer/reader/user to participate directly in the construction of meaning.”
#4 – “Even with this history and ample evidence of the skill required to construct media, the attitude widely help by both faculty and administration is that complex media texts do not deserve classroom or research time, especially if such study might take emphasis away from traditional activities such as essays and research papers.”
“No doubt, young people today have less fear of the computer and more technical ability with software for rich media; multimedia is needed in their everyday language. However, they have no more critical ability with this language as do their elders – perhaps less. They need to be taught to write for the screen and analyze multimedia just as much as, if not more than, they need to be taught to write and analyze any specific genre in text”
My question to you:
Do you think a “beginners” multimedia class should be included in the freshman or sophomore required classes, no matter what the major might be? When you were an undergrad, did you wish you had known more about the multimedia world? Did you need it as an undergrad?
Would you have taken a multimedia crash course the summer before you started your Master’s program if it had been offered? If it was online? What if it was required?
Personally I would have loved a crash course in the basic multimedia software I have used during my two years in this program – both AHRD and Ed Tech. It is very frustrating for me to stumble my way through assignments and yet not have the real time to sit down and discover the functions on my own. When school is out, that is when I have my free time. And you can be assured I will be playing with all of the software I can to gain the confidence I need going into my last year of the Ed Tech program!
Given the essence of technology today, I agree that they need to incorporate more technology and multimedia literacy into the Core curriculum of the undergraduate program. I do not think it matters what the major will be due to the fact that technology and multimedia has become a substantial part of our lifestyles much like driving a car.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would have liked more learning opportunities for technology and use of multimedia in my undergraduate program. The pace of technology makes it difficult to keep up with the latest and greatest. How would a University be able to keep their curriculum in line with the fast pace of changing technology and use of multimedia? Maybe it isn’t a feasible.
For my personal undergraduate curriculum, I couldn't see working a multimedia course into the mix. As an engineer, the only language we needed to know was calculus. For me personally, making the jump to rhetoric, particularly visual rhetoric has been wonderfully fulfilling, but I know that not everyone appreciates or has the need for the same skills. I think that the importance of multimedia technology (somewhat under-appreciated now) needs to be recognized first, lest it become one of those classes where the student battle-whine is "I'm never going to use this in real life!"
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic for me as personal computers didn't exist during my undergraduate career. A prep course before entering the Master's program would have been beneficial. As a side note, I think a week long package of prep courses would help, directionally, for most students but that is another discussion. Multimedia also was limited to black and white movies and TV and an occasional color picture in a magazine. Now we have come to expect rich graphics in every aspect of our intellectual, social and educational lives. A study by Allen (2008) finds those individuals over the age of 55 dream primarily in black and white. Watching television during their formative years in b/w is the primary reason given for this phenomenon. It has been documented in this same research that those born before this period dreamed in color which give additional credence to the b/w TV theory. Those age 25 and younger dream almost exclusively in color. While this is interesting it also points to an expectation that we have great multimedia technology to encompass our lives. It enriches almost every experience.
ReplyDeleteHowever, another point of view is that we need to continue to emphasize the importance not only of the multimedia being presented but also the critical acumen to understand what we are seeing in order to gain deep understanding no matter how it is presented. I've wondered why we can watch "It's a Wonderful Life", not colorized, and get the same great feeling as watching it in color. The Andy Griffith Show provides hometown warmth in black and white.
Having just watched Avatar in 3-D I wondered how less I might have understood the underlying themes if it were not in 3-D. Either way, it certainly was a great visual experience.
I think the question you are asking has a lot to do with the age of the learner. I went into my undergraduate career in 2004 and do not think a crash course in computers or multimedia would have really been beneficial. I grew up having my own computer and used them a great deal in high school. Many high school projects required making posters, videos, brochuers, etc on the computer so I have plenty of experience.
ReplyDeleteTechnology was worked into both my BA ans BS degrees at JMU. I think the education department tried very hard to make sure we were given projects which gave us more insight into the technology around us. I do think that they could have taken it a little bit farther but I was able to gain a great deal from what I was given.
Also going along with what Jackie said, technology is always changing therefore the curriculum would have to change as well. But, incoming young students would most likely have these new experiences.
Now days, technology has become an important aspect of our lives and we start using it early in our careers. Many teachers assumed that because we are young we know everything about technology and expect great end results without them giving any instruction. I think a “beginners” multimedia class would be good to have early in undergrad. Having a multimedia class will prepare the students to do and use multimedia better within their classes. In addition, all teachers will have the same expectations from the students and disappointment could be avoided. If everyone is taught how to better use multimedia I think that even learning could be increased.
ReplyDeleteDo you think a “beginners” multimedia class should be included in the freshman or sophomore required classes, no matter what the major might be?
ReplyDeleteNot freshman or sophmore. For example, most students dont know where they want to concentrate 100%. The nursing major/profession for example would not benefit from this kind of course. My roommate is a nurse and has a couple computer skills but it isnt where she focused her time during her college career, it was more hands on, etc Obviously because of her direction.
When you were an undergrad, did you wish you had known more about the multimedia world?
Now I do, but I didnt at the time. Maybe my last year or so I wanted to start learning those skills because I was an HRD minor.
Did you need it as an undergrad?
You need some sort of technological training. Even if its just Microsoft products. It is amazing how many people dont know how to use excel, etc. The basics that most companies require.
Would you have taken a multimedia crash course the summer before you started your Master’s program if it had been offered?
If it was online? What if it was required?
Hmm... interesting question. I think if I would have realized the degree to which we would use it. Moreso, I think classes on specific softwares should be offered. Photoshop, Illustrator, Captivate, Flash, etc. We are too busy to learn all of them in one technology class given the other work we do.
Reading these comments and the original post has given me a lot to think about regarding my response. When we talk about a general education program in an undergraduate institution, we are usually referring to giving a student a "rounded" educational experience with a little bit of everything before letting them focus on in-major classes. A multimedia course should be a welcome addition to any general education program because it would provide the learner the opportunity to understand how technology plays into everything we do. I also believe that the general education program serves to expose students to different types of classes and potentially peak interest for students. For me personally it would have been great to know my interest in this topic as an undergraduate student. Although it wouldn't have changed my course track, I could have been learning more all along before graduate school.
ReplyDeleteI do see the point that many majors wouldn't need a multimedia class a freshman or a sophomore. I think its more important that this class is offered in a cluster with other classes for those interested in learning about the topic regardless of major. If we wait until later in the curriculum, there isn't much room in schedules for extra classes.
Students should most definitely have to take, maybe not a multi-media course, but a visual literacy. Maybe this should be combined into the same course. Having experience with computers and with multi-media does not necessarily correlate to literacy in multi-media. It seems to be that the notion is "I have consumed much media content, therefore I know and understand visual literacy". As members of a global society that are going to continually increase our media consumption, it is important to be able to differentiate media content that is relevant. As media continues to permeate every aspects of our culture media literacy becomes as critical as traditional literacy.
ReplyDelete