"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge."

– John Naisbit

Media Literacy

• The ability to access, analyze, interpret, and communicate media in a variety of forms.

• Is about inquiry: asking questions about the news and entertainment media, their makers and their messages.

• The ability to critically consume and create media.

Media Literacy in Science?

• Science is not content with the verbal linguistic expression, it also uses math, diagrams, graphs, tables, maps, etc. Science needs these resources to attempt to describe the natural phenomena.

• Examples: statistics, scientific studies, assumptions, surveys, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, bond ratings, TV ratings, economics, cause and effect, annual reports, opinion polls...

“Scientific multimedia genres are as they are not just because they are fit to the internal

functional needs of the scientific community, but also because they play a role in linking

the community within the wider social, economic, and political institutions which make its continued existence possible.”

Lemke, 2000

Translation:Science uses multimedia not only as a tool for science but to communicate with society what scientists and researchers do, since science is dependent on society’s money.

More on Media Literacy in Science

• Science is used to validate tests and principles in advertising, and to draw conclusions to issues raised by the media.– Informational videos, pharmaceutical commercials– Smoking and anti-smoking advertising

• How are scientists depicted in the media?– The superhero scientist– The mad scientist– The expert in documentaries and advertising– How does this shape our view on what science is?

Some Key Media Sources• Television shows• Commercials• Music• Radio advertising• Informative videos• Multimedia demonstration• Internet• CD ROM and DVD• Newspaper and magazine • Documentary videos• Chat Rooms• Video games

Genres represented

1. Frog guts – Procedure

2. BP video – Report

3. Mars rover web sites – Report

4. Science in the news – Report

5. The Day After Tomorrow – Recount

6. The Meatrix – Exposition

What is media literacy?

It can be divided into three groups:

1. “Access” issues – how to obtain the needed information or “read” the symbolic code.

2. “Analysis” issues – identifying the point of view or subtext.

3. “Creating” messages – how to use and produce media.

Applying the Four Resources Model to Media

Code-breaking resources:

How do I crack this Code?• Understanding the language• Recognizing the intonations• Recognizing and shaping the visual,

nonverbal, and auditory codes

Text-participating resources:

What does this mean to me?• What is the social and cultural background

and prior knowledge to construct the meaning?

• How are my interests related in this media?• How do I interpret and use the literal and

inferential meanings in the media?• How has this media been constructed to

make meaning?

Text-using resources:

What do I do with this text?• What can I do with this media? • How can I use it in the future?

Text-analyzing resources:

What does this text do to me?• Who created this media?• What is their purpose?• What kind of bias may they have?• How is this media positioning me?

Instructional Web Sitehttp://www.froguts.com

Procedure Genre

• Access literacy– Use of icons, scrolling, and dragging– How is color strategically used on the site?– What are the various clues that indicate a hyperlink?– What on the web site makes it look more real?

• Analysis literacy– What is the purpose of this web site?– How can I use this web site?

Intro to an informative video

“Access” literacy

- We not only need to be textually and visually literate, but also literate in nuances such as:

Body language

Effect of color

Sound and tone

Effect of camera angle

Informative VideoReport Genre

“Analysis” literacy• How does this video make you feel?• How is science used in this video?• What ‘genre’ would you say this is?• Who produced it? What is their social agenda?• How does this video position you?• What sticks out? How does this impact what you recall

from the video?• What tools were used to position you?

http://www.bplng.com/video/lng.wmv

BP video key points

• Science is used as an authority to justify the safety of LNG

• What is not said? Some examples….– What are the effects of plants on

communities? – What energy is needed to keep the LNG at

such cold levels?– What is the history of LNG?

Juxtaposition

• We can compare what BP says about LNG with other sources of media, such as:– Web Sites

http://timrileylaw.com/LNG.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3411651.stm

– Radio (NPR)

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1464051

Mars Rovers Web Site ComparisonReport Genre

• Access literacy– NASA.com: easier to ‘decode’; more ‘alive’; more

organized; also in Spanish; less colors– Space.com: cool graphics; attractive pictures; difficult

to find links; annoying advertising

• Analysis literacy– NASA.com: different audiences; government links;

who is behind this?– Space.com: like watching TV; use of ‘red planet’

phrase; is this a ‘scientific’ resource?Sources:

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.space.com/marsrover

Mars Rovers Web Site ComparisonReport Genre

  NASA.com Space.com

Navigation from main domain

1 click from home page Click on “SpaceFlight” on top bar, scroll down and click on “Top Stories – Mars

Rover.”

Target audiences Kids, Students, Educators, Press Young adults or older

Background and text colors

White background, black text and blue hypertext

Red and orange background, white and yellow text (not clearly hyperlinked)

Graphics Interactive boxes turn blue when hyperlinked; hyperlinked pictures

Hyperlinked pictures only

Use of red For attention As background

Vectors Some arrows indicating links; human face

Directed to top and center of page

Advertising 3 grouped, 1 at bottom 3 scattered

Pop-up ads 0 2 or 3

Sponsors US government Imaginova.com

Science in the News?Report Genre

• Access literacy– Similar literacy demands; similar markets

• Analysis literacy– Word ‘science’ found on:

• NYTimes.com = 2; WashingtonPost.com = 0

– Word ‘sports’ found on:• NYTimes.com = 2; WashingtonPost.com = 4

Sources: http://www.NYTimes.com http://www.WashingtonPost.com

“The Day After Tomorrow”http://thedayaftertomorrow.com

Recount Genre

• Access literacy– Due to being a main stream movie,

information is accessible to the mass public.

• Analysis literacy– What social purpose does this movie have?– What are they saying will happen due to

global warming?– Does the movie present the facts in a

believable way? How is science portrayed?

How valid are the claims in the movie?

• http://thedayaftertomorrow.com– Movie Site with information about the past, present, and

predictions of the future with global warming

• http://www.greencine.com/board?action=viewTopic&forumID=7&topicID=1442– Chat-room discussion for people to discuss the claims in the

movie as well as global warming as a whole

• http://www.undoit.org/index.cfm– Site about global warming that addresses what we can do to

help prevent global warming

• http://www.dayaftertomorrowfacts.org– Site that breaks apart each claim in the movie and looks at

whether it is scientifically valid or not

The Meatrix CartoonExposition genre

• Cartoons shape our views as they can create the “world” we experience

• Different social agendas can use science in different ways to convey their message

• Humor can be mixed with science to hold the viewers attention while conveying a message

What to look for….• Techniques used to reinforce the agenda of the video• The use of color, position, and imagery to reinforce the

agendahttp://www.themeatrix.com

THE MEATRIX

• What images stood out?• How is science used to convey the message?• How did this video make you feel?• Who is the audience?• What social purpose does this serve?• What previous knowledge is this video utilizing?• What tools were used to position you?• What tools did the video use to reinforce its

point?• How does this video shape our understanding of

science?

Five Key Questionsfor Media Literacy

1) Who created this message?

2) What techniques are used to attract my attention?

3) How might different people understand this message differently from me?

4) What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message?

5) Why was this message sent?

Five Core Conceptsin Media Literacy

1) All media messages are constructed

2) Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules

3) Different people experience the same message differently

4) Media have embedded values and points of view

5) Media messages are constructed to gain profit and/or power

Scaffolding TechniquesIdeas for media literacy

• Demonstrate different types of media, showing the affect of juxtaposition

• Teach the students how to access and analyze media, using key questions for discussion

• Have activities for students to practice on their own literacy skills such as:– identifying genre, purpose, apply the four resources

model, asking key questions• Require them to research and put together their

own presentation• Have students present their work through media

(e.g., PowerPoint, web page, video, etc.)

Essential questions

• What literary devices are used to create meaning within science?

• How do we teach students to master these devices so that they become agents of social change?

Essential Vision

We seek to create “access to the evolving language of work power and

community” and to help students “design their social futures and

achieve success through fulfilling employment.”

-The New London Group

And remember…

• These skills and practices of critical literacy are transdisciplinary and can be applied to any subject, in any discipline, across any age group.