What The Research Says, 2007

What the Research SaysWhat the Research Says

Renee HobbsRenee HobbsProfessor, Temple UniversityProfessor, Temple UniversityPhiladelphia PA USAPhiladelphia PA USAHOME Inc ConferenceHOME Inc ConferenceCambridge, MA Cambridge, MA October 27, 2007October 27, 2007

OverviewOverview

The state of media literacy education todayThe state of media literacy education today

The research processThe research process

What we think we know– emerging findingsWhat we think we know– emerging findings

What we need to knowWhat we need to know

The challenges of research in MLEThe challenges of research in MLE

DiscussionDiscussion

Media Literacy EducationMedia Literacy Education

An An expanded expanded conceptualization ofconceptualization of literacy literacy, ,

emphasizing the ability toemphasizing the ability to

access, analyze, evaluateaccess, analyze, evaluate and and

communicatecommunicate messages messages

inin a wide variety of formsa wide variety of forms..

Media StudiesEducation, Learning

& Literacy

Media Media Literacy Literacy

EducationEducation

The purpose of media literacy education is to The purpose of media literacy education is to help individuals of all ages develop the help individuals of all ages develop the habits of habits of inquiryinquiry and and skills of expressionskills of expression that they need to that they need to be be critical thinkers, effective communicators critical thinkers, effective communicators andand

active citizensactive citizens in today’s world. in today’s world.

--Core Principles of Media Literacy Education, AMLA, St. Louis, (2007)--Core Principles of Media Literacy Education, AMLA, St. Louis, (2007)

Why it MattersWhy it Matters

Citizenship.Citizenship. The creation of a public sphere greatly The creation of a public sphere greatly depends upon an engaged citizenry, whose members are depends upon an engaged citizenry, whose members are interested, willing and able to access information, evaluate interested, willing and able to access information, evaluate it, and make decisions in a collaborative fashion in order to it, and make decisions in a collaborative fashion in order to participate in civic and cultural life. participate in civic and cultural life. Media Saturation/IdentityMedia Saturation/Identity Development.Development. Children and Children and adolescents spend more and more time consuming adolescents spend more and more time consuming entertainment media, including television, popular music, entertainment media, including television, popular music, movies, and participatory media like Internet, text movies, and participatory media like Internet, text messaging and videogames.messaging and videogames.Information SocietyInformation Society.. Knowledge workers use, manipulate Knowledge workers use, manipulate and create information. Visual, electronic and digital media and create information. Visual, electronic and digital media and technologies of communication (as new forms of ‘text’) and technologies of communication (as new forms of ‘text’) are emerging as the dominant representational systems in are emerging as the dominant representational systems in the context of both school and daily life. the context of both school and daily life.

Diverse Theoretical Diverse Theoretical FrameworksFrameworks

Education Education

adolescent literacy, critical literacy, adolescent literacy, critical literacy, multiliteracies, constructivismmultiliteracies, constructivism

Public HealthPublic Health

media effects on youth, program evaluationmedia effects on youth, program evaluation

Media Studies/Cultural StudiesMedia Studies/Cultural Studies

semiotics, media ecology, ideology/institutions, semiotics, media ecology, ideology/institutions,

interpretive communitiesinterpretive communities, , youth mediayouth media

Core Instructional PracticesCore Instructional Practices

Reflection on Media Reflection on Media Consumption Consumption Behaviors Behaviors

Close AnalysisClose Analysis

Creative Media Creative Media ProductionProduction

Continuing Progress in MLEContinuing Progress in MLE

increasing diversity of media content, formats and genres increasing diversity of media content, formats and genres widespread access to digital tools for authorship and new widespread access to digital tools for authorship and new forms of distribution and exhibitionforms of distribution and exhibitionincreased public awareness of need for critical thinking increased public awareness of need for critical thinking about new forms of digital media about new forms of digital media state curriculum standards (now in almost every U.S. state)state curriculum standards (now in almost every U.S. state)diverse stakeholders--- including academics, policymakers, diverse stakeholders--- including academics, policymakers, business leaders business leaders recognized instructional practicesrecognized instructional practicesemerging scholarly literature and empirical research emerging scholarly literature and empirical research implementation processes & models for teacher educationimplementation processes & models for teacher educationcase studies of practice in school & after-schoolcase studies of practice in school & after-schoolgraduate programs & courseworkgraduate programs & coursework

OverviewOverview







What research findings are What research findings are emerging?emerging?

A. Media literacy education A. Media literacy education has varied characteristics has varied characteristics based on program based on program design, learning design, learning outcomes, setting, outcomes, setting, teacher qualifications, teacher qualifications, and the perceptions of and the perceptions of the value of the program the value of the program by participating teachers by participating teachers and students. and students.

Kist, New Literacies in Action, 2005


B. Cultural experiences B. Cultural experiences with contemporary with contemporary media and popular media and popular culture provide the culture provide the “juice” for MLE. “juice” for MLE. Motivation and Motivation and engagement are engagement are increased when increased when students get students get opportunities to analyze opportunities to analyze and manipulate familiar and manipulate familiar texts.texts.

Michie, Holler if You Hear Me, 1999


C. MLE strengthens C. MLE strengthens literacy learning, literacy learning, including reading including reading comprehension, comprehension, textual analysis, textual analysis, and writing skills.and writing skills.

Hobbs, Reading the Media, 2007


D. Media production D. Media production can be can be understood as a understood as a form of form of composition with composition with discernable discernable similarities to the similarities to the writing process.writing process.

Bruce, “Multimedia production as composition,” Research on Teaching LiteracyThrough the Visual and Communicative Arts, (in press).


E. MLE involves students E. MLE involves students in collaborative work that in collaborative work that may benefit students’ may benefit students’ communication skills communication skills and socio-emotional and socio-emotional development.development.

Goodman, Teaching Youth Media, 2003


F. Media literacy can improve F. Media literacy can improve understanding of distinctions understanding of distinctions between real life experiences between real life experiences and media representations. and media representations. MLE can alter expectations MLE can alter expectations concerning alcohol and concerning alcohol and tobacco use among school-tobacco use among school-age youth.age youth.

Austin, Pinkleton, Hust & Cohen,Health Communication, 2004


G. Media literacy programs G. Media literacy programs can cause lowered can cause lowered internalization of the internalization of the beauty standard and beauty standard and lower perceived realism lower perceived realism of media images for of media images for adolescent females. adolescent females.

Irving, DuPen & Berel, 1998; Neumark-Sztainer et al, 2000

OutlineOutline







The Process Up CloseThe Process Up Close

High school English teachersConcord High School, Concord New Hampshire

MY GOALS: 1.) Describe the development of the innovative curriculum that incorporates popular media, television, journalism, film, and new media into the required English curriculum

2.) Gather empirical evidence of the impact of media literacy on the academic achievement of adolescents

Research MethodsResearch Methods

QUALITATIVE: 21 hours of transcribed interviews with teachers and students; student writing samples, curriculum materials

QUANTITATVE: quasi-experimental pre-post design with matched control group with measures of reading, listening, viewing and media analysis skills

The CurriculumThe Curriculum

BOOKS:Orwell, 1984Shelley, FrankensteinStark, Glued to the SetKesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestJunger, The Perfect StormHamill, News is a VerbAnderson, FeedFaulkner, As I Lay Dying

FILMS: Tough Guise, All the President’s MenHigh Fidelity, Bamboozled

Multimodal Texts Multimodal Texts

MAGAZINES: Adbusters, Brill’s ContentThe New Yorker, Time, US News & World Report

NEWSPAPERS: Concord Monitor,Boston Globe, New York Times

TV: Burden of Proof, 60 Minutes20/20

Instructional MethodsInstructional Methods

• Activation of prior knowledge• Close reading & textual analysis• Discussion connects text to text, text to self & text to world• Informal pre-writing• Small-group activities• Research and information gathering• Writing for specific purposes to varied audiences • Variety of writing styles and genres • Focus correcting (grammar, spelling)

Measuring Program ImpactMeasuring Program Impact

1. Advertising Analysis

2. Critical Viewing Skills

3. Civic Engagement

4. Reading Comprehension & Analysis

A Performance-Based Measure of A Performance-Based Measure of Media Text Analysis (MTA) SkillsMedia Text Analysis (MTA) Skills

Students read, view or listen to a media text and then answer critical questions in response.

• Who is the author and what is the purpose?• Who is the target audience and how do

you know?• What construction techniques were

used to attract and hold attention?• What values and points of view were represented?• What is omitted?


Advertising Analysis

• Increased understanding of the complex purposes of advertising

• Recognition of unstated subtext messages in advertising

Increased Understanding of the Complex Purposes of Increased Understanding of the Complex Purposes of AdvertisingAdvertising

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

$$$ Per Psych

Control

Concord

$$$ = purpose is a business reasonper = purpose is a persuasive reasonpsych = purpose strategically links product to emotion

Recognition of an Unstated SubtextRecognition of an Unstated SubtextMessage in AdvertisingMessage in Advertising

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3

Control

Concord

1 = “be cool”2 = “change your lifestyle by consumption”3 = “be responsible”


Critical Viewing Skills

• Increased skills in analyzing purpose, point of view, subtext & construction techniques

Civic Engagement

• Increased reading and viewing of news and current events

Critical Viewing of Television NewsCritical Viewing of Television News

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

POV tech omit comp

Control

Concord

POV = number of multiple points of view identifiedtech = creative construction techniques identifiedomit = omitted information suppliedcomp = points of comparison/contrast

Increased Numbers of Students Choosing News & Increased Numbers of Students Choosing News & Current EventsCurrent Events

0

10

20

30

40

50

watch news read news

PRETEST

POST TESTn

Percent who watch or read news and current eventsevery day


Impact on Print Literacy Skills

• Increased ability to summarize non-fiction informational text and recall details

• Increased ability to analyze author’s purpose, point of view, subtext and creative construction techniques

• Writing skills improve

Increased Reading Comprehension SkillsIncreased Reading Comprehension Skills

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Main Idea Info Detail

Control

Concordn

Main Idea = number of key points identified in summaryInfo Detail = number of specific details recalled

Increased Non-Fiction Increased Non-Fiction Reading Analysis SkillsReading Analysis Skills

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

tech POV omit

Control

Concordn

tech = number of creative construction techniques identifiedPOV = multiple points of view identifiedomit = omitted information supplied

Writing SkillsWriting Skills

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

3

quality

Control

Concordn

Quality = holistic score (1 – 5) evaluatingclarity, coherence, and sentence structure

Student Voices Student Voices

“Creators of books and movies have to make critical decisions about how to construct a story just like newspaper editors and TV news directors.”

“I found myself wondering about the intentions of things that in the past I would have ignored or absorbed at face value.”

Student Voices Student Voices

“Though I considered myself a critical thinker prior to the course, I don’t think that label fit my reading style at the time… I had been trained to passively read a book with a ridiculously obvious theme, come up with the thesis statement, and crank out a paper. This course made that impossible.”

Why so Effective?Why so Effective?The Learning EnvironmentThe Learning Environment

Curriculum reform initiated by faculty

Block scheduling, heterogeneous grouping & common planning time

Vibrant school library media center Support from school administration

High quality local newspaper

Why so Effective?Why so Effective?The Learning ProcessThe Learning Process

High levels of student engagement result fromperceived relevance of curriculum to life outside of school

Critical questioning supports readingcomprehension by creating active learners

Instruction activates metacognitive scaffolding of analysis skills from familiar texts (films/TV) to literature

Challenges for the FutureChallenges for the Future

RELEVANCE: Continuing to be responsive to students’ lived experience with media and popular culture

INTERNET ANALYSIS: Critical thinking about online media and technology

AUTHORSHIP: Providing multimodal production opportunities for all students

OUTREACH: Implications for education policy statewide

OverviewOverview







What Works in Teacher What Works in Teacher Education?Education?

Self-taughtSelf-taught

Staff-development trainingStaff-development training

Curriculum-, text- or tool-based approachesCurriculum-, text- or tool-based approaches

Mentoring and partnershipsMentoring and partnerships

University courseworkUniversity coursework

What issues face current and future What issues face current and future researchers?researchers?

Examining short-term and long-term outcomesExamining short-term and long-term outcomes

Developing reliable, valid instruments to measure ML skillsDeveloping reliable, valid instruments to measure ML skills

Understanding what people already know and thinkUnderstanding what people already know and think

Creating theoretical models to account for the complex Creating theoretical models to account for the complex relationships between attitudes, knowledge, skills, and relationships between attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors behaviors

Exploring conditions that promote transfer of learningExploring conditions that promote transfer of learning

Exploring unintended consequences of media literacy Exploring unintended consequences of media literacy educationeducation

Understanding how ML skills can be activated in online Understanding how ML skills can be activated in online environmentsenvironments

Examining the relationship between ML education and Examining the relationship between ML education and activism/advocacyactivism/advocacy

OverviewOverview







What Works? What Works? Areas of EmphasisAreas of Emphasis

1. A LIFE PRACTICE. Focus on the processes involved in accessing and using media and technology in daily life.

2. A LEARNED SKILL. Focus on critically analyzing and evaluating the content, form and contexts of media messages and media systems and institutions.

3. A FORM OF COMPOSITION. The ability to compose or create messages using digital, visual and electronic tools for purposes of self-expression, communication and advocacy.

Three ChallengesThree Challenges

1. ML replaces print literacy for students 1. ML replaces print literacy for students labelled “at risk”labelled “at risk”

2. ML contributes to cynicism because anti-2. ML contributes to cynicism because anti-media attitudes replace critical thinkingmedia attitudes replace critical thinking

3. Growing imbalance and disconnect 3. Growing imbalance and disconnect between media practice, analysis and between media practice, analysis and production production

OverviewOverview







Renee HobbsRenee HobbsProfessorProfessorTemple UniversityTemple UniversitySchool of Communications and TheaterSchool of Communications and TheaterMedia Education LabMedia Education Labhttp://mediaeducationlab.comhttp://mediaeducationlab.comEmail : [email protected] : [email protected]

What The Research Says, 2007

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