Media Literacy

Media Literacy is an in-depth study of the media environment that surrounds us. The objective of the course is that students will gain the media literacy skills needed to effectively navigate the media-centric cultures they live in. Media topics covered in the course include news media, bias in the media, photo literacy, propaganda, advertising, social issues, movies and TV, and the internet.

Throughout the course students will learn to access, evaluate, analyze, and create media. The course will include class discussion, videos, lectures, presentations, and projects. A simulated online module will give students the opportunity to learn the content and skills of the class through a variety of methods.

Rationale for Online Module in Media Literacy:

As Dalat no longer requires students to take an entire online class as a graduation requirement, simulating such a class for a few weeks gives students the same experience but with the added benefit of preparation and reflection. Having already established classroom expectations, methods of instruction, and context, the online module will give students an effective comparison to some of the differences between an online class and a regular, in-person class.

Students will be held accountable for their work through check-ins and deadlines. But it will also give them the freedom to manage their own time, stay on top of their work without the structure provided by a daily class, and take more responsibility for their own learning. A reflection time after the online module is completed will allow students to determine where they excelled, what areas they could have done better in, and whether taking classes online is an effective method for them going forward.