Media and Information Literacy Introduction

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Introduction

• Literacy encompasses identifying, understanding, interpreting, creating, communicating, and computing using various forms of printed and written materials.
• It's a continuous learning process.
• Media: originates from the Latin word "medius", meaning middle, and refers to a large group of mediums for communicating with a large audience within a given time.
• Medium: singular form of media, meaning one specific form in the body of communicated material.
• Television is a broadcast medium.
• Media Literacy: the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media of varying forms.
• Media literate people are active users, consumers, and producers of media content, including traditional media and new technology.
• Information: data gathered for a specific purpose.
• Obtaining information/data depends on the user's needs.

Technology Literacy

• Technology is the systematic use of art or skills for practical applications, using scientific knowledge and computer skills to generate machinery and tools.
• Modern technology is required for current societal and environmental capabilities.
• Usage includes acquiring, evaluating, creating, and communicating information.
• Technology literacy is not limited to computers; it also encompasses tools like microscopes and recording studios used in broader professional contexts.

Evolution of Traditional to New Media

• Pre-industrial Age (Before 1700s):
  • Humans discovered fire, created paper from plants, and developed weapons and tools using various materials.
  • Prehistoric communication employed methods like campfire stories, agricultural development, and town criers.
  • Pictograms and hieroglyphics were early forms of writing.
• Industrial Age (1700s-1930s):
  • Steam power enabled the development of machine tools, iron production, and printing presses for books and various products.
• Johannes Gutenberg: developed mechanized printing, making books more accessible.
• Roads: were invented to facilitate faster travel and parcel delivery by messengers on horses.
• Postal Service: Witherings improved delivery services for the faster exchange of information.
• Semaphores: used by navies to visually communicate messages over distances.
• Punched Cards: developed for specific patterns to control and operate machinery.
• Telegraph: allowed for coded messages to be sent via electricity, replacing the postal system.
• Differential Machine: an early attempt to perform standardized mathematical computations, which later inspired the Analytical Machine.
• Analytical Machine: a programmable computer that used punched cards for storing programs, and marked a significant advancement in computations.
• Painting with Light: early photography techniques began to use light to record images.
• Camera Obscura: an early camera design that worked by projecting an image onto a surface.

Information Age (1990s-2000s)

• The Internet revolutionized communication and led to the growth of social networks.
• Graphical User Interfaces made computers more user friendly through visually guided instruction instead of complicated codes.
• Word Processing Software: simplified document creation.
• Typewriters and Magnetic Tapes. were early tools for storing and processing written information.
• Floppy Disks and Optical Disks provided higher storage capacities for data.
• DVDs (Digital versatile disks) emerged for storing large files in digital formats.
• Flash Drives, SD and Blu-ray disks evolved as data storage technologies
• Web Browsers (Mosaic, Internet Explorer) made internet browsing readily accessible.
• Blogs facilitated online publishing and discussion.
• Social Networks (Friendster, Multiply, Facebook, Twitter) connected people on the internet through virtual platforms.
• Video sharing sites (YouTube) became popular methods for video distribution.
• Search Engine (Google, Yahoo) made finding information online much quicker.
• Portable Computers (laptops, netbooks) increased the portability of computing devices.
• tablets and smartphones emerged as more personal computing devices.

Information Literacy (Evaluative Skills)

• Information Literacy refers to understanding/evaluating a topic and using the context effectively.
• To use information effectively, one needs to be able to determine if it is authoritative, accurate, and comes from a reliable source.
• Evaluating information: analyzing the nature and extent of information; finding information effectively and efficiently; evaluating information and its sources; using information to complete a task/purpose
• Critical thinking skills are required to evaluate how information can be obtained and applied.

Information Sources and Media

• Libraries are physical institutions that manage, store, and serve print and digital materials.
• Indigenous Communication is the means by which a particular culture transmits its customs and practices.
• Indigenous Media: refers to forms of communication developed by indigenous groups, from folk narratives to more modern forms.
• Online global networks provide accessible and vast sources of information and communication.

Types of Media

• Media can be classified as "old media" or print/traditional media, and "new media."
• "Old Media" encompasses traditional print formats such as newspapers, which are published regularly.
• "New Media" refers to electronic and digital media.
• Broadcast Media: uses airwaves to transmit images and audio, including television, radio, and more.
• Digital media and online tools represent various forms of communication.