DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY AND INNOVATION TEACHING SKILL AMONG COMMUNICATION EDUCATORS IN EBONY STATE USING EBSU AND FUNAI AS A CASE STUDY

DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY AND INNOVATION TEACHING SKILL AMONG COMMUNICATION EDUCATORS IN EBONY STATE USING EBSU AND FUNAI AS A CASE STUDY

​​​​​​​BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is becoming more typical for individuals who live in the 21st century to completely immerse themselves in a digital world. When compared to the previous decade, in which the internet served to link people all over the globe, individuals in the modern day simply cannot survive without their digital devices. In point of fact, the digitalization of the environment not only has an effect on the way individuals live their lives but also molds the human mind. Consuming the message alone is not sufficient for full participation in today's society; rather, one must also produce and disseminate knowledge by way of the process of analyzing, evaluating, and reflecting on what they have seen (Hobbs, 2010). This is due to the fact that the media is controlled by a variety of economic and sociological forces. The evolution of media as well as the effects that different types of media have on individuals are influenced by a number of factors, including culture, racial and socioeconomic position, gender, age, and mobility. In addition, the arrival of new media made it possible for individuals to share the material they generated with others by using the instruments of new media. The audience's role in the processing of the information has shifted from that of passive receivers to that of active participants as a result of this (Eristi & Erdem, 2017; Literat, 2014; Martens, 2010).

Due to a lack of preparedness to deal with the unprecedented demand placed on students in the Greek educational system to make the transition to online learning, the emergency remote teaching that was required as a result of the recent COVID-19 epidemic resulted in a number of problems. According to the European Commission (2020), a high level of expertise and innovation on the part of lecturers and school leaders is required in order to facilitate the flexible distance learning of all students in a way that functions as a coherent pedagogical approach. This is a requirement that must be met. As a consequence of this, educators are required to make effective use of the resources at their disposal and provide individualized assistance to students who have a variety of requirements. In light of the current situation, which has affected students emotionally and psychologically (Miller, 2020), there is a necessity to develop an effective competence development process and respond to learners' affective needs that would enhance their motivation, engagement, and satisfaction while alleviating their frustration and discouragement. These challenges need to be taken seriously, and the crisis has demonstrated that change and flexibility are of high priority.

The International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, in its report to UNESCO in 1996, emphasized the significance of promoting education as "one of the principal means available to foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and, as a result, to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression, and war." This was done in light of the fact that education is "one of the principal means available to foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development" (Delors et al., 1996b, p. 11). In order to accomplish this goal, it was determined that, as we moved forward into the 21st century, a significant reevaluation of the function of education was required. To "provide maps of a complex world that is constantly in turmoil," as the commission argued, and "the compass that will enable people to find their way in it," education should be based on four fundamental pillars of learning, namely, learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be. This will help "provide maps of a complex world that is constantly in turmoil" (Delors et al., 1996a, p. 85). In 2011, in response to the ever-evolving need for educational innovation in the digital era, UNESCO created a curriculum with the goal of enabling the educational community to better understand the role that media plays. This was done with the goal of better understanding the role that media plays in the educational community. The acquisition of media literacy was the primary focus of this initiative. Media literacy was defined as "a set of essential competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) that allow citizens to engage with media and other information providers effectively and develop critical thinking and lifelong learning skills for the purpose of socializing and becoming active citizens" (Wilson, 2012). Students may be resistant to the process of interrogating and examining their media literacy practices, as noted by Hobbs and Jensen (2013). As a result, it is the responsibility of media literacy educators to shift the interest from students' "tool competence" – that is, their ability to use advanced technology – to "digital citizenship," which is a concept closely related to media literacy that focuses not only on the importance of internet safety but also on the rights and responsibilities of internet users.

​​​​​​​STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

IIn point of fact, students now enrolled in universities who are between the ages of 18 and 23 are regarded to be members of the digital generation because of their embrace of digital technology in their everyday lives. The lives of today's modern college students are increasingly dominated by their various electronic devices. Students now enrolled in universities are considered to be "Internet natives" since they grew up with the medium and are adept learners in technology settings (Prensky, 2001). Their identity has shifted from that of information recipients to that of media prosumers as a result of the huge transformation that has occurred in the environment of the media. According to Westlund and Bjur (2014), young people have a tendency to become savvy consumers of media, which might lead to a life centered around media consumption. Therefore, the significance of kids having a good understanding of the media cannot be overstated if they are to develop into responsible digital citizens and prospective knowledge workers (Westlund & Bjur, 2014). In light of the fact that there is a growing convergence of media, a number of academics (Buckingham, 2015; Eristi & Erdem, 2017), among others, have emphasized the importance of acquiring the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to comprehend the variety of contemporary modes of communication. Therefore, the ability to use digital devices and to handle and deal properly with information is a set of abilities that is vital for university students to have.

​​​​​​​OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine digital media literacy and innovation teaching skill among communication educators in ebony’s state: a study of EBSU and FUNAI. Specifically, other aims of this topic are:

1. Find out the extent to which digital media is accessible to communication educators
2. Determine whether communication educators are able to create and utilize digital media in teaching process.
3. Determine whether digital media literacy facilitates the development of new teaching strategies and method among communication educators.
4. Determine whether digital media literacy helps communication educators to source for credible information online to enhance their innovation teaching skills.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

1. What is the extent to which digital media is accessible to communication educators?
2. Are communication educators able to create and utilize digital media in their teaching process?
3. Does digital media literacy facilitate the development of new teaching strategies and method among communication educators?
4. Does digital media literacy help communication educators to source for credible information online to enhance their innovation teaching skills?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The goal of this study is to determine digital media literacy and innovation teaching skill among communication educators. This study will be relevant to society since the findings will aid lecturers in determining the impact that digital media has on their students and why it is necessary for instructors to be digitally suave, hence assisting them in educating and raising awareness among students about the probable influence that digital media literacy and innovation may have on them. Additionally, this study will benefit parents in that they will learn about the probable impacts of digital media usage on their children, allowing them to act as watchdogs over their children's use of digital sites in order to avoid wrong usage.

At the conclusion of the study, this research will be useful in supporting students in comprehending the diversity of digital media  and ethical ways to utilize digital media effectively, as well as providing relevant information for students and other researchers conducting similar research.

Finally, this study will contribute to the growing body of knowledge about the impact of digital media literacy and innovation teaching skill among communication educators. 

​​​​​​​SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on digital media literacy and innovation teaching skill among communication educators in ebony’s state: a study of EBSU and FUNAI. Specifically, this study focuses on finding out the extent to which digital media is accessible to communication educators, determining whether communication educators are able to create and utilize digital media in teaching process, determining whether digital media literacy facilitates the development of new teaching strategies and method among communication educators and determining whether digital media literacy helps communication educators to source for credible information online to enhance their innovation teaching skills.

Selected communication educators in EBSU and FUNAI will be the respondents of this study.

​​​​​​​LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. However, the researcher were able to manage these just to ensure the success of this study.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

​​​​​​​DEFINITION OF TERMS

Digital literacy: Digital media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, create and use digital media.

Innovation teaching: Student-centred pedagogies. extending learning beyond the classroom to include knowledge building and problem-solving in today's world.

BUY THIS TOPIC ON WHATSAPP

Related Project Materials

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the role of personnel department in manpower training and dev...