Peer Review

Media Literacy Education in Libraries for Adult Audiences

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Sep 28, 2023 by ICT Literacy

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

American Library Association (ALA) designed this online course to support libraries in their efforts to improve the media literacy skills of adults in their community. Media literacy education in libraries for adult audiences is an online course module aims to help adults develop the skills they need to be critical consumers of media. This includes the ability to identify different types of media, understand the techniques used to create and distribute media, and evaluate the credibility and bias of media messages. Libraries are well-positioned to provide media literacy education to adults.

Type of Material:

Online Course Module

Recommended Uses:

Librarians and other educators can choose 1 or more webinars to conduct for their constituents.

Technical Requirements:

works across browsers, including mobile IOS

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Consider the scope of current media literacy efforts and research;
Identify areas for collaboration between librarians, journalists, researchers and adult educators; and
Develop strategies to address gaps in current adult services and staff training in libraries

Target Student Population:

College General Ed, Professional

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

basic ICT and library/information science skills

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: This searchable website largely consists of a database of articles about media literacy education in libraries for adult (and teen) audiences. It is an initiative of American Library Association (ALA) so materials appear to be relevant and authoritative; entries are appropriately attributed (and are part of the submission process). The website is fairly organized, and most resources are current. The resources may each be used as a stand-along webinar or sequenced together. The website is not directly linked to any one academic domain so it can be used across curricula. Links and content are appropriated cited.
Concerns:: The humanities are somewhat limited in the some of the course materials.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: Learning objectives draw from ICT literacy standards, particularly media literacy. The conversation starters identity prerequisite knowledge, and the webinars progressively build knowledge and relate concepts. The centralized site connects and supports the concepts through various tools, publications and resources for efficient learning. The guide facilitates lesson and assignment planning. It is highly recommended to be integrated into information and communications technology curricula. Instructors can easily use these resources to create informative learning activities, which students can apply across academic domains and to their daily lives.
Concerns:: Because several resources are independently created, they do not necessarily build on prior concepts found in other documents.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The guide is well designed and structured so it can be used effectively by the reader independently (it is a pf file). Each webinar includes a PowerPoint and hyperlinked resource list. Materials appear to be ADA-compliant. The help feature consists of links from the home page.
Concerns:: The online course module can run effectively with interconnectivity only.

Other Issues and Comments:: Certain articles should be re-evaluated in terms of accessibility.
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