Media Literacy Educational Outcomes

Developed by the Scarborough Board of Education

Neil Andersen, AML executive member, Scarborough teacher and former Mediacy editor

Outcome 1

The learner will understand that media texts are constructions and not reality. The student will demonstrate learning through:

1. developing media texts co-operatively.
2. identifying production elements: techniques; terms; editing; personnel; grammar; equipment
3. understanding demographics, (e.g. age, class, race, gender) as defining target audiences for specific products.
4. analysing celebrities' public images in terms of the values they project.
5. identifying stereotypes (e.g. stereotypes imply judgments of social groups; stereotypes serve interests of some groups; stereotypes are used as a narrative shortcut).
6. recognizing that the editing process (selection, omission, emphasis and order) influences interpretation.

Evaluation

The teacher will evaluate learning by:

1. observing students' work in groups
2. a) listening for appropriate terminology.
3. 
   b) observing students' competent and creative use of the equipment.
4. recording the students' progress as they design a product and define its target consumer.
5. asking students to explore the values projected by celebrities' public images.
6. posing meaningful questions and listening for students' contributions in discussion.
7. observing the students analysing an edited text and then re-editing to create a different meaning.

Outcome 2

The student will demonstrate learning through:

1. understanding that tastes and preferences are influenced by gender, race, class and age.
2. analysing the values that audiences project onto media celebrities.
3. identifying and demonstrating ways in which media texts significantly differ from reality.
4. understanding that media messages influence beliefs and lifestyles.
5. appreciating the entertainment value of the various media.
6. exploring values issues in various media (e.g. censorship vs. classification, violence, racism).

Evaluation

The teacher will evaluate learning by:

1. observing students examining various texts.
2. posing questions encouraging comparisons of various groups.
3. noting the contributions of students in discussion groups (e.g. discussion of the presentation of a news item).
4. observing students as they explore influences of the media (e.g. advertising campaign aimed at young children).
5. reading and responding to students' personal media logs.
6. examining students' contributions in drama, debates, role-playing.

Outcome 3

The student will demonstrate learning through:

1. identifying/demonstrating ways in which the mediated experience significantly differs from personal experience.
2. knowing how the form of each medium influences its content.
3. identifying those biases that define a medium's version of reality.
4. understanding that commercial messages are intended to influence lifestyle choices.

Evaluation

The teacher will evaluate learning by:

1. listening for evaluations of differences between a text's represented experience and the student's personal experience.
2. observing student choices of an appropriate medium to communicate a specified message (e.g. choosing the best media for an ad campaign launching a new soft drink).
3. asking students to define the bias of each medium (e.g. how newspapers and television would vary in their presentation of the same news story).
4. examining students' creations of commercial messages intended to influence lifestyle choices.
5. examining learners' written analyses and production of texts (e.g. media logs).
6. observing students' work in groups.
7. observing students' competent and creative use of equipment.