BETTER ECONOMI C OPP ORTUNI TI ES
Knowl edgeeconomy my ,comp mpe t i t i v enes sandchoi ce :i nama mar ketec onom my y i ncr easi ngl ybasedoni nf orma mat i on,of t eni nacompl exandmedi at edf orm, m,a me di aandi nf o r ma mat i o nl i t e r at ei ndi v i duali sl i ke l yt oha v emo mo r et ooffe ra nds o ac hi e v ea tahi g he rl e v e li nt hewo r kpl ac e ,a ndame me di aandi nf o r ma mat i o nl i t e r a t e s oc i e t ywo ul dbei nno v at i v ea ndc o mp mpe t i t i v e ,s us t ai ni ngar i c har r a yof choi cesf ort heconsumer . I nf orma mat i onl i t er acyi scruci alt ot he economi mi cwel lbei ngast heeconomy my bec omesi ncr eas i ngl yi nf or mat i oni nt e nsi v eanddependentuponski l l ed knowl edgeworker sworki ngi nknowl edgebasedi ndust ri es.Theski l l sof i nf or m ma at i onpr o bl e ms ol v i ng ,c r e at i v i t y ,i nnov at i on,c ol l abor a t i onandc r i t i c al t hi nki ngi nani nf orma mat i on–i nt ensi veeconomy myar eal ll i nkedt ot he deve l opmentofi nf orma mat i onl i t er acy.Thepr oduct i onofnew knowl edgeand i nnovat i on,uponwhi cht hef ut ur eeconomy mydependswi l lr equi r ean i nf o r ma mat i o nl i t e r a t ewo r kf o r c e .Whi l ee c o mm mme r c ei spar to ft hi s ,t he r ei sane e d t or adi c al l yi mpr o v et hes ki l lbas eandat t i t ude st o war dst hee ffe c t i v eus eof i nf orma mat i on.Ther ei sevi dencet hatbusi nesshasnotgi vensuffici entat t ent i on t otheval ueofi nf orma mat i oni nt hepastandnew t echnol ogywi l lnot aut oma mat i cal l yi mpr ovet heeffect i veanal ysi sanduseofi nf orma mat i on. I MPROVED L EARNI NG ENVI RONME MENT
Whenpe opl eunder s t andmedi aandt ec hnol ogy ,t he yar eabl et oac cess, anal yze,eval uat e,andcr eat eme messagesi nawi wi devari et yofmedi a,genr es,and f or ms. Educat i onf orme medi al i t er acyof t enusesani nqui ry basedpedagogi cmo modelt hat encour agespeopl et oaskquest i onsaboutwhatt heywat ch,hear ,andread. Me di al i t e r a cyeduc at i o n pr o v i de st o ol st ohe l ppe opl ecr i t i c al l yanal y z e me s s ag e s ,o ffe r so ppo r t uni t i e sf o rl e ar ne r st obr o ade nt he i re x pe r i e nc eo f medi a,andhel pst hem devel opcr eat i ves ki l l si nmaki ngt hei rownmedi a [ 2] mes sag e s. Cr i t i c alanal y s i sc ani nc l udei de nt i f y i ngaut ho r ,pur po s eandpo i nt ofvi ew,exami ni ngconst ruct i ont echni quesandgenr es,exami ni ngpat t ernsof medi ar epr esent at i on,anddet ect i ngpropaganda,censorshi p,an b dbi as i nne ws andpubl i caffai r spr ogramm mmi ng( andt her easonsf ort hese) .Medi al i t er acy
educat i onmayexpl or ehow st r uct ur alf eat ur es—suchasmedi aowner shi p,or i t sf undi ngmodel —affectt hei nf ormat i onpr ese nt ed.
Li f e l o ngl e ar ni ng ,c ul t ur ale x pr e s s i o nandpe r s o nalf ul fil l me nt :s i nc eo urhi g hl y r eflexi ve,heavi l ymedi at edsymbol i cenvi r onmenti nf ormsandf r amest he choi ces,val uesandknowl edget hatgi vesi gni ficancet oeverydayl i f e,medi aand i nf or mat i onl i t e r ac yc ont r i but e st ot hecr i t i c alande xpr e s s i v eski l l st hat s uppo r taf ul landme ani ng f ull i f e ,andt oani nf o r me d,c r e a t i v ea nde t hi c al soc i e t y . ” I nt hi smedi asat ur at edsoci et y ,i nf ormat i oncomesnotonl yt hr ought he wr i t t enwor dsbutal s ot hr ought hei magesandsounds.Me di al i t er acyc an al l ow st udent st ofluent l yr eadandwr i t eaudi o/vi suall anguagewoul dhave morecompet i t i vepowert obet t ert hri vei nourmul t i medi acul t ur e/ Li f e l o ngl e ar ni ngme anse duc at i o nr e s ul t i ngf r o mi nt e g r a t i o no ff o r mal ,no nf or mal ,andi nf or male duc at i ons oast ocr e a t eabi l i t yf o rc ont i nuo usl i f e l o ng de v e l o pme ntofq ual i t yofl i f e .Li f e l o ngl e ar ni ngco v er st hewho l er a ng eof l earni ng.Thati ncl udesf ormalandi nf ormall earni ngandworkpl acel earni ng.I t al s oi nc l ude st hes ki l l s ,kno wl e dg e ,at t i t ude sandbe ha v i o ur st ha tpe opl e ac qui r ei nt he i rda yt oda ye x pe r i e nc e .I nf o r mat i o nl i t e r a c yf o r mst hebas i sf o r l i f e l o ngl e ar ni ng .I ti sco mmont oal ldi s c i pl i ne st oal le nv i r onme nt sandt oal l l e v e l so fe duc at i o n,whi l er e c og ni z i ngt hedi s par i t i e si nl e ar ni ngs t y l e sandi n t henat ur eandde v e l o pme nto fl i t e r ac yi ndi ffe r e ntc o unt r i e s .I te nabl e s l e ar ne r st omas t e rc ont e ntande x t e ntt he i ri nv e s t i g at i o nst obe c omes e l f di r e c t e d.I nf o r mat i o nl i t e r ac yai mst ode v e l o pbo t hc r i t i c alunde r s t andi ngand ac t i v epar t i c i pat i o n.I te nabl e ss t ude nt st oi nt e r pr e tandmakei nf o r me d j udge me nt sasuse rofi nf or mat i onsour ces;buti tal soenabl e st hem t obecomeproducer sofi nf ormat i oni nt hei rownr i ght ,andt her ebyt obecome mo r epo we r f ulpar t i c i pant si ns oc i e t y .
MORECOHESI VESOCI ALUNI TS
De moc r a c y ,par t i c i pat i o n andac t i v ec i t i z e ns hi p:i nade moc r a t i cs oc i e t y ,a medi aandi nf ormat i onl i t er at ei ndi vi duali smoreabl et ogai nan i nf ormed
opi ni ononmat t er soft heday,andt obeabl et oexpr esst hei ropi ni on i ndi v i dual l yandc ol l e ct i v e l yi npubl i c ,c i v i candpol i t i c aldomai ns ,whi l ea medi aandi nf ormat i onl i t er at esoci et ywoul dt hussupportasophi st i cat ed, c r i t i c alandi nc l us i v epubl i csphe r e . Me di al i t e r a cyi scr uc i alf o rt hede v e l o pme nto fc i t i z e ns hi ps ki l l sne e de dt o pr omot eat hri vi ngdemocracy.Pol i t i calcampai gnsandi ssuesarepri mari l y conveyedt hr ough30secondt el evi si onadsor ,atbest ,hal f hournews i nt ervi ewsonSundaymorni ngs.Wi t hsol i t t l eat t ent i onpai dt oi ssuesf r om our pri maryf ormsofmedi aconsumpt i on,i ti si mper at i vef orpeopl et ol earnhow t o r eadt hemes sage st heyar ebombar dedwi t handr ec ogni z et her easonsand deci si onsbehi ndwhati sbei ngpr esent edt ot hem.
I tal s or es t o r et r us ti ngo ve r nme ntandpr o vi des t r o ngs oc i als er v i c e s– Thec ur r entwor konegov e r nme ntandt heemphasi soni ncr eas i ng
part i ci pat i onwi l lal sor equi r eemphasi son t hesoci al ,cul t ur alandcommuni t y i ssuesar oundi nf ormat i onandcommuni cat i onbehavi ourandski l l swhi ch e xt e ndsbe y ondf ac i l i t at i ngpar t i c i pat i o nt hr o ug ht hepr o v i s i o no ft hephy s i c al andt e c hni c ali nf r as t r uc t ur e .Thes uc c e s sofe g ov e r nme ntwi l lal s or e q ui r ea po pul at i o nwhoar eno to nl yI CTl i t e r a t ebuti nf o r mat i o nl i t e r at ei nt hebr o ade r senseout l i ned.
