Media Information and Literacy

• %%What is Communication?%%
  • A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior a technique for expressing ideas effectively.
• %%The Communication Process:%%
  • Sender: person responsible for encoding intended message into meaningful verbal and non-verbal symbols.
  • Channel: it is the medium which the message is conveyed from the sender to the receiver.
  • Receiver: person who decodes or interprets the meaning of the message in order to understand it.
  • Feedback: it reverses the communication process and conveys the receiver’s response back to its sender.
• %%Purpose of Communication:%%
  • Establish and maintain relationships.
  • To persuade and change attitudes or behavior.
  • Develop an understanding of other people.
  • Solve Problems.

==Media==

• A plural of medium.

• The means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet, that reach or influence people widely.

• %%Mass Media%%

  • Mass media means technology that is intended to reach a mass audience.
  • The most common platforms for mass media are newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet.

• %%Role of Media and Communication%%

  • Mass media and other forms of communication technology have an enormous influence in helping to shape public opinion and underlying sentiment. This can itself help to engender understanding if presented in a fair, even-handed and non-inflammatory way.
  • The media is also an important accountability mechanism: it raises important issues.
  • But the media can also, in some cases, become an instrument for the dissemination of false and inflammatory messages and values that do not promote respect or well-tempered dialogue and discussion.

==Mass Media==

• %%Purpose of Mass Media%%
  • To sell you something.
  • To Inform.
  • To Entertain.

%%The Social Media%%

• %%Things to consider:%%
  • The main goal of communication is to inform.
  • The medium in which the information is to be passed on should be considered carefully.
  • The way that the information is presented using different media gives different result or feedback.
  • The technology has changed/ altered the communication process in a different way.
• %%Media Literacy%%
  • Is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms. It aims to empower citizens by providing them with the competencies (knowledge and skills) necessary to engage with traditional media and new technologies.
• %%Media Message%%
  • A media message is a message that a company or person communicates through media.

Information Literacy

Is the ability to recognize when information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, and effectively communicate information in its various formats.

Technology Literacy

Is the ability of an individual, either working independently or with others to responsibly, appropriately, and effectively use technological tools. Using these tools, an individual can access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information.

Examples of Digital Literacy

• Understanding how to use web browsers, search engines, email, text, wiki, blogs, Photoshop, PowerPoint, video creation/editing software, etc. to showcase learning.
• Evaluating online resources for accuracy/trustworthiness of information.

Media and Information sources

• %%Word of mouth%%
  • Viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day.
• %%Indigenous Sources%%
  • A rich body of information or knowledge which has been handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation.
• %%Storytelling%%
• Is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a story about a real event or something made up.
• %%Human sources%%
  • Lecturers
  • Colleagues
  • Speaker
  • Speeches/seminar

Types of Libraries

Libraries are often classified in 4 groups, namely: academic, public, school and special. These libraries may be either digital or physical in form.

• Library Catalog
  • An organized and searchable collection of records of every item in a library and can be found on the library home page. The catalog will point you to the location of a particular source, or group of sources, that the library owns on your topic.
  • To find where a specific item is located in the library.
• OPAC –Online Public Access Catalog
  • Provides easy access to books and other learning materials.

TYPES OF INFORMATION SOURCES

• Published Works
• Unpublished Works

%%PUBLISHED WORKS:%%

• Government publications

• Journals

• Newspapers

• Monographs and textbooks

• Reference works

• Audio Visual

• Electronic media

• @@Government publications@@

  • Official publication issued by a government publishing facility.

• @@Journals@@

  • A collection of articles usually written by scholars in an academic or professional field.
  • Use of journals:
  • when doing scholarly research
  • to find out what has been studied on your topic
  • o find bibliographies that point to other relevant research

• @@Magazine@@

  • A collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events.
  • Use of magazine:
  • to find information or opinions about popular culture.
  • to find up-to-date information about current events.
  • to find general articles for people who are not necessarily specialists about the topic.

• @@Newspapers@@

  • Contain current events, news, opinions, advertisements and other subjects related to current affairs
  • Use of Newspaper:
  • To find current information about international, national and local events.
  • To find editorials, commentaries, expert or popular opinions.

• @@Textbooks / Monographs@@

  • Publications that deal comprehensively with a specific subject.

• @@Books@@

  • Cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction.
  • Use of books:
  • When looking for lots of information on a topic.
  • To put your topic in context with other important issues.
  • To find historical information.
  • To find summaries of research to support an argument.

• @@Reference Works@@

  • Dictionaries
  • Encyclopedias
  • Biographies
  • Yearbooks
  • Address book

• @@Audio Visual Media@@

  • Other media such as audio cassettes or videos.

• @@Electronic Media@@

  • Information that is electronically available.

%%UNPUBLISHED WORKS:%%

• @@Dissertations / Thesis@@
  • Research work prepared as part of an academic course for a higher degree.
  • Copy usually made available in library of university.
• @@Research / Progress reports@@
  • Written description of a completed research project or an interim progress report.