COMM 325

COURSE CODE: COMM 325

COURSE TITLE: Critical Media Literacy

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Theoretical constructs, discursive approaches, pedagogical strategies, and contemporary development applications of critical media literacy

PREREQUISITE: None

COURSE GOALS: To enable the student to respond to prevailing media dysfunctions and information pathologies that undermine human connectedness, community well-being, and democratic institutions and processes. It also seeks to envision alternative media and information philosophies, practices, pedagogies, and policies.

  • Apply the associated critico-theoretical frameworks, precepts, and constructs in media literacy pedagogy and practice in various development contexts and social settings. 
  • Apprehend the power relations and social contradictions involved in the intersecting processes of media production, distribution, consumption, and education. 
  • Apply critical and civic media literacy in analyzing contemporary development issues within the context of our respective substantive areas and social situatedness (i.e., positionalities and standpoints). 
  • Propose critical media literacy tasks that embody the trifocal meta-attributes of being critical, civic intentioned, and place-based. 

COURSE OUTLINE:

  • UNIT I: Ideologies, Frameworks and Approaches
    • Module 1. Political Economy of Media
    • Module 2. Curricular Ideologies 
    • Module 3. Media Education Approaches 
  • UNIT II: Praxis-Oriented, Civic-Intentioned and Critical Place-Based Media Literacy 
    • Module 4. Critical Praxis 
    • Module 5. Civic Media Literacy 
    • Module 6. Critical Place-Based Pedagogy
  • UNIT III: CML: Research Praxis, Policy Alternatives and Contextual Applications 
    • Module 7. CML Research Praxis 
    • Module 8. CML Policy Alternatives 
    • Module 9. CML in Context: Integration and Application