Developing Media Literacy in Young Adults: Culture, creativity and critique

What are children of different ages capable of understanding about media?

How does their learning develop over time?

How can their learning about one aspect of media impact upon their learning about other areas?

Developing Media Literacy is a succinct introduction to contemporary approaches to media education. Underpinned by the findings of a major research study into children’s media literacy, it offers clear accounts of the key areas of the media curriculum, extensive evidence about children’s changing cultural experiences, and engaging exploration of effective classroom practice and children’s media work.

It covers a wide range of media themes and topics such as advertising, horror films, celebrity, news, computer games and popular television and is illustrated throughout by examples of students’ media productions. Key issues considered include:

Rationales for media teaching

What and how children might learn about media at different ages

Understanding media language, representation, institutions and audiences

Changing ideas about young people’s relationships with media

Differences between students’ and teachers’ media experiences and preferences

Media education and broader theories of learning

Curriculum design and assessment.

Written by leading, internationally recognised researchers in the field, this new title will be essential reading for all teachers, students and researchers interested in the development of media education.