DOCSLIB.ORG

Exploring Media Literacy Education As a Tool for Mitigating Truth Decay

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Exploring Media Literacy Education As a Tool for Mitigating Truth Decay A RAND Initiative to Restore the Role of Facts and Analysis in Public Life EXPLORING MEDIA LITERACY EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR MITIGATING TRUTH DECAY ALICE HUGUET I JENNIFER KAVANAGH GARRETT BAKER I MARJORY S. BLUMENTHAL For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR3050 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-1-9774-0257-8 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2019 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Cover design by Pete Soriano. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface Media literacy education offers a potential tool to curb Truth Decay, defined as the diminishing role that facts, data, and analysis play in today’s political and civil discourse. In this report, we use interviews with experts, a review of existing literature, and an investigation of available outcome measures to better understand key issues in the field of media literacy and to explore the ways in which media literacy education might counter the trends of Truth Decay. We provide recommendations for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the wider public. This report is one of a series focused on the topic of Truth Decay. The original report, Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Dimin- ishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life, by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich, was published in January 2018 and laid out a research agenda for studying and developing solutions to the Truth Decay challenge. RAND Ventures The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solu- tions to public policy challenges to help make communities through- out the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND Ventures is a vehicle for investing in policy solutions. Phil- anthropic contributions support our ability to take the long view, tackle tough and often-controversial topics, and share our findings in innova- tive and compelling ways. RAND’s research findings and recommen- iii iv Exploring Media Literacy Education as a Tool for Mitigating Truth Decay dations are based on data and evidence, and therefore do not neces- sarily reflect the policy preferences or interests of its clients, donors, or supporters. For more information about RAND Ventures, please visit www.rand.org/giving/ventures. Contents Preface ............................................................................. iii Figure and Tables ................................................................vii Summary .......................................................................... ix Acknowledgments .............................................................. xxi CHAPTER ONE Introduction ....................................................................... 1 Media Literacy Defined .......................................................... 3 A Theory of Action for Media Literacy and Truth Decay .................... 6 Approach, Audience, and Limitations of This Project ......................... 8 Structure of This Report .........................................................10 CHAPTER TWO Insights from Interviews with ML Experts .................................11 Methodology ......................................................................11 Surveying the ML Landscape: Definitions, Stakeholders, and Tensions ...13 Characteristics of High-Quality ML Education ............................. 22 Assessing ML Competencies .....................................................32 Summary .......................................................................... 34 CHAPTER THREE Reviewing Studies of ML Interventions ....................................37 Approach .......................................................................... 38 Conceptualizations of ML and Related Literacies ............................39 ML Intervention Dimensions and Associations with Truth Decay–Related Competencies .................................................................45 Summary ...........................................................................57 v vi Exploring Media Literacy Education as a Tool for Mitigating Truth Decay CHAPTER FOUR Measurement and Media Literacy ............................................59 What Makes a Good Measure? ................................................. 60 What Should We Measure? ..................................................... 64 What Kinds of Measures Are Most Useful for ML Research?...............67 Summary ......................................................................... 84 CHAPTER FIVE An Inventory of Publicly Available News and Information Literacy Resources .................................................................... 87 Approach .......................................................................... 90 Key Trends and Insights ..........................................................95 Summary ......................................................................... 110 CHAPTER SIX A Way Ahead for Media Literacy Education .............................. 113 Key Takeaways .................................................................. 113 Media Literacy Moving Forward ............................................. 117 References ...................................................................... 127 About the Authors ............................................................. 139 Figure and Tables Figure 1.1. Truth Decay as a System ............................................. 7 Tables S.1. Summary of Dimensions and Effects of ML Interventions ... xiv S.2. Types of ML Measures ..............................................xv 4.1. Selected Media Literacy-Related Competencies Relevant to Mitigating Truth Decay .........................................65 5.1. Resource Formats ................................................... 97 5.2. Resource Cost ...................................................... 104 5.3. ML Course Focal Areas .......................................... 106 5.4. Resources by Number of Categories Covered ................. 108 vii Summary In 2016, researchers at the RAND Corporation began exploring what is now referred to as Truth Decay—the diminishing role that facts, data, and analysis play in our political and civil discourse.1 The rise of Truth Decay has been brought on, at least in part, by an increasingly complex and saturated information ecosystem. Navigating this envi- ronment to complete even simple tasks requires many skills, such as the ability to evaluate sources, synthesize multiple accounts into coherent understanding of an issue, understand the context of communications, and responsibly create and share information. The gap between these demands and the skills of the average individual results in unfortunate consequences, such as a susceptibility to disinformation, misinforma- tion, and bias. Scholars, educators, and policymakers responding to concerns about disinformation and other symptoms of Truth Decay have begun to consider how educational programs—both in schools and outside them—can help people become more discerning about the content that they consume, create, and share through various media platforms. The phrase media literacy (ML) is one way to describe this set of com- 1 Truth Decay is defined as comprising four trends: an increasing disagreement about objec- tive facts and analytical interpretations of data; a blurring of the line between fact and opinion; an increasing relative volume, and resulting influence, of opinion compared with fact; and declining trust in key sources of information that used to be viewed as sources of factual infor- mation, such as the government and the media. Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich, Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation, RR-2314-RC, 2018. ix x Exploring Media Literacy Education as a Tool for Mitigating Truth Decay petencies.2 Recent attention to the challenges posed by the complex information ecosystem has increased interest in ML for stakeholders with a variety of interests. This report seeks to inform efforts to apply ML education as a countermeasure to the spread of Truth Decay by drawing on a broad body of knowledge. We are guided by the following questions: • How is ML conceptualized by experts and in extant empirical literature? • To what extent does research demonstrate
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21St Century
    An occasional paper on digital media and learning Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century Henry Jenkins, Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Katie Clinton Ravi Purushotma Alice J. Robison Margaret Weigel Building the new field of digital media and learning The MacArthur Foundation launched its five-year, $50 million digital media and learning initiative in 2006 to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life.Answers are critical to developing educational and other social institutions that can meet the needs of this and future generations. The initiative is both marshaling what it is already known about the field and seeding innovation for continued growth. For more information, visit www.digitallearning.macfound.org.To engage in conversations about these projects and the field of digital learning, visit the Spotlight blog at spotlight.macfound.org. About the MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition.With assets of $5.5 billion, the Foundation makes grants totaling approximately $200 million annually. For more information or to sign up for MacArthur’s monthly electronic newsletter, visit www.macfound.org. The MacArthur Foundation 140 South Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago, Illinois 60603 Tel.(312) 726-8000 www.digitallearning.macfound.org An occasional paper on digital media and learning Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century Henry Jenkins, Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Katie Clinton Ravi Purushotma Alice J.
    [Show full text]
  • MEDIA CONSUMPTION HABITS DURING the LOCKDOWN Impact Assessment of Media Usage During Quarantine - April 2020
    MEDIA CONSUMPTION HABITS DURING THE LOCKDOWN Impact Assessment of Media Usage During Quarantine - April 2020 ©2020 IpsosKE_AUM_ Media Consumption Habits I April 2020 SNAPSHOT SUMMARY This report snapshot highlights the situational analysis on media access and consumption habits at a time when a significant proportion of the continent population is either in lockdown and for some, working from home due to the Covid-19 crisis. From our analysis, here are some interesting observations: Increased media time; high consumption of TV programing Increased levels of anxiety and Online activities Increased household Increased spend on food and expenditure; school going healthcare hence less saving. children are at home CRISIS • Media is awash with stories of job loses meaning budgetary Increased idle time for constraints at the family level family bonding • Reduced consumer purchase power With heavy media consumption by a hungry audience, therein SO WHAT? lies the opportunity for creative content development. ©2020 IpsosKE_AUM_ Media Consumption Habits I April 2020 METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLING Survey Demographic Profile Rift Valley 1 25% National survey achieved a total sample of Eastern 2 15% 2,049 respondents 1 Central 3 13% 2 8 Nyanza 4 13% The representative sample covered the 18+ 37% 6 URBAN 63% Nairobi 5 11% population across all regions of Kenya 4 3 RURAL Western 6 10% 5 Coast 7 9% The survey was conducted telephonically 7 N. Eastern 8 4% (CATI) from 9th to 19th April 2020 49% 51% MALE FEMALE AGE SOCIAL ECONOMIC CLASS Refused 2% 45yrs + 23% LSM
    [Show full text]
  • Media Literacy in Foreign Language Education Digital and Multimodal Perspectives
    Prof. Dr. Christiane Lütge Chair of Teaching English as a Foreign Language Institute of English Philology Faculty of Languages and Literature International conference Media Literacy in Foreign Language Education Digital and Multimodal Perspectives Keynote speakers Bill Cope University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Gunther Kress University College London, UK Catherine Beavis March 12-15th, Deakin University, Australia Mary Kalantzis 2017 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Conference Schedule TEFL Day Contents Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday March 12th March 13th March 14th March 15th 09:00-10:00 09:00-10:00 09:00-11:00 Registration Plenary: Sections 9-- Senatssaal Catherine Beavis (See p.14-15) M218 General Information 10:00-10:30 10:00-10:30 Welcome Coffee Break Welcome .................................................................................................................. 2 M218 Senatssaal The Conference Team .............................................................................................. 3 10-- 10:30-11:30 10:30-12:30 10:30-12:00 Social & Cultural Programme .................................................................................. 4 Plenary: Sections Plenary Workshop Local Restaurants ..................................................................................................... 6 Bill Cope (See p.14-15) M218 M218 11:00-11:30 Contacts and Services .............................................................................................. 7 Coffee Break Senatssaal 11-- 11:30-12:00
    [Show full text]
  • Information Transliteracy”?
    International Conference “Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for Knowledge Societies”, 24-28 June, 2012, Moscow, Russian Federation Can one speak of an “information transliteracy”? Vincent LIQUETE ( Bordeaux University – IMS/CNRS UMR 5218 [Human Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (Team CIH)] [email protected] / [email protected] Summary of paper: The issue of transliteracy in general and particularly informational transliteracy is increasingly being debated worldwide and from extremely varying perspectives. These concepts refer to highly varied cultural and professional realities and contexts. In this paper we will discuss three dimensions and issues. First, we will attempt to delineate the scope and range of current thinking by researchers in information and communication sciences in France with regard to informational transliteracy, and present its four main components. Second, we will lay the claim that the informational transliteracy approach goes beyond the “Media and Information Literacies (MIL)” approach, in particular by giving all due importance to issues related to learning with computers, i. e. “computation”. Finally, we will present some new thinking that is currently being implemented in the French education system and will present some research projects involving informational transliteracy (LIMIN-R project, Translit project, etc.). Key words: Transliteracy / Information culture / French educative system / Informational practice /Competencie / Forward For twenty years now, the notions of information literacy and thereafter Translitteracy have been the subject of a wide range of definitions and an extensive scientific literature, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world. We will attempt during this presentation to demonstrate some of the main dimensions in terms of skills and attitudes in the various literacies that are giving rise to the new forms of training and support required in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effect of Media Literacy Training on the Self-Esteem and Body-Satisfaction
    Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 The ffecE t of Media Literacy Training on the Self- Esteem and Body-Satisfaction Among Fifth Grade Girls Holly Mathews Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Holly Mathews has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Hedy Dexter, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Brandon Cosley, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Neal McBride, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract The Effect of Media Literacy Training on the Self-Esteem and Body-Satisfaction Among Fifth Grade Girls by Holly Mathews MS, Walden University, 2010 BS, The Pennsylvania State University, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University December 2016 Abstract Repeated exposure to media images that portray women as sex objects can have negative long-term effects on self-esteem beginning in preadolescence.
    [Show full text]
  • Measuring the News and Its Impact on Democracy COLLOQUIUM PAPER Duncan J
    Measuring the news and its impact on democracy COLLOQUIUM PAPER Duncan J. Wattsa,b,c,1, David M. Rothschildd, and Markus Mobiuse aDepartment of Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; bThe Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; cOperations, Information, and Decisions Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; dMicrosoft Research, New York, NY 10012; and eMicrosoft Research, Cambridge, MA 02142 Edited by Dietram A. Scheufele, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, and accepted by Editorial Board Member Susan T. Fiske February 21, 2021 (received for review November 8, 2019) Since the 2016 US presidential election, the deliberate spread of pro-Clinton articles.” In turn, they estimated that “if one fake misinformation online, and on social media in particular, has news article were about as persuasive as one TV campaign ad, generated extraordinary concern, in large part because of its the fake news in our database would have changed vote shares by potential effects on public opinion, political polarization, and an amount on the order of hundredths of a percentage point,” ultimately democratic decision making. Recently, however, a roughly two orders of magnitude less than needed to influence handful of papers have argued that both the prevalence and the election outcome. Subsequent studies have found similarly consumption of “fake news” per se is extremely low compared with other types of news and news-relevant content.
    [Show full text]
  • Henry Jenkins Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media
    Henry Jenkins Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media Collide n New York University Press • NewYork and London Skenovano pro studijni ucely NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London www.nyupress. org © 2006 by New York University All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jenkins, Henry, 1958- Convergence culture : where old and new media collide / Henry Jenkins, p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-4281-5 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8147-4281-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Mass media and culture—United States. 2. Popular culture—United States. I. Title. P94.65.U6J46 2006 302.230973—dc22 2006007358 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. Manufactured in the United States of America c 15 14 13 12 11 p 10 987654321 Skenovano pro studijni ucely Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction: "Worship at the Altar of Convergence": A New Paradigm for Understanding Media Change 1 1 Spoiling Survivor: The Anatomy of a Knowledge Community 25 2 Buying into American Idol: How We are Being Sold on Reality TV 59 3 Searching for the Origami Unicorn: The Matrix and Transmedia Storytelling 93 4 Quentin Tarantino's Star Wars? Grassroots Creativity Meets the Media Industry 131 5 Why Heather Can Write: Media Literacy and the Harry Potter Wars 169 6 Photoshop for Democracy: The New Relationship between Politics and Popular Culture 206 Conclusion: Democratizing Television? The Politics of Participation 240 Notes 261 Glossary 279 Index 295 About the Author 308 V Skenovano pro studijni ucely Acknowledgments Writing this book has been an epic journey, helped along by many hands.
    [Show full text]
  • Councilchronicle
    www.ncte.org March 2009 • Volume 18, No. 3 COUNCIL CHRONICLE THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH Everyday Writing (p. 6) Best Practices Help End Copyright Confusion (p.12) 2008 NCTE Presidential Address (p. 17) Making Waves in San Francisco CCCC Convention, March 11–14, 2009 (p. 18) A NEW NCTE POLICY RESEARCH BRIEF Teacher Advocacy: What Happened Literacy Learning in Texas in the 21st Century (p. 20) (p. 14) Reader’s Commentary From Edge City (p. 28) LOG New features and functions for ON www.ncte.org! ver the last few years, NCTE staff have worked with the Writing in Digital OEnvironments Research Center (http://www.wide.msu.edu/), members, focus groups, and outside contractors in order to develop the features and functions of a new website for www.ncte.org. Not only will you find a new platform with inter- activity on almost every page, you’ll be able to find what you need faster and easier through a streamlined navigation system. You’ll also be able to get a feel for what your colleagues are interested in and what content they are finding most useful through our interactive polls, dynamic lists of the most popular pages, and user-generated content. Along with greater accessibility, you can look forward to more enhancements, including more videos, podcasts, RSS feeds, and links to social networks. We encourage you to visit the new site at www.ncte.org and check out all the updated features. Then share your feedback with us through the Comments box at www.ncte.org/redesign.
    [Show full text]
  • Developing Digital and Media Literacies in Children And
    Kristen Hawley Turner, PhD,a Tessa Jolls, BA, b Michelle Schira Hagerman, PhD, c William DevelopingO’Byrne, PhD, d Troy Hicks, PhD, e Bobbie Digital Eisenstock, PhD, f Kristineand E. Pytash, Media PhDg Literacies in Children and Adolescents ’ abstract In today s global culture and economy, in which individuals have access to information at their fingertips at all times, digital and media literacy are essential to participate in society. But what specific competencies must young citizens acquire? How do these competencies ’ influence pedagogy? How are student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors changed? What are the best ways to assess students digital and media literacy? These questions underscore what parents, educators, health professionals, and community leaders need to know to ensure that youth become digitally and media literate. Experimental and pilot programs in the digital and media literacy fields are yielding insights, but gaps in understanding and lack of support for research and development continue to impede growth in these areas. Learning environments no longer depend on seat time in factory-like school settings. Learning happens anywhere, anytime, and productivity in the workplace depends on digital and media literacy. To create the human capital necessary for success and sustainability in a technology-driven world, we must invest in the literacy practices of our youth. In this article, we make recommendations for research and policy priorities. aDrew University, Madison, New Jersey; bCenter for Media Literacy, Malibu,
    [Show full text]
  • Media Literacy Activity Ideas
    Media literacy activity ideas A group of ideas through which students can develop critical literacies within science, technology and mathematics by engaging with the media. 1. Purpose of the resource Engaging with media texts Development of critical literacies 2. How is it used? Who with? These ideas are useful as starters for teachers to create contextualised learning opportunties and ways to engage students in developing critical literacy. They may also work to support students to co-construct their own contexts for learning. 3. Context/setting for use Suitable for any grouping of students including across year levels and / or curriculum areas 4. Link to Ako: Critical Contexts for Learning (3 circles) The ideas presented here open the possibilities to work across and beyond the classroom, providing opportunities for learning focussed relationships of reciporocity between teachers, Māori students, whānau and community members. These ideas also offer the opportunity to specifically and authenically legitimate and value multi-worldviews and the cultural toolkit of each individual involved. The decisions made by teachers, alongside students, around the scope of the learning - how it will be undertaken and by whom, how it will be shared and assessed will determine the extent to which the principles of culturally responsive and relational pedagogies are present. This will mean that teachers are able to draw on both their curricular and pedgaogical expertise to ensure the strategies chosen met the specific needs of their learners. 5. Questions
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting the Potential Uses of Media for Children's Education
    Revisiting the Potential Uses of Media in Children’s Education Chris Berdik Winter 2020 The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop About the Author Chris Berdik is a freelance science and education journalist in Boston. A former staff editor at The Atlantic Monthly and Mother Jones, he has covered topics such as virtual schools, DNA forensics, and climate engineering for national publications, including The New York Times, Wired, Popular Science, Politico, New Scientist, and The Washington Post. Since 2015, he has also been a regular contributor to the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit education newsroom. His reporting has won grants from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the Society of Environmental Journalists, and the Solutions Journalism Network. In 2012, Penguin published his book Mind Over Mind, about medical and non-medical placebo effects. He is now working on a book about noise, expected to be published by Norton in 2021. A full-text PDF of this publication is available as a free download from www.joanganzcooneycenter.org. 2 CoNteNtS 4 — INTRODUCTION 6 — PART ONE Uncharted Territory? 7 What’s Been Done (Or Overdone)? 7 Where Are the Gaps? 9 — PART TWO Key Ingredients 10 Starting Points 11 Digital Do’s and Don’ts 13 — PART THREE Adults in the Room 14 Encouraging Adults 15 Desperately Seeking Curation 16 Scaffolding 17 — PART FOUR Fake News! 18 Media Literacy 19 Privacy 21 — PART FIVE Pursuing Equity 22 Big Picture 23 Small Steps 24 — CONCLUSION 26 — CONTRIBUTORS 3 INtroDuCtIoN On November 10, 1969, Big Bird took his first outsized steps down Sesame Street, introducing the world to a character that was endearingly goofy, but always eager to learn.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Visual Literacy: Multimodal Communication Across the Curriculum
    WAC, WID, ECAC, CAC, CXC, LAC — VAC? Critical Visual Literacy: Multimodal Communication Across the Curriculum Barb Blakely Duffelmeyer and Anthony Ellertson, Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin Abstract: "Critical Visual Literacy: Multimodal Communication Across the Curriculum" makes the case for expanding the pedagogical space and communication possibilities in undergraduate communication-intensive and linked (learning community) courses by allowing students to create multimodal texts that deal with civic and cultural and/or discipline-specific themes. We argue that, rather than diluting the opportunities for rhetorical education—now comprised of critical literacy, visual literacy, and critical technological literacy in today's increasingly fast-moving visual and electronic cultural environment—multimodal composing more meaningfully reflects the environment in which students receive and generate text today. Using a theory base that draws from the literatures of composition and CAC, visual literacy, new media theory and ecology, and the theory and pedagogy of critical technological literacy, we make a case for this expansion of communication opportunities in undergraduate communication-intensive classes. Specifically, we show how multimodal composing reinforces and further develops at least three essential characteristics of a critically literate person, thus helping to lift what W.J.T. Mitchell (2002) so aptly called the "ideological veil": 1) understanding that a text is not a transparent window on reality, but is constructed; 2) developing and demonstrating rhetorical awareness both as a composer of text and as a reader of text; and 3) developing agency as a communicator and as a reader, rather than opting for the passivity that our popular media environment makes so easy.
    [Show full text]