Developing critical thinking and media literacy through education

Acknowledging the various benefits and opportunities that both the internet and social media can bring, but also emphasising the potential threats and dangers which they can present, the Council of the European Union has recently adopted a set of conclusions on developing media literacy and critical thinking through education and training. 

Date 2016-06-16 Author BIK team
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As expressed by the Council of the European Union, "digital competence, which encompasses the confident, creative and critical use of ICT, is a crucial component of media literacy, that is, all the technical, cognitive, social, civic and creative capacities that allow us to access and have a critical understanding of and interact with both traditional and new forms of media". Among its key remarks, the Council invites the Member States to: 
  • Encourage sufficient attention to be paid to developing media literacy and critical thinking in education and training at all levels, including through citizenship and media education.
  • Seek to increase digital competence levels among learners of all ages, in a lifelong learning perspective. 
  • Encourage socially safe learning environments, both online and offline, in which controversial issues can be openly discussed and freedom of speech preserved, and empower teaching staff to initiate and moderate such discussions.
  • Support teaching staff and school leaders at all levels of education and training in developing through initial training and continuous professional development their own digital competence.
  • Engage with parents and other stakeholders in society at large, with a view to reducing the digital gap between generations and fostering a shared culture of dialogue and mutual understanding.
  • Encourage innovative, creative and participative ways of developing media literacy and critical thinking in education and training.
Moreover, the Council points out the crucial part played by education and training in supporting young people to develop into responsible (digital) citizens and to enhance their media literacy knowledge, relying also on previous acts such as its conclusions of November 2012 on the European strategy for a Better Internet for Children.
 
Within the Better Internet for Children Strategy, Safer Internet Centres (SICs) from the Insafe network have also been keen to promote resources on media literacy, such as centres from Finland with the Media Literacy Index, Greece with ‘The Grocery Store' and the Netherlands with its resource on media literacy for young children. The next edition of the quarterly BIK bulletin will focus on ‘European media literacy policies and practices‘ - find out more here or subscribe to receive a copy direct to your mailbox when published.
 
For more information, you may access the webpage of the Council of the European Union, where the conclusions are also available. 
 

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