Developing a Responsive and Adaptable Emergent Media Curriculum

National Association for Media Literacy Education. 10 Laurel Hill Drive, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003. Tel: 888-775-2652; e-mail: editor@jmle.org; Web site: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle/

Y

9

Media Literacy; Curriculum Development; Departments; Universities; Journalism Education; Communications; Information Technology; Skill Development; Experiential Learning; Program Development; Futures (of Society); Culturally Relevant Education; Social Change; Program Descriptions

2167-8715

The field of mass communication is constantly undergoing change and development, and the pace has accelerated with the advent of digital technologies. One challenge educators face is: how do we educate college students not just for today's careers, but also for lifelong competencies with media? Against this backdrop, the Department of Media and Journalism at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania sought a new curriculum to capitalize on "emergent media," that is, media that does not fit neatly into established mass communication disciplines such as journalism, telecommunications, public relations, and advertising. Our curriculum is centered around media literacy, skills development, and experiential learning. In this article, we discuss the theoretical backdrop for the curriculum, the structure of the curriculum, and the growth and future directions of our program. Now seven years into this curriculum, our experience can assist other educators in finding ways to make their curricula responsive and adaptable to a rapidly changing media environment.

As Provided

2020

EJ1251788