MEDIA EDUCATION IN FINLAND
OLLI VESTERINEN, PH.D.
CHAIR
FINNISH SOCIETY ON MEDIA EDUCATION
POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHER
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
Practical Media Literacy Education
Kiev, Ukraine, October 31 – November 1, 2013
Finnish Society on Media Education
Founded in 2005 by Finnish
researchers and
practitioners within media
education.
More than 50 community
members (film centres,
youth centres, culture
centres, associations,
companies, etc.)
Funding by:
Supporting and developing
the field of research and
practices concerning media
education
Contributing to the public
debate
Providing opportunities to
share media educational
experiences online and
offline.
OmniSchool – Research and
Development Project (2011–2015)
University of Helsinki,
Department of
Teacher Education
Funded by:
OMNISCHOOL.fi
Bridging children’s
“omnipresent” learning across
different settings
Promoting life-wide and
lifelong learning
Building a network of
pedagogical actors, learning
contexts, and best practices
Through cooperation
between and within the
network of actors and in
Kaikkialla.fi web-service
(in Finnish).
ICT use and attitudes in Finnish schools
Survey of Schools: ICT in Education
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/dae/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=9920
Media Education in
Policy Documents
in Finland
Political decision making and media
literacy
Government Programme (6/2011): The use of ICT in education will be
fostered.
Child and Youth Policy Programme
(2012-2015)
Responsible ministries: Ministry of
Education and Culture, Ministry of
Transport and Communication and
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
National Knowledge Society Strategy
(2007-2015)Responsible actors: Ministry
of Education and culture, Finnish
National Board of Education, Ministry of
Justice/democracy unit, Ministry of Trade
and Industry, Finnish Broadcasting
Company
Audiovisual Culture in the Digital Era.
Set of Policies (2012)
Responsible ministry: Ministry of
Education and Culture
Education and Research 2007-2012.
Development Plan.
Responsible ministry: Ministry of
Education and Culture
‘Good Media Literacy’ Guidelines
‘Good Media Literacy’
– National Policy
Guidelines 2013–2016
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2013/Hyva_medialukutaito.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
– Good Media Literacy
Ministry of Education and Culture draw up
guidelines for 2013–2016 in promoting media
literacy. The Guidelines draw on...
◻ the objectives set out in the Government
Programme,
◻ the growing range of media education actors,
◻ the constantly evolving media environment, and
◻ the field of media education.
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2013/Hyva_medialukutaito.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
Then, what is good media literacy?
Good media literacy
◻ is built on the principles set
out in the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child,
◻ links in many sectors of
society,
◻ pertain to participation,
being active as a citizen,
critical thinking, creativity
and self-expression,
◻ discusses media literacy in a
broad sense,
◻ not only about information,
skills, competence and
mastering the use of media;
it is a way of existing and
living in relationship with
media,
◻ is seen as a citizenship skill
in today’s information
society, and
◻ is acquired in many different
settings.
◻ overlaps with other
concepts,
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2013/Hyva_medialukutaito.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
Agenda for schools (2004–2014)
◻
Cross curricular theme in the National Core
Curriculum for Basic Education:
⬜ The goal is to improve skills in expression and
interaction, to advance understanding of the
media’s position and the importance and to
improve skills in using the media. With respect to
communication skills, emphasis is given to
participatory, interactive and communicaty
communication. The pupils are to practise media
skills as both producers and recipients of
messages. (2004)
National Board of Education / National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2004
– challenges
⬜
Challenges for promoting and
increasing media literacy and ICT use
in schools:
■
Varying and inadequate standard of
technological infrastructure at schools
■
Lack of technical–pedagogical support
■
Low usage of pedagogical models and
practices geared towards supporting
learners’ active involvement and
collaborative learning (compared to
those of textbook-based teaching)
“Every child is
guaranteed to gain
basic skills to act in
the information
society.” – Not yet
fulfilled.
■
Availability, quality and dissemination of
materials
■
School culture (inside the school but
also with youth work, parents, cultural
actors, media…)
■
Teachers’ in-service training
“Materials and
operational models to
support media
education and literacy
will be developed for
education
institutions.” – Not
fulfilled in the best
possible way.
(National Plan for Educational Use of Information
and Communications Technology 2011)
– opportunities ahead
◻
National Board of Education has launched the renewal
process for curriculum criteria of basic education.
◻
The new distribution of lesson hours seems to allocate
more time for media education
◻
New core curriculum is based on the changes in issues
relating to identity, self-expression, communication and
collaboration skills, knowledge building in networks
◻
New core curriculum promotes comprehensive reading
and writing literacy, media literacy and ICT skills as a task
cutting across all areas and promote everyone’s
involvement and participation, giving opportunities to
influence and advance positive critical thinking.
Governmental Agency MEKU
◻
Act on the Finnish Centre for Media Education and Audiovisual
Programmes 2011 -> Finnish Centre for Media Education and
Audiovisual Media (MEKU)
⬜ promote media education, children’s media skills and the
development of safe media environment for children in
cooperation with other authorities and corporations in the sector
⬜ act as an expert in the development of children's media
environment and promote research related to the sector, as well
as monitor international development in the field
⬜ distribute information about children and the media
⬜ take charge of the education and refresher training of audiovisual
programme classifiers
– background
◻ New law in 2012 finished the work of The Finnish
Board of Film Classification (VET) and it’s film
classification system under which films (and digital
games) were classified into six age categories
according to the quantity and quality of violent,
sexual, horror and with these comparable content.
◻ The Board was responsible for all classifying and
rating in Finland of movies and digital games.
PEGI-rated games were the only exception from
this system put in effect by the state official.
– new issues
◻ In the changing audiovisual media environment
the old, by public authority executed rating system
with its limited resources couldn’t answer the
rising new needs. Therefore the changes were
inevitable for achieving the overall law-based
demand of protecting children from detrimental
audiovisual media content.
◻ Growing need for media education, new media
skills and new arrangements to organize these.
New symbols for age limits and content
The old age limits for the examined audio-visual programs
Finnish Safer Internet Centre (FISIC)
2012–2014
◻ Safer Internet project funded by European
Commission
◻ Mission: to improve children’s safety and
wellbeing in relation to the digital media
◻ A joint action of three organizations: Finnish
Centre for Media Education and Audiovisual
Media (MEKU), Save the Children Finland (STC)
and The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare
(MLL).
http://www.saferinternetday.org/web/finland/home
Media Literacy Week
◻ Extended Safer Internet Day (campaigns, events,
etc.)
◻ The aim is to improve children’s media literacy
◻ 60 organizations supporting and planning the
Media Literacy Week’s activities
More detailed information
POLICY PROGRAMMES
◻ A renewing, human-centric and competitive Finland. The National Knowledge Society Strategy 2007–2015
⬜ http://www.epractice.eu/files/media/media1936.pdf
◻
Child and Youth Policy Programme 2012–2015
⬜
◻
Audiovisual Culture in the Digital Era. Set of Policies. 2012.
⬜
◻
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/Lapsi_ja_nuorisopolitiikan_kehittamisohjelma_2012_2015?lang=en
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/av_linjaukset.html?lang=en
Education and research 2007-2012. Development Plan
⬜
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2008/Koulutus_ja_tutkimus_2007_2012._Kehittamisuunnitelma?lang=
fi&extra_locale=en
OTHER DOCUMENTS
◻ Finnish Centre for Media Education and Audiovisual Programmes
⬜ Act on the Finnish Centre for Media Education and Audiovisual Programmes:
www.meku.fi/images/meku_laki_711_2011_en.pdf
◻ National Board of Education
⬜ http://www.oph.fi/english/sources_of_information/core_curricula_and_qualification_requirements/basic_educ
ation
⬜ National Plan for Educational Use of Information and Communications Technology:
http://www.edu.fi/download/135308_TVT_opetuskayton_suunnitelma_Eng.pdf
◻ Finnish Society on Media Education, information and resources of Finnish media education
⬜ www.mediaeducation.fi
Media Education in
Libraries
in Finland
http://vimeo.com/39015215
Libraries and Media Education
◻ The development of media education in public
libraries has been supported for years.
◻ From 2004 on libraries have been highlighted as
public cultural institutions that can function as
important providers of media education.
◻ Libraries are also
mentioned as central
actors in the promotion
of digital equality
between the regions.
– general
The national development of media education
provided by public libraries has been supported in
2006–2010, a total of EUR 680,000:
◻ Operational models and materials for media
education carried out by libraries and training for
library professionals.
◻ Training for regional providers of media education
for libraries, a collection of articles and learning
material for the purpose.
◻ A media education website for library
professionals.
Libraries and Media Education
Libraries and
Media 2012
Research
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/kirjastot.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
Libraries and Media 2012 Research
Focus on:
◻ the status of media education in municipal
public libraries in Finland was studied
◻ attitudes and conceptions with reference to
media education,
◻ the visibility of media education projects and
materials and
◻ the realisation of media education in the
daily activities of libraries.
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/kirjastot.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
– study results
◻ Library is considered to be a very important
provider of media education by 1/3 of the
respondents and rather important by half of
the respondents.
◻ The most important goal: inspiring children
to read.
◻ Central topics in media education:
information management skills and the ability
to differentiate fact and fiction.
– study results
◻ Past 2 years, 4/5 libraries involved in some
national, regional or local media education
project.
◻ 16 per cent of the libraries are involved in
some network related to media education.
◻ In 25 per cent of the libraries, media
education or the promotion of
media literacy has been
incorporated into the job
description of a staff member.
– study results
◻ 1/5 of libraries either incorporate media
education into the action plan or a separate
media education plan has been prepared.
◻ In 1/3 of the libraries, a plan for libraryschool cooperation had been drawn up in
cooperation with the schools and in 1/3 the
cooperation plan had been drawn up
independently.
– study results
◻ The most common working method in media
education carried out by libraries is school
visits and so called story hours.
◻ A fifth of the libraries also
provide media education
on a regular basis
to 0 to 8-year-olds.
◻ More than half of the libraries provide media
education at least occasionally to adults and
senior citizens.
– study results
◻ Less than half of the libraries
have specific equipment or
facilities for media education.
◻ 2/5 libraries provide a games
console or a specific
computer / computer facility for gaming.
◻ 1/3 libraries have a digital camera and 1/4
libraries have a facility for the digitizing and
editing of materials.
– study results
◻ Lack of time and insufficient personnel are
perceived as significant obstacles for the
organizing media education in libraries.
◻ Rarely the attitudes of customers and
management are considered to be a
significant obstacle
for the realisation of
media education.
Media Education as an
Integrative Element
in Schools
in Finland
OMNISCHOOL.fi
Boundary Crossing is a term
frequently used to denote that there is
a movement across or a co-location of
different practices.
(Akkerman & Bakker, 2011)
Levels of Boundary Bridging
Pedagogy
SOCIETY
SCHOOL
CHILDREN’S WORLDS
(Rajala et al., 2010; Vesterinen & Kynäslahti, in press)
1. Integrating the surrounding
community and/or society with
school
SOCIETY
SCHOOL
CHILDREN’S WORLDS
Fiskari Primary School in
Raasepori
2. The ways the children's own
skills & knowledge and the ways of
learning are acknowledged
SOCIETY
SCHOOL
CHILDREN’S WORLDS
Board games in school are
bridging the school learning and
children’s own worlds and media
practices
http://www.eduplus.fi/
http://youtu.be/flvx3edUz2s
When learning
is acknowledged
as omnipresent,
media literacy is
an integral part
of any learning.
3. School’s internal integrative
elements
SOCIETY
SCHOOL
CHILDREN’S WORLDS
Integration of school subjects
On left, separated school subjects
On right, phenomenon-based approach
In the middle, domain-based integration of
school subjects
4. The possibilities of media
education in integration of different
elements and levels
SOCIETY
SCHOOL
CHILDREN’S WORLDS
Media Education...
•
•
•
is about children’s media literacy as well as
educational use of information and
communication technologies,
is bridging in-school and out-of-school
learning environments, and
is a way to import popular cultural issues into
school life.
Didactics of Media Education
(Vesterinen, 2011)
Didactics of Media Education
Dimension of Media Literacy
Dimension of Media Literacy
Volitional
media production
Critical
media analysis
Dimension of Media Literacy
Volitional
media production
Critical
media analysis
Media Education Integration
Volitional
media production
Critical
media analysis
Media Literacy is an interplay
between
•
•
Learning about and with/through media, and
Critical analysis of media and volitional
media production.
Media-Based Boundary
Bridging Pedagogy
– a summary
Five challenges
1. Surrounding community and society part of
school context.
2. Children’s own world(s) and media practices
acknowledged in schools.
3. Integration inside of school.
4. Media as a substance of and as a tool for
learning.
5. Media literacy involving both critical analysis
as well as volitional production of media.
Media education
creates automatically situations,
where school subjects are integrated,
the school walls become more permeable,
and children’s own experiences and skills
protrude alongside with curricular learning in
school subjects.
(Vesterinen & Kynäslahti, in press)
Boundaries will always exist.
Still, we need to build sensible continuums
in learning when moving from a learning
environment to another or in time.
– Learning is omnipresent,
teaching is the bridge!
Thank you!
Questions, comments,
olli.vesterinen@mediakasvatus.fi
For more information:
www.mediaeducation.fi
OMNISCHOOL.fi