ASSESSING MEDIA LITERACY
IN A NEW LEARNING CULTURE
Dietmar Schipek
1.2 MIO PUPILS
120.000 TEACHERS
6.000 SCHOOLS
THE MEDIA LITERACY AWARD IS INTENDED TO
THEMATISE MEDIA LITERACY AS A POLITICAL,
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND PERSONAL QUALIFICATION
AND TO ENHANCE THE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE
USE OF MEDIA IN A EVERYDAY CONTEXT.
LONG TERM STUDY
•- THE MEDIA LITERACY AWARD STARTED 2001
•- MORE THAN 400 PROJECTS EACH YEAR
•- CONTINUOUS PROCESS EVALUATION
SUCCESS FACTORS IN MEDIA EDUCATION
•SELF-EFFICACY Enabling self-efficacy experiences is very important to
the learning process.
•CRITICAL THINKING requires guidance and empowerment because this
way of thinking is not something innate.
•CREATIVE THINKING Creativity can be learned.
•OPEN-MINDEDNESS With a digital window on the world we are literally
globally open. The ability to cope with ambiguity can be learned.
ML SET UP - 4 WAYS
1
START
to use the
wide range
of cultural
facilities
become a openminded creative
and critical
thinker
2MAKE
a project
We're happy to
help you
3INTEGRATE
ML into your
subject
find hundreds of good
examples published
4ENCOURAGE
and enable
the development of
individual
competencies
use our new textbook with
prototypical tasks
RADIO FILM
GAME
NET
PRESS ICT
LEARNING BY DOING
‘Recommendation General
1. Whichever terms are used, clearly include core ML
constitutive parts - Critical thinking and Participatory
competences – within its definitions.’

‘Recommendation General
2. Within the ML approach, emphasise the social,
ethical and cultural aspects (in addition to the
economical one)’

‘It is necessary to introduce media education in the
curricula for all different levels of schools, including
primary and kindergarten. Therefore we recommend the
inclusion of ME as an obligatory part of the curricula in
primary and secondary (lower and upper) schools
curricula.’
x
‘4. Training for Teachers
ME training courses for teachers of primary and
secondary schools should be initiated. Training
should be offered to all teachers.’
x
‘5. Access and Development of Teaching Resources
Ample, innovative and effective ME learning resources
should be collaboratively developed, validated and
rendered easily accessible to teachers.’

‘6. Develop Evaluation Assessment Tools
It is important to develop a more systematic research
to validate and refine tools which have already been
developed to measure media literacy competences
levels for each grade of school. Therefore, in
cooperation with educators, both theory-based
research and empirical research with practical
evaluations of the skills acquired need to be
developed at national level.’
?
Decree
-------------------
Curricula
-------------------
Teaching material
-------------------
Competencies
------------------Prototypical tasks
& Portfolio
-------------
Best Practice
------Development plan - Media Education
------Empowerment evaluation
-------

Media education is one of the integrating principles of Austrian education.
NEW LEARNING CULTURE
Claudia Schmied, Federal Minister for Education, Arts and Culture 2007-2013
Development plan
Media Education
CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK
Individual
Environment
Group/Society Nature
Technology
[ 14 Educational principles and priorities ]
21 media competencies
IN-SERVICE TEACHER TRAINING
ML self-assessment test
Textbooks / Workbook / Portfolio
WHAT WORKS BEST FOR LEARNING?
‘Visible Learning means an enhanced role for teachers as they
become evaluators of their own teaching.’
ML SELF-ASSESSMENT
In-service teacher training
PILOT: ML SELF-ASSESSMENT / AGE 14-17
COMMUNICATION ABILITY
Video or Audio of any kind
Not really
I know how to do that
I'm very good at all that
Colaborating online on a joint project
I've never tried
Not too badly
Yes, I can do that well
EMPOWERMENT EVALUATION
Empowerment evaluation is an evaluation approach
designed to help communities monitor
and evaluate their own performance.
‘Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation
concepts, techniques, and findings to foster
improvement and self-determination.’ (David Fetterman)
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY (SDT) is a theory
of motivation. It is concerned with supporting
our natural or intrinsic tendencies to behave
in effective and healthy ways.
The theory was initially developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan,
and has been elaborated and refined by scholars from many countries.
EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS IN AUSTRIA
specify an average level of achievement.
An intermediate level that ought to be achieved
on average, or as ideal.
They serve as orientation in teaching and
learning.
EMPOWERMENT EVALUATION
•SQA-SCHOOL QUALITY
•SELF-ASSESSMENT
•DEVELOPMENT PLAN
•OPEN STANDARD
•TEXTBOOK
&PORTFOLIO
MEDIA LITERACY IN EDUCATION
Cross-Curricular Decree on Media Education
ISCED 1
ISCED 2
Curriculum YES
Curriculum YES
Competencies YES
Competencies YES
Prototypical tasks MISSING
Prototypical tasks YES
Best practice examples YES
Best practice examples YES
ISCED 3
Curriculum YES
Competencies YES
Prototypical tasks YES
Best practice examples YES
Matriculation examination YES
OPEN STANDARD
• Has each student completed a media project
at least once a school year?
• Has every student critically analyzed and
evaluated media messages at least once a month?
• Has each student used the Internet at school at
least once a week?
• Has each student seen a recommended movie
and discussed it in a lesson at least once a year?
ONE MORE THING
THE NEW TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMM
STARTS RIGHT NOW ...
MEDIA LITERACY INTEGRATED?
NEW TEACHER TRAINING
COURSES
ML&ICT INCLUDED
The main task for Austrian universities and
teacher training colleges is now developing
curricula for the new teacher education
programme which will lead to compulsory
masters courses (4 year bachelor programme
plus 1 to 2 year masters programme)
THANK YOU!
mediamanual.at is an interface and communication
platform for active media work in schools. It
explores teaching and learning processes, develops
teaching materials and networks of knowledge
production, organizes competitions, meetings,
courses, and encourages, advises and supports
teachers and school in developing projects.