Project TITLE
The Assignment Toolkit: Digital Media Literacy
Project Lead
Dr Catherine Palmer (catherine.palmer@mtu.ie)
Project Status
- In Progress
Project Lead Home Department
- MTU Cork - Science and Informatics - Mathematics
Alignment to HEA and NFETLHE SATLE 2023-24 Themes
- Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Alignment to MTU Strategy Themes
- Learner Education & Experience
- People & Community
- Global Outlook
Project Description
The ability to access high quality information and use this to make informed decisions is an essential skillset for students to acquire, particularly in today’s digital landscape where the amount of information available is increasing exponentially yet there are few regulations around content creation. The threat of disinformation, misinformation and mal-information is of growing global concern. A 2024 report by OECD notes that manipulated information is a threat to the "free and fact-based exchange of information underpinning democratic debate". In response to this, the Government of Ireland has established the National Counter Disinformation Strategy Working Group and education in Digital Media Literacy will play a key role.
While Digital Media Literacy skills are incorporated into certain degree programs, they are often absent from STEM curricula. Currently, there are no open-access educational resources tailored to higher education in Ireland.
This project aims to address the identified skills gap by creating open educational resources (OER) that:
- Provide knowledge of the current media landscape including the ownership and funding of media organisations and technology platforms.
- Examine recent developments in strategic efforts to spread disinformation and the use of artificial intelligence.
- Outline case studies exploring the impact of bias, disinformation, online algorithms.
- Develop guidelines for critical thinking in respect to accessing and evaluating information.
This project will build upon the Critical Thinking and Misinformation modules within the existing MTU Assignment Toolkit OER. The extended modules will provide students with a critical evaluation skillset to help them make informed decisions in relation to the digital content they consume.
What is the anticipated impact of this project?
The Assignment Toolkit is already a well-established and widely utilised resource within Munster Technological University (MTU). It is highly recommended by lecturers to students as a supplementary learning tool covering important academic skills and topics, including:
- Getting to Know Your Library
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Misinformation
- Effective Searching
- Reading Academic Material and Planning for Assignments
- Understanding Plagiarism
- Assignment Writing
- Referencing
This project aims to build upon the toolkit's existing strengths by developing and incorporating new supplementary content into the Critical Thinking Skills and Misinformation modules. This additional content will address a newly emerged knowledge gap in the area of Digital Media Literacy - a crucial set of skills for today's students to navigate the digital information ecosystem.
Significantly, there are currently no comparable resources of this type specifically targeted at the higher education audience. By enhancing the Assignment Toolkit in this way, MTU will be providing its entire student body with the opportunity to acquire these essential lifelong skills. The modular design of the toolkit also means that individual components can be easily integrated into degree programs, allowing lecturers to seamlessly incorporate these materials to support their curriculum and satisfy UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Beyond the MTU community, the Assignment Toolkit's open educational resource (OER) format enables broad accessibility and adaptability for other higher education institutions, both nationally and internationally. This project will further amplify its impact by actively promoting the enhanced toolkit through the Media Literacy Ireland website and the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) - extending its reach to students and educators.
HOW Will the outputs of this project be DISSEMINATED?
The project team intends to adopt the following dissemination strategy:
Expanding Access and Sustainability through an Open Access Platform
- The project's outputs will be made freely accessible and sustainable for the long term. By housing all resources, updates, and user support options on the existing Library Assignment Toolkit platform, the project team will ensure ongoing accessibility and support for users, even after the project has concluded.
Leveraging External Partnerships to Amplify Promotion
- Given the global push to counter the spread of misinformation, the project team will promote the open educational resources (OER) created through this project with established external organisations, such as Media Literacy Ireland and the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).
Empowering Educators through Workshops and Presentations
- The project team will organise a series of interactive workshops and presentations that will showcase the functionality and features of the enhanced Assignment Toolkit. These hands-on training sessions will equip staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively integrate the toolkit's digital media literacy modules into their course curricula, facilitating widespread implementation.
Amplifying Visibility through Publications, Conferences and Dissemination Materials
- The project team of staff and student partners will develop a suite of promotional and dissemination material. These materials can be distributed at relevant academic conferences, workshops, and other higher education events. The student partnership will be key for promoting the resources.
Team Members
- Dr Catherine Palmer, Department of Mathematics, MTU Cork Campuses
- Dr Haithem Afli, Department of Computer Science, MTU Cork Campuses
- Michelle Power, Department of Marketing and International Business, MTU Cork Campuses
- Michael Costello, Deputy Librarian, MTU Cork Campuses
- Colm O’Rourke, Senior Library Assistant, MTU Cork Campuses
- Students
- Dr Eileen Culloty, Assistant Professor School of Communications DCU, European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) Ireland Hub Coordinator, Media Literacy Ireland Co-chair
