Search

Research shows that young people are likely to encounter considerable amounts of violence in the media they use. Some of those depictions trivialize the severity of violence. Past studies show that media literacy education can spur critical thinking regarding violent portrayals in media texts. But rarely do prior studies employ qualitative methods to understand how young media audience members reason through the key question of whether media violence is either surprising or concerning. In the current study, an in-school media literacy program is offered to 48 6th graders who provide data in the form of written responses to a number of critical thinking prompts applied to media texts containing violence. The findings suggest that although most members of the sample readily noticed violent depictions in media texts and could critique the manner in which violence is depicted, relatively few expressed either surprise or concern about those depictions.

This study investigated the following research question: How do sixth-graders respond to a media literacy lesson that was designed to, among other goals, introduce the concept of the presence of commercial interest in media production, particularly regarding the prevalence of media violence? Forty-seven responses were analyzed thematically using constant comparison. Students' responses illustrate their critical thinking and understanding about producers' intent in including violence in media, although recognizing the commercial interest behind media violence still seems to be a challenge. Findings also suggest the task of striking a balance between instilling critical thinking skills and acknowledging children's personal media experiences.

A 5-session curricular unit on the topic of face-to-face conflict mediation and on-screen media violence was administered to 85 sixth graders. Repeated measures analyses were employed to study the 57 students for whom matched questionnaires were available. Results show students became more likely to choose a non-aggressive approach to two of three conflict scenarios presented and boys in the sample became more likely to acknowledge two of three effects of media violence. Other measures employed suggest a mixed response to the curriculum. Implications for successfully promoting media literacy in schools and for addressing interpersonal conflicts among young people are discussed.

University students were involved in the design, implementation, and assessment of a program in local schools on conflict and violence in the media and in one's own life. The community partners were sixth graders in five area classrooms in the community surrounding the university. This study assesses the impact of a project-based community service-learning (CSL) partnership on both the university students involved and the sixth graders for whom the project was designed. The data suggest that both the sixth graders/community members and the university students learned valuable information and developed critical thinking skills from participation in the project. The analysis of the data gives us important insights into the ways such work can and does make an impact on all parties involved.

Notes that there is little discussion of the goals of participating in a media-literacy program. Outlines some groundwork for the identification and potential assessment of outcomes associated with media literacy. Proposes that media literacy can help foster critical thinking and discussion of media-related issues. (PM)

Research shows that young people are likely to encounter considerable amounts of violence in the media they use. Some of those depictions trivialize the severity of violence. Past studies show that media literacy education can spur critical thinking regarding violent portrayals in media texts. But rarely do prior studies employ qualitative methods to understand how young media audience members reason through the key question of whether media violence is either surprising or concerning. In the current study, an in-school media literacy program is offered to 48 6th graders who provide data in the form of written responses to a number of critical thinking prompts applied to media texts containing violence. The findings suggest that although most members of the sample readily noticed violent depictions in media texts and could critique the manner in which violence is depicted, relatively few expressed either surprise or concern about those depictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the following research question: How do sixth-graders respond to a media literacy lesson that was designed to, among other goals, introduce the concept of the presence of commercial interest in media production, particularly regarding the prevalence of media violence? Forty-seven responses were analyzed thematically using constant comparison. Students' responses illustrate their critical thinking and understanding about producers' intent in including violence in media, although recognizing the commercial interest behind media violence still seems to be a challenge. Findings also suggest the task of striking a balance between instilling critical thinking skills and acknowledging children's personal media experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study outlines the effectiveness of a media literacy curriculum in changing attitudes about media violence through critical discussions and analytical viewing exercises. Ninety-three sixth graders participated in a curriculum focusing on “high-risk” ways of presenting violence in the media. Results of a one-group, pre-test post-test design suggest that participation in the curriculum was associated with an increase in critical attitudes about the topic. Open-ended responses also demonstrated enhanced sophistication in analyzing media violence after the curriculum. The study has potentially important implications for media education and media violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]