Increasing MEDIA Literacy skills of adults to fight misinformation, fake news and cyberbullying Erasmus Project

Project Title

Increasing MEDIA Literacy skills of adults to fight misinformation, fake news and cyberbullying

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Media literacy is a “catchy” term nowadays but not much of ground-work is done to support the ability for conscious consumption of media-distributed messages among adults. This was stated during recent gathering of EC body, Media Literacy Expert Group. “Media literacy” is defined by MLEG as umbrella expression including all technical, cognitive, social, civic and creative capacities that allow a citizen to access the media, have critical understanding and to interact with it. All these capacities enable citizens to participate in economic, social and cultural aspects of society and play active role in democratic processes. MLEG in June 2018 summarised the research carried out among EU citizens and concluded that there is a “need for strengthening efforts in increasing media literacy at all levels”. A. Hellman, Deputy Head of MLEG, after listing a few initiatives, concluded “But this is not enough” and one recommendation was to “provide educational material to educators”. Adult educators acting on behalf of learners as part of civil society need to learn how to recognise, analyse and explain to their learners key terms and ideas for understanding disinformation with media literacy principles.

The project addresses both, learners and educators. It is based on reports and statistics review at national and EU levels and own partners research. It is a response to the need to integrate “critical thinking, information evaluation and media literacy as some of the top skills for the 21st century” into educational systems. This need is expressed in the publication “10 trends transforming education as we know it” by EU Political Strategy Centre “Media literacy wanted” (2017).

Media literacy practitioners need to develop innovative strategies to inform citizens of issues arising from disinformation. To achieve this, the EU encourages effective cooperation among educational institutions to provide educational and training materials to schools and educators. This is expressly mentioned in the section ‘3.3.Fostering education and media literacy’ (p.13) of the EC’s ‘Communication on Tackling online disinformation’.

In order to answer the need, aims of IMEDIAL project are to:
– extend and develop of adult educators’ media literacy skills and competences in effective teaching of those skills (especially those who work with disadvantaged learners)
– to increase media literacy skills of adult learners (especially disadvantaged).

The aims will be achieved through development of:
– IMEDIAL workbook and cards for educators
– IMEDIAL cards for learners
– IMEDIAL mobile APP for both groups
and through wide dissemination of results.

Target groups:
– adult educators especially those that work in non-formal education settings, adult education centres, social centres, NGOs, associations and freelancers working with disadvantaged learners
– learners from disadvantaged groups, including persons with low skills and with lower level qualifications, with low income, from remote areas; unemployed, women, immigrants

The main impact on adult educators is in strengthening their media literacy skills and capacities to offer media literacy training based on innovative IMEDIAL results (workbook, cards for learners and mobile APP) dedicated especially to those that come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The main impact on low-skilled adult learners, especially those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, is upgrading of their media literacy and digital skills which will allow them to have critical understanding of media, be able to identify fake news, manage information they receive and in effect develop trust in media. The project will also have its impact on the stakeholders, participants and participating organisations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 237776 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIATIA CENTRUL DE DEZVOLTARE ARAD & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Asociación Valencia Inno Hub
• LABC S.R.L.
• E&D KNOWLEDGE CONSULTING, LDA
• STOWARZYSZENIE CENTRUM WSPIERANIA EDUKACJI I PRZEDSIEBIORCZOSCI
• CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD
• CONSORZIO MATERAHUB INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE