MEDIA EDUCATION IN FINLANDOLLI VESTERINEN, PH.D.CHAIRFINNISH SOCIETY ON MEDIA EDUCATIONPOST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHERUNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Practical Media Literacy EducationKiev, 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) OMNISCHOOL.fi

University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education

Funded by:

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).

Survey of Schools: ICT in Education http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/dae/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=9920

ICT use and attitudes in Finnish schools

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

Audiovisual Culture in the Digital Era. Set of Policies (2012)Responsible ministry: Ministry of Education and Culture

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

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,

◻overlaps with other concepts,

◻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.

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)

■ Availability, quality and dissemination of materials

■ School culture (inside the school but also with youth work, parents, cultural actors, media…)

■ Teachers’ in-service training

“Every child is guaranteed to gain basic skills to act in the information society.” – Not yet fulfilled.

“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 informationPOLICY 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⬜ http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2012/Lapsi-_ja_nuorisopolitiikan_kehittamisohjelma_2012_2015?lan

g=en

◻ Audiovisual Culture in the Digital Era. Set of Policies. 2012.⬜ 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 library-

school 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 Schoolsin 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)

SOCIETY

SCHOOL

CHILDREN’S WORLDS

Levels of Boundary Bridging Pedagogy

(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 approachIn 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 challenges1. 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