Media and Learning 2010 Public Report

Media & Learning Brussels 2010: addressing a changing view of media literacy and developing digital media skills
in education
The Media & Learning Brussels 2010 conference was organised by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training and the media company ATiT with the support of the European Commission, DG Education and Culture in the context of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union. It took place on 25-26 November 2010 in the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training headquarters in Brussels and involved over 230 participants from 31 countries who came together to discuss the application of media in teaching and learning. The conference evolved around three main themes: Digital and media skills and competences Fostering the creation of media-based resources at all levels of education and training Use and re-use of existing media resources in education and training
Based on the shared goal of digital fluency for all, the conference organisers set up the event to provide participants with an opportunity to consider digital media and media literacy in new and hopefully radically different ways. The idea behind this conference was to help launch a real and ongoing community of practice of those interested in how best to harness the promise of traditional and new media in the service of learning. By combining the conference with the annual MEDEA Awards which reward excellence in the application of media in learning, the conference programme combined excellent examples of media usage in an educational setting alongside discussions about policy, developments and best practice. Participants were very enthusiastic about the richness and diversity of the examples of media usage from all over Europe that were shown, serving to highlight the art of the possible to everyone who took part. Media & Learning was sponsored in part by Adobe, Microsoft, Smart and Intel.
Media & Learning 2010 - Flemish Ministry of Education Headquarters, Brussels 25 & 26 November 2010 Conference organiser: ATiT, Leuvensesteenweg 132, 3370 Roosbeek, Belgium www.media-and-learning.eu info@media-and-learning.eu
The programme
The conference programme was highly interactive and allowed for maximum networking and sharing of experience with a mix of plenary, discussion, demonstration and workshop sessions. 89 people from 20 countries contributed to the programme and they included educational media analysts Paul Bottelberghs, Ambrosias Tafel (Belgium), Allen Partridge, Adobe (USA), and Helen Keegan, University of Salford (UK), seasoned educational broadcasters and archivists like Paul Ashton from Teachers TV (UK) and Philippe Van Meerbeeck from VRT (Belgium) and policy analysts like Francesc Pedr from OECD. The programme for Media & Learning included presentations and demonstrations of media-based resource banks presented by Eveline Daems from Kennisnet, the Netherlands, Astrid Leeb and Thomas Lumplecker from Education Highway in Austria and David Blanchard from lesite.tv in France. European SchoolNet initiatives were highlighted by Marc Durando and Caroline Kearney and included their work on gaming and the new iTEC Project which is examining the potential classroom of the future. Schemes to train teachers in media-related skills like those presented by Dina Dalaacker from the National Centre for ICT in Education in Norway and Niki Van Mechelen from Antwerp, Belgium provided practical examples of large-scale training schemes and teachers like David Seume, from The Ashcombe School in the UK, John Klesner from Sndervangskolen Hammel in Denmark and Kurt Klynen from the ICT Atelier in Belgium made sure the discussion was rooted in reality. European policy as well as national policy came under discussion with presentations on the Digital Agenda, Digital Competencies and Media Literacy and Culture. Online and face-to-face discussions on topics such as the best way to teach media literacy and meeting the costs of multimedia-rich educational games attracted a lot of attention, as did the many and varied examples of media usage in schools and colleges. Participants used the online conference community created for the conference as a place to connect, share and expand their professional network before, during and even after the event. More than 60 people took part in workshops given by previous MEDEA Award Winners and Finalists like the one given on creating participative video projects with young people led by Steven Ronsijn, Sint-Lievenscollege Ghent, Belgium and Sergio Lpez Figueroa, Big Bang Lab, UK. A highlight of the conference was the announcement of the winners of the MEDEA Awards 2010. All 9 finalists in this years MEDEA Awards presented their entries on the conference progamme which included a presentation by this years winner, BBC News School Report in the UK by Ros Smith in the closing plenary. A total of 23 different sessions took place using a mix of formats. Networking was supported in different ways including the use of an SMS messaging service which individuals could use to contact
conference participants as well as to pose questions and put forward points of view in the presentation and plenary sessions. Sessions in the main auditorium were streamed and over 200 people followed parts of the conference online. The conference featured an exhibition by agencies active in the media and learning sector, including INgeBEELD, European Schoolnet, Lifelong Learning Programme Projects supported by the European Commission, Finnish Society on Media Education, KlasCement and the Agence Wallonne des Tlcommunications.
The topics
This years Media and Learning Conference focused on a changing view of media literacy and developing digital media skills in education, and two core themes emerged as being central. The first revolved around the fact that society has evolved from a literacy culture to a media culture. To be able to function in this new culture, people need to develop sufficient proficiency in media literacy in much the same way as people in a literary culture need to be able to read and write. Keynote speaker Paul Bottelberghs presented 3 levels of media literacy, the ability to: express yourself in a medium of your choice handle media in a critical and conscious way understand media-ecology, i.e. the extent to which different media provide access to different parts of the brain The analogy with a literary culture provided a framework and the terminology in which new skills for the media culture could be defined. This framework was picked up in several sessions across the conference. Conference participants also discussed how challenging it can be to translate the knowledge and skills in which educators want to communicate into the languages used by people at the receiving end who are often using different media and therefore speaking a different language. The second main theme that emerged was that the classroom, university lecture hall or training lab is the place where media needed to be contextualised and perfected. Just like language, digital media skills are learnt outside the classroom. Teachers and trainers need to be able to reflect on media, give them a formal context and help learn and perfect techniques. Teachers and trainers need appropriate training so that they can provide enough support in turn to train young people. In this respect, it was important to talk about media in general, not only digital media: everyone, at all levels, can talk and think about media without a need for technical skills. This presupposes an equality of media: everyone could use what they want.
The concerns
During the conference, the following issues were identified as crucial for supporting education in a media culture: Media literacy training for teachers More opportunities for creativity and participation in the classroom, in new and pervasive ways Multimedia literacy: all media need to find their place in the classroom with the necessary support from the teacher A change is required in the way assessment is done: there is a mismatch between the kind of assessment that is needed for media literacy and the existing formal assessment requirements of teachers in the classroom. The key skill, as described by Allen Partridge, that is necessary in this new culture is learning, unlearning and relearning, in other words adaptability. But the question remains - how can this be taught effectively?
Participants also brought up some of the more gloomy issues that the media and learning community needs to tackle: Paul Ashton reminded participants that technology is largely projected negatively in popular media. There is a real anxiety of technology being the cause for losing all things cherished. How should we address these concerns? Deeper resistance factors to change in education need to be explored in order for them to be addressed.
The way forward

Conference participants made plenty of suggestions about how the situation can be improved: Autonomy and Ownership: giving students ownership over their own development and increased degrees of autonomy in pursuing their own development will encourage media literacy. Renewing the place of creativity in the classroom: the examples shown during the Media & Learning Conference often encourage a multi-dimensional view of the learner as producer, consumer and evaluator of different types of media. Critical reflection on media and information: the projects presented encourage a critical use of media and information in their student participants. Citizenship and engagement in large societal issues can offer a way to introduce critical thinking and digital media in the classroom and the lecture hall. Different schooling systems across Europe allow for different degrees of freedom in using ICT in the classroom. This offers an ideal situation to learn from each other.
Policy was also put under the spotlight and participants agreed that policy changes need to build on the fact that not all learners are equal in age or profile. This leads to differentiated skills and thus results in new digital divides. Policy-makers need also to be mindful that research is not (yet?)
supportive of major cognitive changes happening through the use of digital media and that learners have a common sense in their approach to connectedness in education expecting it to reduce effort and/or increase productivity.
The participants
Media & Learning 2010 attracted people from different backgrounds, with experience across all levels of acquaintance with digital media, ranging from novices to media-literate educators and broadcasters. Over 230 people attended the Media & Learning Conference from 31 countries. They included people with responsibility for policy, for providing audiovisual and learning services as well as practitioners from all over Europe and beyond.
Media & Learning 2010: participants countries
They met to discuss and share their experiences in providing media-rich resources for learning, in building up the skills of teachers and trainers in media-based learning and in promoting and extending media literacy skills across the education and training sector. While the backgrounds of those taking part varied considerably, they came from the following types of organisation: Government departments, agencies or publically funded organisations active in the media and learning sector: 27% Educational broadcasters, archivists and educational media service providers: 16% Teachers, academics and trainers: 32% Publishers, producers and commercial service suppliers: 14% Networks, projects and initiatives in related topics: 11% Media & Learning 2010: participants organisations
All levels of learning were represented, from primary and secondary school education, to higher and further education along with lifelong learning initiatives and professional training. Participants were asked for their feedback after the conference and the responses have been very positive. When asked about the quality of the programme, 90% responded that it was either very good or excellent and when invited to assess the quality of the organisation of the conference, 97% responded that it was either very good or excellent. The organisers were also keen to find out
whether participants were pleased with the opportunities for networking that were provided and a resounding 88% rated these as either very good or excellent. Participants were also asked what they had learned from the conference and the range of responses were interesting, they included the following comments: There is still a lot of work to do, a long way to go, but we are on the good way!, Michel Wieczerniak, OVSG, Belgium. How important an activity media literacy is for learners and teachers, Metka Ornik, RTV, Slovenia We need to revisit digital literacy in teaching standards and teacher training, Sabrina Broadbent, FilmClub, UK. That we have the same challenges all over the world and there are many initiatives to promote digital literacy, Dr Jenny Lane, Edith Cowan University, Australia. In many countries you have very inspiring activities. The major challenge is to disseminate good examples to colleagues at your own school and other schools in your country and abroad. We need to develop a culture of knowledge-sharing amongst teachers, Hans Laugesen, GL, National Union of Upper Secondary School Teachers, Denmark. I've learned that in Europe there are a lots of people interested in doing their job well, in experimenting with new possibilities and strategies to let people be involved in innovation processes, Rosanna de Rosa, University of Naples Federico II, Italy. We also invited participants for their general comments and here are some of the things they had to say: Got inspiration by good practice examples, made new contacts and got a lot of food for thought, Eva-Lisa Ahnstrm, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. It was very stimulating and enriching to meet and discuss with other professionals. I learned that the e-learning community is very divergent, productive and creative. Some contacts might give rise to future collaborations, Yannick Mah, CNDP, France. I enjoyed it a lot; thought the venue was good; and it was sufficiently varied and interesting programme, Seamus Cannon, Blackrock Education Centre, Ireland. One of the best-run conferences I've ever attended, and very enjoyable, Paul Ashton, Teachers TV, UK.
Such a conference is enabling the years of experience to be circulated from the seniors to the joiners!, Sami Alhaw, UNRWA, Palestinian Territory, Occupied. It was very enlightening to see the international perspective on the use of media and learning in education, and to discuss with international colleagues, Theo Kuechel, University of Hull, UK. A good view to other countries, Reinhold Hawle, Federal Ministry of Education, the Arts and Culture, Austria. Thanks to everyone who helped to organise this conference! Please make it an annual (biannual) event as technologies are changing so fast and it is beneficial for all professionals teachers, publishers, IT specialists to have regular discussions, Sintija Buhanovska, Zvaigzne ABC Publishers, Latvia.
Thanks to everyone involved, we look forward to meeting you in Brussels for Media & Learning 2011!

Media and Learning 2010 Public Report

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Media and Learning 2010 Public Report

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Media & Learning Brussels 2010: addressing a changing view of media literacy and developing digital media skills

The way forward

Media & Learning 2010: participants countries

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