From Digital Literacy to Media Fluency

At Ball State University, students must not only consume new media, they must be able to create it.

  • By Mary Grush
  • 09/11/12

This story appeared in the August 2012 digital edition of Campus Technology.

Increasingly, institutions are seeing their students not only as consumers but also as creators of digital media--requiring a greater fluency in the use of new media tools. Ball State University (IN) has been on this track for years, under the leadership of Phillip Repp, vice president of IT. In recorded interviews, CT asked Repp and other campus leaders how to move students to "media fluency."

1) How does Ball State University prepare students to work with digital media?


Video courtesy of Ball State University

"It used to be necessary to learn how to type so that you could write your papers and use Microsoft Word…. Now, we teach [students] the technical foundation of the media-creation tools and then build upon that." --Jonathan Huer, director of emerging technologies and media development

2) What types of new media tools and environments do your students experience?


Video courtesy of Ball State University

"We're really looking at the potential for 3D immersive learning. Three-dimensional digital environments are, in our mind, more conducive to remote learning." --John Fillwalk, director, Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts

3) Have your goals for student learning changed?


Video courtesy of Ball State University

"Content is important, but it's critical thinking, it's problem solving, it's adaptability and flexibility. I believe increasingly the higher education world needs to focus more on how we equip our students to handle life and work, not process content." --Jennifer Bos, assistant provost of learning initiatives

4) What are the important lessons for institutions as they approach digital literacy and media fluency?


Video courtesy of Ball State University

"The future is bending toward online and blended education. The future is bending toward students having much more technologically mediated experiences while they are in higher education." --Rich Edwards, lead instructional designer, Integrated Learning Institute

About the Author

Mary Grush is Editor and Conference Program Director, Campus Technology.

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.