B5564 - MEDIA, CAPABILITIES, EDUCAZIONE

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - knows theoretical notions with a strongly interdisciplinary character on "Media Education" (sociology of media, social psychology, media pedagogy and didactics); - knows the main theoretical frameworks related to the development and process of socialization to media through daily interaction; - knows the processes of production, distribution, classification and reception of the main multimedia cultural products. In particular, he/she possesses knowledge related to television, video games and animated cinema, websites; - is able to analyze multimedia products from a pedagogical point of view; - is able to evaluate educational projects centered on the use/consumption of multimedia tools; - is able to design paths of media use within cultural institutions aimed at developmental age users; - is able to interpret and reflect on cultural industry processes and products through relevant scientific categories; - is able to design and present a project for the production of multimedia messages.

Course contents

he pervasiveness of AI and the acceleration of life and production processes that characterize the present time call for a redefinition of media literacy. Beyond the post-media paradigm, there emerges the need to train a new profile: that of the new media educator. This is not merely a matter of expanding the range of educational media to be mastered, but rather of strengthening the competencies required to understand and steer the transformative impact—critical, methodological, and pedagogical—that has already occurred with new digital, immersive, and hybrid environments. Think of the Metaverse, of gaming platforms, of children’s e-literature. Informal learning environments today are separated from formal ones by an increasingly permeable boundary, easily allowing the transgression of time and space constraints. These are also places where educators could have a significant voice.

The capabilities approach—within the broader framework of the Capability Approach and Human Development—offers a perspective that encompasses both the subjective dimension (internal capabilities that need to be nurtured, and thus relate to traditional media education) and the contextual dimension, which requires and shapes environments to adopt pedagogical features, so that these internal capabilities may be expressed and enhanced. This leads us to the concept of combined capabilities. It suggests that educating young people to think critically is no longer sufficient to resist technological or media subalternity; we must also educate them to transform the contexts themselves. From this perspective, the role of the educator becomes particularly relevant in out-of-school settings and in the broader educational ecosystem.

As a consequence, the professional profile of L19 educators could become strategic—not only for fostering critical media education but also for designing enabling new media contexts that can support teachers and schools. Furthermore, it opens an additional professional perspective for educators, enabling them to become active creators of new hybrid environments.

Readings/Bibliography

The program - for all attending and non-attending students - includes the following texts:

Mandatory books for everyone:

• Rivoltella, P., Panciroli, C. (2025). Didattica delle New litercy. Milano. Monddori.
• Nussbaum, M. (2021). Creare capacità. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Teaching methods

The course design considered two parts:

1. Discussed lessons to study contents and topics through the following methods:

- Problem-based learning;
- Project-based learning;
- Cooperative learning;
- Lessons with professional people.

2. Lab lessons to experiment with activation methodologies in educational contexts with adults or young people.

Assessment methods

The coursework concludes with an examination graded on a scale of thirty. The examination consists of two parts: the first part is a presentation and discussion of the artifacts created during the course; the second part is an oral interview aimed at verifying the theoretical assumptions of the course and the artifact.

The examination will be accompanied by a descriptive rubric, provided at the beginning of the course, to facilitate the recognition of the expected quality of both the artifacts and the final interview. This rubric will also define the weight given to the two parts of the examination.

Teaching tools

• Organization reports and documents (Italians and Europeans);
• Multimedia materials (text, video, podcast);
• Case studies;
• Open lesson cycle with experts profile to present emerging themes in an educational context.
  

Students with DSA or disabilities: it is recommended that they contact the responsible University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, considering the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Piergiuseppe Ellerani