USES OF NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN SOCIETY – MASS AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES and ACTIVITIES
Research and class discussion: Trainees undertake small-scale research to evaluate the impact of digital communication technologies on development; this should include learning about the media platforms used in their country and how the media present their country to the outside world. Trainees should visit their country’s website and discuss in groups how the country is being projected and how it compares with neighbouring countries. They should list other features they would like included in the image of their country shown to the outside world. A class discussion should be used to discuss the findings.

Survey and group presentation: Trainees carry out a small-scale survey to investigate the impact of traditional mass communications and new media (e.g. community radio; private, regional and national newspapers; and the Internet) on audience participation in a social, economic or political debate. Examples of topics for the survey could be HIV/AIDS education, or social justice for minority groups.

In particular, it might be worth focusing on the role of mobile phones and social networking applications (e.g. Facebook and Twitter), as tools to mobilize groups. More generally, trainees could discuss: Who are the media owners? Who creates the messages, and what is the key message being conveyed? What audiences do they attempt to reach and why do they target them? Who are their sponsors/ investors, and what would they do differently? How do traditional and online media vary in this respect?

Class discussion: The tutor should lead a general class discussion on which of the new media are used predominantly in the trainees’ environment: the Internet, mobile technologies (e.g. SMS and smart phones applications), digital TV, digital radio, computer games/online games (e.g. virtual reality games, such as SIMS). The discussion should explore the advantages and disadvantages of these new media. Before this activity, trainees should carry out interviews, possibly in both rural and urban communities, on the use of mobile phones. From these interviews, they should present to the class what they see as the impact of mobile phones on users’ social, economic and political lives.

— ACTIVITIES
Carry out a small-scale survey on how new media and new media technologies are changing the way in which people in your society communicate, and how this is changing the way people interact, exchange information and inform their decision-making

Do case-study research on how mass media and new technologies are used for mass communication, and how they are influencing the everyday lives, values and opinions of the public. For example, how has mobile phone technology helped to bridge the communication gap between the rich and poor in society? Explore how digital communication is changing the way people in your society interact, share knowledge and exchange information
Develop a strategy for using a social networking site to promote interaction on a particular topic you wish to teach. What are the risks and challenges teachers are likely to face in using social networking for educational purposes? Identify the risks and suggest ways of reducing their impact
E-governance involves the new and evolving forms of governance in which ICTs play a key role.

Use of ICTs has influenced governance in a number of ways. These include:
(1) E-democracy which is the facilitation of participation through increased access to information and knowledge which forms the basis of decision making; (2) E-services which is automating tedious tasks such as filing tax forms, checking the status of applications etc; and (3) E-administration improving of government processes and of the internal workings of the public sector with new ICT-executed information processes.
ICTs, therefore, can be a very useful way to improve the governance process. E-governance and e-government are related concepts with a subtle difference between the two. The latter refers the systems by which government processes are automated
while the former concerns the process by which are made open and inclusive
(cf. UNESCO 2007).

● Have teachers use the Internet to research the extent to which e-governance
exists in their country. They should select any two examples as evidence that such
activities exist. Teacher should indicate to what extent they we involved or consulted
in the process. Were citizens consulted in general? Discuss the effective of these e-governance projects. What are the benefits and disadvantages? Carry out a basic research on similar projects in your region or internationally relating to local governance. What type of e-governance project would you recommend to your local government? Why?
Access to ICTs or new technologies is equally important for the empowerment of men,
women, the disabled and other marginalised groups such as ethnic and indigenous
populations as well as those living in remote communities.
● Using local or international sources do a basic research on the access of women, the disabled and people living remote communities to ICTs or new technologies.
Do women have equal access as do men? To what extent peoples with disability or people living in remote communities have access? What are the implications? What should be done if certain groups are marginalised from access to new technologies?
If such data is not available about you country or region, try to find out why not? Which organisations should be concerned with the absence of such data? What can be done about it?