English for Media Literacy (Coursera)

The first unit in this course will provide an introduction to media literacy and give you an opportunity to evaluate your own media literacy level. In unit 2, you will learn how to identify facts versus opinions in the media. The next unit in the course will focus on the differences between social media and traditional media, while unit 4 will look at how gender and identity are covered in the media. In the final unit of the course, you will demonstrate your increased media literacy by through a culminating final project on social media.

Development of this course was funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of English Language Programs. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Introduction to Media Literacy

In this unit, you will learn what media literacy means and how you can improve your own media literacy skills.

WEEK 2

Types of Media: Traditional vs. Social

In this unit you will learn about the differences between traditional and social media, and learn the language necessary to compare them.

WEEK 3

Advertising

In this unit, you will learn how advertisers use media to market their products.

WEEK 4

Bias in the Media

In this unit, we will discuss the meaning of media bias and several common types of bias.

WEEK 5

Diversity and the Media

In this unit, we will learn about the importance of including people from various races, cultures, and genders in mainstream media.