DIGITAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES FOR MEDIA EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper aims to record concerns of media education currently under debate in Pakistan. It indicates three main study trends. The first trend is concerned about Pakistani digital technology users, their skills in technologies especially digital media usage and the second about new media learning and teaching methods by using new media tools like mobile devices, tablets, social media networking, which needs new technical and technological framework. The last trend deals with literacy concerning digital education, related to both the skills required by digital media students have to progress and what educators especially faculty members have to be trained about these media technologies. In order to achieve objectives pertaining to these trends, semi-structured interviews of students and educators are conducted. Concerning the first trend, we observe a division of perspectives and understanding between those who believe that all we need is new media education for old academic solutions and those we think there is a need of changing academic styles, thus allowing it to grow into a new standard. For this purpose, they stress that digital devices should be made an integral part of today’s classrooms. Concerning the second trend, we observe a consensus on teaching and learning by using digital devices as the most useful, helpful tools. Mostly, the school educators have their own laptops, tablets, and mobile phones however, they stressed on a combination of ethics, education and utilization of digital media in a good manner. Finally, the notion of literacy concerning digital media which has received significant consideration be defined in various ways particularly in the south Asian context. Keywords: Digital Media, Digital Technology, Native Educators, Pakistan