Interactive Videos as Effective Tools for Media Literacy Education in Communication and Media Courses

Abstract

The vast amount of audiovisual and multimedia content that is currently delivered via multiple ways and platforms makes media literacy imperative to enhance citizens’ ability to assess the credibility and trustworthiness of media sources. By recognizing bias and misinformation and understanding the impact the media can have on individuals and society, media literate citizens are better equipped to analyze the information they receive, thus presenting critical thinking. This paper, through research conducted among university students that attended the course of “Creative studio and audiovisual productions” at the Department of Communication and Digital Media, University of Western Macedonia, Greece, aims to present the effective use of interactive video production to media literacy. Prior to the beginning of the semester, the students were asked to state, among other things, their knowledge of media literacy, their digital literacy levels, and their skills level on various forms of video productions. At the end of the semester, they were asked to assess the knowledge and skills acquired through the process of creating an interactive video production on media literacy. The results revealed that through this project that brought them enjoyment, they gained knowledge, and they highly valued the role of interactive videos as communication tools.