Using Educational Video in the Classroom Theory, Research and Practice

Media Literacy 
As with visual literacy, media literacy expands the concept of what constitutes a 
“text” to include aural and visual messages. As defined by the Center for Media Literacy,
media literacy is a 21
st
century approach to education [that] provides a framework 
to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms. [It] builds 
an understanding of the role of media in society, as well as essential skills of 
inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy. (Thoman & 
Jolls, 2005) 
Television literacy, though sometimes broken out as a separate literacy (Semali, 2001), is 
more commonly recognized as a critical component of the broader media literacy 
(PB/UCLA, no date). Video technology is an essential tool for bringing a wide range of 
multimedia messages into the classroom where they can be analyzed and evaluated in a 
shared learning experience.
Media literacy instruction has been shown to have a positive correlation with 
demonstrable academic improvement in core subject areas. In a comparison study 
between two 11
th
-grade English classes, one of which incorporated extensive critical 
analysis of print, audio and visual media, researchers found that the media literacy 
instruction resulted in improved reading and writing skills across all forms of text (Hobbs 
& Frost, 2003). Additionally, preliminary results from a three-year study of a new media-
literacy program funded by the U.S. Department of Education indicate that media literacy 
can play an important role in improving student performance in core-curriculum subjects 
(Gregorian, 2006).

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Although media literacy is not yet a widely-implemented component of standard 
school curriculum, it is, in the words of David Martison (2004), “no longer a curriculum 
option”:
If schools are to meet the challenges presented during this revolutionary 
postmodern age of communication, the entire educational establishment…must be 
committed to responding in an anticipatory and creative manner. A commitment 
to aiding the development of a media-literate population must become a central 
priority. (p. 158)