Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Effective Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use and media literacy (ML) is identified as the remedy to understand the concept of globalization of digital media. Digital media literacy (DML) provides students and scholars with required framework and ability to use ICTs effectively to access, analyse, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms. With approximately 35% of Ghana’s population using internet and 19% active as social media users, there is an immediate need for DML. Some tertiary institutions offer courses in media and communications to help student understand the influence media has on society, but it is unexplored as to how they understand effective use of ICT, how they adopt the framework to understand the influence of digital media on society and its contents in a critical way based on certain key concepts in DML. To investigate this, questionnaires were administered to measure DML levels among 800 tertiary students from Ghana Institute of Journalism, African University College of Communications, University of Ghana and University of Cape-Coast who took media ad communication courses. The research findings show that DML is not understood from its concepts and the influences of digital contents. The study findings show inadequate levels of DML. The research identifies room for improvement with regards to teaching DML across school levels in Ghana. This study recommends the inclusion of DML in the curriculum to help understand the role of digital media in society and the need to acquire essential skills of enquiry and self expression for citizens.