Open Educational Resources
Document Type
Activity or Lab
Publication Date
Fall 10-26-2019
Abstract
Reading Mediations is an interactive, web-based guide for teaching and learning critical online reading skills. Best used with high school or college students, it includes a selection of critical reading tools and verification resources, guided readings, and structured learning activities. It also presents opportunities for independent exploration and critique of the online news and information ecosystem, with live content provided through Twitter and several news websites.
The guiding principle of Reading Mediations is that the epidemic of misinformation, propaganda, and poor journalism online cannot be eradicated by fact-checking tools alone. It must begin with us, the readers. Learning first about how we consume information, and then learning how to do so in a savvy, responsible, and self-aware manner, readers will be better equipped to absorb and share what they engage with online as critical thinkers. Published on the Scalar platform, Reading Mediations takes advantage of the networked environment in which we read, both to model best practices and to provide users with direct experience. The guide's readings are organized in a semi-structured but non-linear way––not only because this is how we tend to read online, but also because reading in a networked manner can help us navigate and evaluate the surfeit of information available.
Access Reading Mediations: here: http://readingmediations.memoriamundi.org/education/reading-mediations/index
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Media Commons
Comments
Reading Mediations is not meant to be used on its own to teach critical reading. Just as the site stresses the crucial role that context plays in how we read and interpret information, effective use of the site requires contextualization within the users’ experience and the teacher’s goals for critical reading instruction. These elements, as well as the site’s content, should be part of a greater conversation that Reading Meditations facilitates—and in which it is situated.