Students will understand the importance of media and information literacy (MIL) in today's digital world and develop skills to critically analyze, evaluate, and responsibly use media and information.

2. Communication is a two-way process in which
there is an exchange of thoughts, opinions, or
information by speech, writing, or symbols
towards a mutually accepted goal or outcome.
Media are the communication outlets or tools
used to store and deliver information or data.

3. The linear model's behavior is contradicted by its name,
where a sender encodes a message via a channel, and the
message is decoded by the receiver. It is straight-line
communication found typically in mass communication;
think television, radio, newspapers, etc. According to this
model, there is no means for immediate feedback.
Shannon and Weaver were the first to present the Linear
Model of Communication in 1949′s The Mathematical
Theory of Communication. Enough to say that this theory
has become less relevant in inverse proportion to the
advances of communication technology, specifically non-
linear forms of electronic communication where it is not
always clear who is the sender and who is the receiver.

4. The interactive Model takes the Linear Model and
multiplies it times two with a quick flip of the
return message. It allows for a feedback element
because after a message is encoded and sent to
the decoding receiver, the roles then reverse, and
the receiver encodes and sends a response to the
original sender who has now turned receiver. It
sounds more confusing than it is. Envision an
exchange of text messages whereby your friend
sends you a message, and you respond to it. The
same thing happens during a telephone call or even
an email exchange. A message is sent and
received, then the roles reverse. That is the
Interactive Model.

5. The Transactional Model becomes more complicated
yet. This model depicts face- to-face interaction or
"trans-action" as a dynamic and changeable process
that is not limited to a simple definition. In the
Transactional Model, receiver and sender can play
the same roles simultaneously, as sometimes
happens, as messages can be sent back and forth
simultaneously. It appears chaotic and ineffective,
but sometimes communication is just that. Throw in
some noise, and it would be a wonder whether any
message is conveyed successfully in this
environment.

6. In the Digital Age we find ourselves in, the media are in
upheaval. Tremendous changes in the way information are
packaged, received, retrieved, and shared have sparked
fascination, confusion and peril-especially when it comes to
news, which is so essential in democracies (Clay Shirky, 2010).
In this media turmoil which threatens our ability to oversee the
people who act on our behalf, digital citizens of today’s world
need a media environment that serves us both as individuals
and as a society; and acquire media and information literacy
skills to enable us not just keep politicians in check but also to
balance the power of the many other people and institutions we
rely on, e.g. the police, doctors, technocrats, researchers,
bankers, etc., and all other people who make decisions that
affect us without requiring or allowing our direct input.

7. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is used as a
composite concept to refer to a set of competencies
that empowers citizens to access, retrieve,
understand, evaluate, and use, create, as well as
share information and media content in all formats,
using various tools, in a critical, ethical, and
effective way, in order to participate and engage in
personal, professional, and societal activities

8. A.Access, find, evaluate, use the information they need in
ethical and effective ways;
B. Understand the role and functions of media and other
information providers such as libraries, museums, and
archives, including those on the Internet, in democratic
societies and in the lives of individuals.
C. Understand the conditions under which media and
information providers can best fulfil their roles and
functions.
D. Critically evaluate information and media content from a
variety of sources
E. Engage with media and information providers for self-
expression, life-long learning, democratic participation,
and good governance; and
F. Enhance the skills (including ICT skills) needed to
produce content in a variety of media formats.