The Media Education Lab at Temple University improves media literacy education through scholarship and community service. We have five primary areas of expertise: 

Research and Scholarship

Scholars are beginning to recognize that digital media may contribute to literacy development, particularly for adolescents. It is no longer possible to think about literacy in isolation from a vast array of social, technological and economic factors. Media literacy education reflects a broad move from the now centuries-long dominance of writing to the dominance of the image, and, on the other hand, the move from the dominance of the book to the dominance of the medium of the screen. But our research is largely applied and practical, designed to further our understanding of "what works" in the field. Programs for urban children and teens that incorporate media literacy education can provide substantial opportunities for students to develop the four C’s: communication, critical thinking, creative and collaborative skills. These competencies can transform the lives of adolescents, particularly in low-income communities. Research can help us better understand how to create learning environments that make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families.

Teacher Education and Staff Development

We support local educators who are interested in media liteacy through the provision of workshops, staff development and partnerships. We are interested in the cognitive, social and behavioral impact of media literacy education as it develops in the family and in formal and informal educational settings. We address policy issues that affect the quality of teaching and learning about media and popular culture. Temple University one of a small handful of research university programs that focus specifically on the intersections of media studies, communication and education. Graduate and undergraduate students are able to take advantage of the ongoing research programs and be active participants in all of the community outreach and educational programs of the Media Education Lab.

Curriculum Development

We create engaging multimedia resources that help educators, parents and others integrate media literacy education into their work with learners of all ages. We have created online games, videos, lesson plans and hands-on manipulatives for media literacy education. Members of the Media Education Lab team provide workshops, keynote speeches, summer institutes, consulting services, and multimedia education materials development. Learn more about the range of topics and issues and professional development opportunities for educators. Staff of the Media Education Lab are active teachers, researchers and advocates who create learning experiences that professionals find energizing, inspiring, thought-provoking and practical.

Advocacy

Our mission is to improve the practice of media literacy education through research and community service. As a result, we are active leaders internationally, nationally and regionally in promoting media literacy. We have met with FCC commissioners about media literacy and net neutrality and petitioned the U.S. Copyright Office to enable educators to "rip" DVDs for media literacy education. Media Education Lab Director Sherri Hope Culver is President of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, the nation's largest membership organization for media literacy, which hosts the biannual National Media Education Conference. Renee Hobbs is co-editor of the new online journal for media literacy, the Journal of Media Literacy Education.

Youth and Community Media Production

We offer undergraduates and graduate students the opportunity to participate in, support and develop media literacy programs in local schools and after-school programs. Students work at the Russell Byers Charter School in Powerful Voices for Kids, an innovative community-university partnership, Temple students learn how creative media production activities can create a bridge between themselves and the community. In addition to supporting production of the teen-produced video, "For Temple students, experience of field-site work completely shatters the glass wall between these two worlds," noted filmmaker Eugene Martin, a former faculty member in the Department of Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media. "Students lost their inhibitions and fears about people in the neighborhood by making important connections to local youth and their families."