IMEC-Media Education Centre

Abstract: A research called 'On-line generation: information, communication and digital youth participation in the information society' was carried out during 2009 in Slovakia. The aim of this project was primarily an analysis of youth participation in the creation, provision, sharing, ...

This paper aims at identifying the condition of media education in Slovak schools by means of quantitative research methods. The authors present the results of a representative research carried out by IMEC – International Media Literacy Centre at the Faculty of Mass Media Communication at the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Slovakia. The research was aimed at mapping the current situation of media education
in the content of education at Slovak primary and secondary schools, identifying the predominant form of education and assessing the competence of media education teachers. The research data is based on a quantitative analysis of 22 case studies of practical media education examples.

Media education is in an international scientific community considered to be one of the most effective means to acquire key competencies necessary for an interactive and inclusive use of media and critical perception of constantly growing spectrum of media messages. Successful implementation of media education requires innovative research strategies, techniques and procedures which can integrate suitable and reliable methods of media literacy evaluation and measurement into research and social practice. The study deals with an analytic view on current conditions of methodological apparatus and indicators created for the purpose of media literacy measurement in educational environment. Considering the scope and extent of research on the issue it is the theoretical and practical reflection of this phenomenon which gains importance. Structural view and comparison of two different approaches may point out the most current problems with media literacy measurement and shed more light on the issue.

Eligibility to work with the information and using of new media in a meaningful and
efficient manner is part of a set of key competencies. These life skills are very important not only for young people, but also for all other groups of actors that are directly or indirectly involved in education and training. The dynamic development of the Internet and new technologies, as well as the time and expert complexity of the teaching profession, mean that teachers are not always able to keep up with their students. This applies particularly to user skills and dealing with new media platforms and services.
These facts are one of the reasons why teachers need to get a better view of confidence and appropriate professional skills related to the use of new media. Diverse media platforms and user applications can be used for entertainment as well as for educational purposes. Potential of new media can be applied to the development of key competencies, values education, work on improving interpersonal relations and other opportunities that come with these new ways of learning and teaching. The paper deals with the possibilities of intensive development of information and media competencies in the post-millennium age. These new media skills can help to ensure that the enormous potential and capacity of global information society has been used effectively in the context of educational processes.

Dynamic spread of the Internet and social networks imminently influences almost every sphere of social life. New media directly or indirectly influence the patterns of behaviour, attitudes and rhythm of everyday activities of individuals and whole social groups. Their influence might be seen on cognitive, psychomotor and affective levels. There is a wide range of segments active within social relations –
starting with educational system, economics, politics, and public administration up to the working of media organizations. This paper deals with reflection on new techniques, technologies and strategies to control and monitoring of people's privacy in cyberspace. Reflection of this phenomenon in the sphere of media studies, sociology, psychology and other branches often oscillates in the range of extremely definite opinion positions that consider the increasing influence of digitalization in public and individual spheres.

This contribution analyzes media literacy development as a component of education for democratic citizenship and personal development of children and youth. We analyze the features, approaches and innovative strategies of integration of media education into the religious education curriculum. Media literacy strategies can play a key role in helping teachers to fulfil their responsibility for preparing children and adolescents to use the internet, television and other media that surround them. Our approach reflects the need to educate not only in technical aspects of information and communication technologies,  but also in their responsible and meaningful use. One of the important goals of current religious teaching could be to stimulate critical and creative thinking and promote digital citizenship and the ethical values. This article, showcasing the experience gathered by Slovak schools, provides insights on the inclusive and innovative educational trends within a media saturated environment of contemporary society.

The paper defines specific aspects of monitoring the television contents with citizens of Slovakia with visual and hearing impairment. It focuses on the analysis of respecting the
percentage of programmes with audio description, open or closed captioning and interpretation into sign language which is in Slovakia strictly defined by the Act on Broadcasting and Retransmission. The aim of the article is to compare the real broadcasted programmes percentage for specific groups of audience with the set minimal percentage defined by the legislation. The research study includes both public television and commercial television broadcasters. The statistics of broadcasted programmes up to 2012 show the recurrent violation of the quota set by the law with consequent sanctioning of televisions. More positive results appeared as a result of the amendment of the Act on Broadcasting and Retransmission from 2013 with the effect
from 1 January 2014. Televisions themselves show interest in the issue which can be proved by the fact that there was no violation of the percentage set by the law in 2013 and 2014. However, there are still several significant deficiencies in the legal amendment, e.g. the law does not specify the types of broadcasted programmes for the
group of handicapped audience, their broadcasting time and not even does it define whether rebroadcasting of once broadcasted programmes is included into the percentage of programmes broadcasted with multimodal approach.

The aim of this study is to investigate the issue of the usage of the technological devices that are able to prevent children and adolescents from accessing the media content and media technology. In the Slovak Republic, we investigated the current attitudes of the adult population to the usage of a TV Parental Lock. Within the frame of the representative survey which attended 2,815 respondents age 16-83, we found that there are significant statistical differences among the various age groups in terms of the awareness of the Parental Lock function. On the contrary, from a gender perspective, there are no statistically significant differences between women and men in their knowledge of the Parental Lock function. Major findings of the paper provided a broader discourse on the challenges of the parental media literacy, whose role should be to raise the awareness and knowledge level of the various technological solutions that eliminate minors to access the unwanted media content or place time-limits on the media usage.

The main aim of the research study is a detailed analysis of reading preferences of citizens with visual impairment in the Slovak Republic. The purpose of the study is to examine the relations between the current offer of specific media contents to blind and partially sighted members of the audience and their subjective needs and preferences. Regarding the specific character of physical disabilities we have primarily focused on media available in audio form, in Braille or those reading of which is possible using the computer and technical equipments (screen readers). Secondary aim of the study is the analysis of the offer of public libraries in the Slovak Republic that provide such media contents adapted to this target group (i.e. people with visual impairment). A qualitative research strategy was used within the implemented research. The practical implementation of data collecting and analysis was carried out using the framework analysis. Based on the research procedure focused on context factors related to the issue of people with visual impairment people we present in the study series of significant conclusions and findings connected to the discussed issues.

The paper deals with the possibilities of development of the co-working centers in academic institutions. Co-working is an innovative business and lifestyle trend that is developing in an environment of independent professionals. Various creative experts (graphic designers, marketers, copywriters, experts on internet marketing, website, visual communication, etc.) work together in a shared center. They have necessary technical equipment and creative background and provide services for the external environment. In the academic environment, the center is actually a kind of business incubator, which develops students' ability and practical skills focused on real business.

This paper presents the most interesting results of the research that was aimed at answering the question what value groups are dominant with the youth in connection with perception of individual and group role model incentives. Our objective was to analyze the formation of adolescents` role models and patterns within as compact picture as possible, taking into consideration developmental specifics as well as current social developments and the latest trends of youth socialization. Formation of the specific youth attributes picture covers a wide spectrum of knowledge from the fields of social and developmental psychology, Sociology, Media studies, as well as other Social sciences.

This study deals with personal distribution models of Slovak national periodicals in Poland and Serbia. The main aim of this study is to present results of detailed marketing and distribution activities analysis
of periodicals Hlas ľudu (Voice of people) that is published in Serbian Novy Sad and monthly Život (Life) intended for Slovaks living in Poland. Brand construction of both periodicals is largely based on
very close contact of the editors and their readers. This model is singular in the conditions of contemporary print media and it is called personal distribution. It does not use classic distribution channels (e.g. by means of specialized distribution companies, post office, kiosk selling, etc.) but it is based on personal contact of colporteur and community members. At the same time, colporteur – volunteer provides most of promotional activities directed at existing and potential readers of the
corresponding national periodical.

Evaluating media literacy levels in Europe involves a full range of socio-demographic indicators. These include age, gender, highest attained level of education, place of residence where the respondent lives, income level and others. Each of these indicators has a specific influence on the level of media literacy. The objective is to investigate the age of respondents as we consider it one of the most important indicators applied in media literacy research. This article is based data from Slovakia generated in a study named Media Literacy of the Adult Population in Slovakia conducted from 2014 to 2015. This representative study was conducted on a sample of 2815 respondents ranging in age from 16 to 83. The article focuses on selected segments of the research data involving statistical age testing as an important socio-demographic indicator of the level of media literacy in the adult population in Slovakia.
The results of the study focused on the level of media literacy of the adult population in Slovakia showed the most significant differences involve age differences. Differences were found across the individual age groups involving traditional and new media, as well as user skills and critical thinking. This is more than a simple generational divide related to digital media as it also involves individual aspects of traditional media, where the level of media competencies and critical thinking appears to decline with age.

The aim of this study is to present the selected findings of a research into the cooperation of The News Agency of the Slovak Republic with individual types of schools in the Slovak Republic, as well as to create a systematic overview of the current state and trends in this area. We have decided to examine the topic and illustrate its relation to individual types of schools in Slovakia as, within the conditions of the Slovak Republic, it still remains an unexplored area. This is one of the first comprehensive research tasks in Slovakia, which attempts to answer the questions concerning press agencies and schools within the context of media literacy development. The aim of this study is to analyze the cooperation of The News Agency of the Slovak Republic with individual types of school in Slovakia over the period of 2012-2016. We focus on the quantitative and qualitative analyses of secondary data created in the reviewed period within the framework of this cooperation. The second aim of the study is to present the results of research carried out at primary and elementary schools, the aim of which was to find out about the ways educational institutions utilize the services of the press agency within the concept of learning-by-doing when teaching media education. The research sample consisted of 2,164 elementary schools and 794 secondary schools from all regions of the Slovak Republic. We addressed these schools with an 11-item questionnaire examining the quantitative and qualitative aspects of cooperation with the public service News Agency of the Slovak Republic. At the same time, we analyzed the data created within this cooperation over the years 2012-2016. The news service provided by The News Agency of the Slovak Republic represents a tool used at Slovak primary schools, especially in the preparation of school media, as well as at teaching media education and other subjects. Nevertheless, the intensity of its use is undersized and there are still quite a number of schools that do not use this valuable service in their educational activities at all.