Information and Media Literacy Minor

The Information and Media Literacy (IML) Minor content will include information and media literacy fundamentals, digital citizenship, impact of social media and technology on societies and cultures, potential weaponization of social media, the digital divide, effective research strategies, and ethical and legal issues in information and media. 

The minor builds upon existing courses and strengths in information and media literacy, especially those that emphasize the digital format, that are currently offered at the graduate and undergraduate levels in both departments and upon recent courses related directly to information and media literacy and data ethics.  

The goal of the Information and Media Literacy (IML) Minor is to provide upper-division undergraduates of any major the opportunity to: 

• Analyze and describe how and why information and media are constructed and shared, including analyses of the influence on information and media of political, social, cultural, and ideological forces and identity markers of race, class, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and immigration and citizenship status.
• Distinguish among facts, opinions, research studies, and advertisements and think critically regarding how these serve as evidence, as well as the quality of information in both historical and contemporary contexts and regardless of medium.
• Probe and discuss the economic, legal, labor, social, and geopolitical issues and implications associated with creation, access to, management, manipulation, reproduction, and use of information and media.
• Identify fundamental concerns and strategies associated with the teaching of information and media literacy and the cultivation of appropriate pedagogical skills in different formal and informal settings.
• Identify the roles played by information and media literacy in social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion concerns locally, nationally, and globally.
• Contribute towards the creation and presentation of information and media that advance a more just, equitable and humane society and nation.
• Develop effective researching strategies, evaluate the advantages and limitations of information researching tools and databases, and select multiple appropriate information sources to meet specific informational research needs— academic, personal and in the workplace.