International Symposium on Digital Literacy fosters media content awareness

PEKAN, 12 October 2022 - Digital Literacy International Symposium: Media and Information Literacy could nurture the community to handle media content more responsibly and ethically in personal, professional and community activities.

In fact, through this symposium, participants were able to raise awareness and learn about their implementation strategies across the international community.

The programme organised by Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) in collaboration with UNESCO Information for All Program (IFAP) also shared expertise in information literacy and fostered the community to handle creative media content with eight experts from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey, USA and the United Kingdom.

According to the Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Industrial and Community Collaboration Division, Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Nurul Hazlina Noordin, this programme was a platform for experts to share views and suggestions on digital competency especially from the context of media and information literacy.

“The element of literacy itself is an ever-evolving concept and the level of knowledge and mastery of media literacy affect the lives of the community especially in today’s borderless world.

“It aligns with UNESCO’s Strategic Plan, the Information for All Program (IFAP).

“Information literacy includes aspects of knowledge, attitudes and skills that lead to the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, use, produce and convey information,” she said in the programme held at the UMP Pekan Library Auditorium recently.

She added that information is available on various digital platforms and it is important for every citizen to confidently and efficiently use this technology for information search, communication and fundamental problem solving in all aspects of life.

Meanwhile, Nor Farizan Zakaria from The Reading Makchixx group said media and information literacy emphasises the ability to find and navigate information.

She said the programme would continue with empowerment programmes and activities with students and school teachers to expand digital competency and media literacy awareness.

More than 800 participants including secondary school teachers around Pahang participated in the symposium, a follow-up activity of a round table session on the importance of digital competency in media and information literacy, which was held in March.

This programme featured panels from Hu Xianghong (UNESCO IFAP, Paris), Professor Julian McDougall (Bournemouth University, UK), Saidatul Ashikin Abu Hassan (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, MCMC), Dr. Nolan Higdon (University of California, Santa Cruz, US).

Also present were Soraya Ahyaudin, Megan Sweas, and Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard (University of Southern California, US), Profesor Dr. Ali Gunes (Ankara Medipol University, Turkey), Dr. Taufiqur Rahman (Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia), Ray Ting-Chun Wang (Thammasat University, Thailand), and Professor Jun Sakamoto and Dr. Kyoko Murakami (Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan).

By: Nor Salwana Mohammad Idris, Corporate Communications Division, Chancellery Department

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, Engineering College/Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology