MEDIA AND

INFORMATION LITERACY
Quarter 4 - Module 2:
Current and Future Trends of Media and Information

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 Media and Information Literacy
Quarter 4 - Module 2: Current and Future Trends of Media and
Information

For the Learners

Welcome to this module especially made for you! This module

is made easy and interactive designed to meet your needs as a 21st
century learner. What you need most is to focus and take time so
that you will be able to achieve what you need to do in this module.

Technological advancements, digitization, and the Internet are swiftly changing the
nature of information production, consumption, and sharing. With this, even the
economic, societal, political, and educational landscapes of society have been aligning
its mechanisms and policies to the realities in the Information Age. In a fast-paced era
of information and technology, society is left with only two choices: adapt to change or
get left behind. As such, MIL encourages us to learn the current trends in Media and
Information as well as anticipate what may come in the future so that we may
understand, as consumers, in what ways we can adapt to and maximize the innovations
of these changing times.

In this lesson, you will identify the latest advancements in media and information
technology and realize how they shape people’s media experience and influence
information needs.

Learning Competency:
• Describe the impact of massive open on-line.

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 Current and Future Trends of Media
Lesson 10
and Information

Media and information, much like almost anything in the world, is a dynamic and
developing entity. It is ever-changing in nature – a product of continuous improvement. The
photos above are just a few examples of the many technologies and innovations that have
emerged throughout recent years. Here, you will explore more of these developments and
visualize what the future may bring in terms of the trends in media and information.

A. Massive Open Online Courses

EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit organization composed of IT leaders and professionals, defines
MOOC as “a model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a
course, with no limit on attendance.”

Furthermore, MOOCs can be characterized by the following:

1. A revolutionary approach to education that transitions from physical setting to a
virtual set-up
2. A kind of learning that is facilitated online, breaking the norm of having to physically
go to traditional schools or universities for higher education
3. Utilizes information technologies like analytics to help instructors evaluate their
students’ learning
4. Emphasizes connectedness (Gonzales, 2016)

MOOCS are asynchronous, open-access, Web-based courses geared toward enrolling

hundreds or thousands of students at a time. MOOCs deliver content via recorded video
lectures, online readings, and online assessments, as well as various degrees of student-
student and student-instructor interaction (Kurt, 2018). People enroll in MOOCs for a range of
purposes, including Career development, college preparations, supplemental learning,
lifelong learning, corporate training, and more.

There is a distinction though as to whether an online learning material or program is

considered as a MOOC. Here are a number of features that are typically required for a course
to be considered a MOOC:
1. Massive - It should allow access to a very large number of students, much larger than
a face-to-face class, or a traditional online course. It can even reach up to 500,000
learners or more!
2. Open – It does not have an admission process nor qualifications to be able to register
or enroll. MOOCs being open also means free and open access to educational
resources hosted in varied online places.
3. Online – The course is done remotely via the Internet and does not require physical
attendance in a classroom, which also means that anyone from anywhere around the
world with an Internet connection can avail themselves of these courses.
4. Courses - It should have learning objectives to be achieved by students after certain
activities within a given period of time.

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 MOOCs are made and hosted by universities and companies through open enrollment or
open registration. However, most of these institutions do not host MOOCs under their
organization per se but rely on course providers such as Coursera, edX, Udacity, and many
others. They range in length from 1 to 16 weeks (Bowden, 2019). While others run on a schedule,
MOOCs remain flexible, letting you progress through them at your own pace, which means
you are able to study and go through the lessons and activities according to your time,
schedule, and pacing. Like in a traditional classroom, students will also be graded through
quizzes, assignments, or activity. However, these may come as peer review, which is graded
by other students according to a rubric or automatically-marked tests which are graded
directly upon submission.

MOOCs offer a strong starting point for a number of reasons, including:

1. Lack of entry requirements – a MOOC can be taken by anyone who is interested in the
subject matter and able to access the course, regardless of age, background, or
location
2. Repetition – a MOOC will often run two or three times a year, ensuring that students
won’t miss their chance
3. High quality – MOOCs are led by subject matter experts (SMEs) and supported by
teaching assistants so that students have access to first-rate educational resources
4. Feasibility – a MOOC usually necessitates around 1-2 hours of study a week for about
five weeks, making learning doable for students with busy lives
5. Self-paced but supported learning – a MOOC enables students to work through the
course materials and assessments at their own rates while also interacting with a
global learning community (Kurt, 2018).

MOOCs are a game-changer for higher education. The large-scale availability, the low cost
to students, the questions raised around credentialing, and the analytics all create momentum
for new pathways to education. You can find an example of an MOOC on Page 6.

B. Wearable Technology
Also known as wearables or fashion technology, wearable technology is a general term
that encompasses a field of smart devices that are worn on the body. This technology is also
considered as a trend in media and information as with it, people and access information
through media in a much faster manner.

Earlier versions of wearables were devices clipped to the body or on pieces of clothing.
Today, however, advancements in technology allowed powerful sensors to have direct
contact with the skin. Thus, the tech gravitated to other body parts: the wrists, fingers, chest,
forearms, ears, eyes, forehead, temple, and anywhere else you can think of (yes, even those
parts).

According to Wearable Devices magazine (Liquigan, 2016), the characteristics of

wearable include the following:
• Performing computer-related tasks such as laptops and mobile phones
• Provide sensory and scanning features
• Have some form of communication capability and will allow the wearer access to
information in real-time
• Data-input capabilities
• Local storage capabilities
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 Wearable technology is growing to be one of the fastest-rising innovations in the ICT
industry. The new age of wearables is loaded with smart sensors that track our movements
and biometrics, often using Bluetooth to sync wirelessly to a smartphone. Others also rely on
Wi-Fi connectivity and standalone mobile 4G LTE data connections. Wearables also use
sensors to connect to you as a person, helping you to achieve goals such as staying fit and
active, losing weight, being more organized, or tracking your overall mental and physical
health. In the case of VR and AR heads-up displays, they’re providing a wealth of new
entertainment and educational opportunities, as well as enhancing the world around us
(Smith, 2019).

Different fields, such as in gaming, music, entertainment, health and medicine, fitness and
wellness, education, transportation, and many others, have slowly started to adapt to the use
of this technology. Let’s look at these examples of wearable technology:
1. Smartwatch
Smartwatches are wrist-worn devices that connect to
your mobile phone. As they are synced to your smartphone,
it allows you to see notifications on your wrist at a glance.
This technology eases the burden of having to constantly
open and check your smartphone text messages, e-mails,
or other notifications. It can even track your physical activity!
Most smartwatches rely on a smartphone to function,
which also means the model you choose will depend on
Image source:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/
your phone. For example, the Apple Watch can only be
MXePhzfVe8V2aE4yt3SUxchVRYm_1-- synced with an iPhone, while Android Wear devices—such
mqhwRvy0c87Hb8QzuC16nr3keB3DH
OyHNvUd92ow=s151 as the Moto 360 and Samsung Gear—can only be
connected to Android phones.
2. Fitness trackers and sports watches
Whether for formal training or just trying to be active and
fit, fitness trackers and sportswatch help you get a better
understanding of your fitness activities. According to GCF
Global, they can track the number of steps you take, your
average heart rate, how long you sleep, and more. This data
can then be synced with another device, which allows you
to see trends and patterns in your activity. For example, you
Image source: could find out how far you’ve walked over the past week or
https://products.galeriesdelacapital
estimate how many calories you’ve burned in a day.
e.com/fr/products/ca-the-source

3. Smartglasses
Google Glass was the first to launch this technology in
2013. Basically, it brings wireless connectivity and imaging
into the frames and lenses of our eyewear, controls that we
can only usually do on our smartphones and computers. So
instead of a keyboard or mouse, you can control smart
glasses by tapping or swiping control built into the frame or
Image source: even verbalizing your commands as you do with Alexa and
https://news.knowledia.com/US/en/searc
h?query=&topic=Zll Siri.

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 4. Hearables
Most have had or known earphones and headphones
throughout their lives. Today, these devices, like the ones we
previously discussed, have now also utilized wireless
connectivity as well. These Hearables work just like the
traditional earphones and headphones but are already
wireless and are worn in the ear. The most popular example
is Apple’s AirPods, those true wireless earphones that offer
Image source:
quick access to the Siri voice assistant. However, these
https://www.lizardtienda.com/product hearable aren’t only for music or entertainment, but some
o/auriculares-bluetooth/
are actually used as smart hearing aids.

5. VR Headsets
VR or Virtual Reality headsets are devices connected to a
PC/games console and show you a computer-generated
virtual reality that fools you sight and your brain into
thinking you are in a different scenario
Image source: https://www.giga.de/deals/vr-set-oculus-rift-beim-red-friday-bei-
mediamarkt-stark-reduziert/

C. 3D Environment
3D or three-dimensional, in its literal sense, refers to anything that has a width, height, and
depth (Gonzales, 2016). The physical world, the realm we live in, including us humans, are
examples of 3D environments. This technological concept of a 3D environment is explored to
imitate and simulate the physical world through media. The most common examples of this
are computer animations in video games and TV shows. Films have also been among the
most common media modalities that employ 3D. 3D films make objects in their material
appear solid to the audience through the illusion of perception (Gonzales, 2016). If you have
been to one of these 3D films, you are made to wear special 3D glasses, which directs each
of your eyes to see a slightly different picture. According to American Paper Optics, a
manufacturer of 3D eyewear, “this is done in the real world by your eyes being spaced apart,
so each eye has its own slightly different view. The brain then puts the two pictures together
to form one 3D image that has depth to it.

Another 3D technology, which has existed for actually quite a while now, is 3D Printing.
This innovation brings digital data and design to the physical world – literally. Simply put, it
brings your design to life! According to The University of Tennessee Knoxville, 3D printing
“creates objects by bonding the print material one layer at a time. They work by making use
of 3D design files, such as those created in AutoCAD or similar applications. These files are
processed by specialized software that slices the data into cross-sections. The printer uses
this data to build the desired object from the bottom up one layer at a time.” Unlike laser
printers that utilize inks, 3D printer’s “prints” in layers of material like plastic, metal, and
concrete.

Overall, the 3D environment has already been widely used because it gives the audience
or the users a more engaging and enjoyable media experience because the images and
videos are in three-dimensional rendering – meaning it’s as if we’re looking at something
real!
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D. Ubiquitous Learning
Ubiquitous learning or u-learning is a kind of e-learning experience that “implies a vision
of learning which is connected across all the stages on which we play out our lives. Learning
occurs not just in classrooms, but in the home, the workplace, the playground, the library,
museum, and nature center, and in our daily interactions with others (Bruce, 2009).”
Compared to mobile learning and e-learning, it is a more context-based approach and more
adaptive to the needs and pacing of the learner.

U-learning is a kind of wireless modality where learning takes place at anytime, anywhere,
and with anyone. It benefits from the use of technologies to implement learning activities and
achieve learning objectives. These technologies incorporate learning materials such as
videos, audios, PowerPoint presentations, or notes with embedded source data in them
(Liquigan, 2016). It is a very personalized and dynamic mechanism that uses devices
integrated into the students’ environment. Furthermore, u-learning maximizes the use of any
form of media like mobile phones and computers for efficient use.

However, in the Philippine setting, especially in the public education system, most u-
learning tools fail to endure because of the lack of resources and thus, not effectively
sustaining the actual needs of the students. It is, nevertheless, still a promising endeavor that
both private and public education institutions hope to embark on.

E. Paperless Society
A call for faster transactions and greener mechanisms brought paperless transactions as
a viable and useful practice in society. A paperless society is a society where communication
and transactions are done electronically or digitally, and all forms of printed communication
have become obsolete. It is characterized by the shift from letters to e-mails, newspapers to
news web pages, books to e-books, and so on (Gonzales, 2016). Paperless transactions also
include cashless dealing, which is often done through credit or debit cards or through virtual
wallets like PayMaya and GCash.

Going paperless offers several benefits, like acquiring savings on costs on materials,
printing, labor, and storage. In addition, paperless transactions minimize the risk of losing or
misplacing a digital document and allow employees to access and edit a digital document,
whether remotely or in the office, then electronically manage or send it. These documents
can also be accessed simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple copies and thus
saving time and adding to work efficiency.

However, for a country like the Philippines where many places are still without electricity,
even more so Internet, going entirely paperless, is still a far-fetched aim. Bureaucracy in
several companies and organizations, both public and private, also hamper the actual
realization of a paperless society. Despite such, societies are positively gearing towards going
paperless as places, and people who are capable of carrying it out have already adapted
such procedures.

MOOCs, Wearables, 3D, U-Learning – these are only a few of the many technological
advances that we can only expect to shape our daily life now and in the future
– the way we communicate, conduct business and even have fun. From virtual worlds,
wireless devices, artificial intelligence, holographic images and videos, and so much more.
All these trends will continue to advance, empower, and transform every aspect of our lives.

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 Example of an MOOC from Course Provider edX

Course Provider

Course Title

Registration Link

Course Description

Course Objectives

Host Institution

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