MídiaBox: Media Literacy as Edutainment

It is common to think of lifelong learning as the processes of education structured in curricula – as a continuation of academic education. However, the main challenge in developing public policy on lifelong learning is to think about how it is possible to develop unstructured learning opportunities. How do we learn through entertainment, for example? It is in the field of informal education that media literacy has fertile ground to be explored.

Conceptual debates are inevitable at this point. What is the fine line that separates education from entertainment? And further: is there such a line? Creator Walt Disney first used the term edutainment in 1954 – looking back at Disney’s legacy is an important exercise when thinking about lifelong learning.

When we approach media literacy, an even more complex element emerges like “what is the role of the information means themselves, whether digital or not, of providing experience outside formal education environments”?

One of the fastest growing areas in the entertainment industry is the development of digital games and the promise of “metataverses” still under construction.

Based on the premise that it is feasible to learn by playing, this blog writer had a chat with the Brazilian journalist Mariane Maio. Together with their colleague Sabrina Generali (also a journalist), during the TechCamp to Combat Misinformation, promoted by the American Embassy in Brazil with support of the Instituto Palavra Aberta, they developed a card game (offline and online) that promotes media literacy as a lifelong learning process. Thus, MídiaBox was born, a kind of oracle from which it is possible to randomly extract questions, answers, and quizzes about media and disinformation.

How did the idea of ​​creating the MídiaBox come about?

Sabrine and I understand that there are some good initiatives in Brazil that work with the theme in schools. However, there was a lack of initiatives that appropriated schools, teachers, and students as a starting point, but that were carried out in non-school environments in order to involve the community in this cycle of people engaged in the fight against disinformation. That’s how we created MídiaBox, a game that proposes triggering actions to promote media education in a light way with the objective that young people take some of their knowledge about the media and awareness strategies and to combat disinformation that circulates on different platforms to their families and groups of friends.

MídiaBox is available in two versions: one physical and one digital. The physical version of the game can be downloaded in PDF from the website for printing, along with instructions for assembling the box. And in the online version, when registering, which is also free, on the website, participants can draw a new card daily with the actions, as well as create cards to collaborate with the platform and participate in a ranking of creators.

How does MídiaBox fit in with the informal education field within the media literacy perspective?

When we created MídiaBox, we thought that the school would be the trigger point of the game, as a complement to some activities and initiatives that already exist. However, the main idea is that it doesn’t stop there. We create activities and provocations that manage to go beyond the walls of the school and impact families, friends and the community in which young people are inserted. Being able to complete this cycle is extremely important, as in this way we help to multiply knowledge on the subject and make it possible for more people to have the critical analysis necessary to break the cycle of misinformation.

What is the connection of MídiaBox with the idea that we are all lifelong learners?

MídiaBox was designed to be a continuous game, possible to be played every day, either with the activities that we already have available (200 cards) or with those that we received as a suggestion from the participants. We believe that, in this way, we are able to show that fighting disinformation is something simple, but that it must be continuous and requires learning. As we do when we are going to learn a new language or a mathematical equation, for example, being literate for the use and interaction with the media is fundamental. Mainly because digital media and technologies change all the time. Therefore, to be prepared to interact in this media and informational world, constant learning is needed and we believe that MídiaBox activities can help.

Did you think about the age range for using it?

Yes, the activities and proposals were designed primarily for elementary school. However, we believe that high school or even higher education youth can easily appropriate the game, as well as the younger ones, with some adaptations of an adult mediator.

Do you know the concept of “edutainment”? Do you think you fit in with it?

I believe it fits, because with MídiaBox the person learns in a fun and interactive way, serving as a support for other more formal content about combating disinformation. It is a game that you can put into practice, learning more and more and multiplying this knowledge.

What are MídiaBox’s plans for the future?

MídiaBox was launched in 2021 and now make are planning to make it available to the participants of Ler e Pensar (an education platform promoted by a Brazilian national newspaper) and Jornal Joca (Brazilian newspaper for kids), who are partners in the project and also work with the MediaBox stakeholders. In addition, we are open to all interested parties to help us spread the game to more and more people. The idea of ​​MídiaBox for the future is that it not only be accessed, but also that the participants help us create new activities and keep the game more and more updated and contextualized.

You can download Mídiabox at https://midiabox.net.br/
Images Credit: MídiaBox