When we approach media literacy, an even more complex element emerges like \u201cwhat is the role of the information means themselves, whether digital or not, of providing experience outside formal education environments\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the fastest growing areas in the entertainment industry is the development of digital games and the promise of \u201cmetataverses\u201d still under construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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, M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> was born, a kind of oracle from which it is possible to randomly extract questions, answers, and quizzes about media and disinformation.<\/p>\n\n\n How did the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating the M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 M\u00eddiaBox<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n How does M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> fit in with the informal education field within the media literacy perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When we created M\u00eddiaBox<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n What is the connection of M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> with the idea that we are all lifelong learners?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> 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 M\u00eddiaBox<\/em> activities can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you think about the age range for using it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ic4ml.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Mariana.png?resize=550%2C734&ssl=1\")
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