Contribution to media literacy in the Caribbean

Introduction

This Initiative was a Triangular Cooperation effort, developed with the support of the ADELANTE Window, sought to maximise the knowledge and expertise in training plans in Media Education  that is tailored to Republican Dominican context integrating good practices and lessons learned from Ecuador, Bolivia and the experience and specialised knowledge from Spain.

Objectives

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative sought to share the expertise of the Partnership entities to design and implement a training plan to improve knowledge, skills and attitudes on media literacy, through a comprehensive approach to education oriented towards fostering more equitable societies.

Knowledge exchange and expertise in media education 

The providers entities were:

• Bolivian Association of Communication Researchers (ABOIC, Bolivia)
• Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL, Ecuador)
• University of Cantabria (UC, Spain)
• Euro-American InterUniversity Network for Research on Media Literacy for Citizenship (ALFAMED , Spain)

This Initiative aimed at strengthening the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic and the Partnership as a whole, through the exchange, adaptation and comparative systematisation of the experiences of the Partnership member entities, a proven media education methodology and the design for teacher training in media literacy that is adapted to the Dominican Republic context, adopted by the Ministry of Education and which can be replicated in other similar contexts.

Fostering quality education and promoting education is an essential resource for social development, especially for those with fewer resources and in vulnerable situations who can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable society.

Expanding impact and collaboration

This Initiative aimed to harness the knowledge and experience of the top European and Latin American entities in media education to contribute to the development of media literacy skills for all Dominican teachers, thus promoting the empowerment of young Dominicans to become active members of society; with a focus on equality and solidarity, while promoting social cohesion, reducing the gender gap and advancing human rights.

Thanks to the Universities Networks implied in the Initiative, the knowledge generated through the Partnership was made available to other universities, thus enabling the application of this knowledge well beyond the scope of the Initiative.

Project activities

This initiative was structured around four key activities, designed to facilitate knowledge transfer among Partnership entities to design and implement a training plan for teachers in the Dominican Republic to promote knowledge, skills and attitudes related to media literacy.  

Key activities included:

• Capacity building: training Ministry of Education representatives in the design and implementation of teacher training programmes in media literacy.
• Model implementation:
  • A teacher training course, designed and implemented by the partner entities.
  • Targeted teachers working with students aged 15 and above, as well as non-literate adults.
  • Direct impact on 100 teachers and their students, fostering critical media literacy.
• Research collaboration
  • A study conducted by Alfamed and the University of Cantabria to evaluate the training course’s impact.
  • Used quantitative and qualitative research to assess teachers’ knowledge gains.
  • Results published for scientific, academic, and policymaking audiences in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Spain.
• Community engagement:
  • Hybrid seminars for teachers, communities, and stakeholders to exchange experiences and share best practices.
  • Establishment of a permanent working group to ensure the continuity of media literacy efforts.

Cross-cutting themes

Throughout the initiative, a cross-cutting approach was applied, integrating:

• Gender equality
• Human Rights 
• Environmental sustainability

These themes were highlighted in experience-sharing, embedded in joint work sessions, and incorporated into the Course and in the key products of the Initiative, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to media education.

Results

Through this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership's member entities in the field of media education was used to design a Model for teacher training in media literacy for the Dominican Republic.

The results of this Initiative have contributed and aligned with the SDG 4 ‘Quality Education’, particularly target:

• Target 4.C ‘By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states’.

Implementing partner

The Universidad de Cantabria (University of Cantabria, UC), in Spain