Socialisation in the Age of New Media

Abstract

Media education is a comparatively young specialisation within educational science. It acts on the assumption that in modern (or postmodern) societies human's relation to the world is largely mediated by technical media. To act pedagogically therefore has to be conceived and understood as acting in a world shaped by information and communication technologies. Based on this media education addresses three different problems. First it tries to analyse and critically reflect on socio-cultural forms and practices of media usage in order to assess the social as well as individual relevance of technically mediated perception and communication. Second it tries do develop scientifically founded concepts for the practice of media education in order to foster people's media skills and media literacy. Third it tries to develop concepts for media didactics, that is for a methodical application of technical media in order to support teaching and learning processes.