ERMIScom Addendum - NFE activities for Media and Journalism Education

Aims of the tool

Students who go to university will be the future decision-makes, business leaders, intellectuals and citizens. As such, they need to acquire the vital transferrable skills to navigate this world successfully. However, formal education can sometimes be too focused on theory and not provide students with enough practical experience. It is, therefore, important for universities to change their approach and teach students not only specific knowledge, but also practical skills and good values, in order to succeed in life beyond the classroom.
Media students, in particular, need to cultivate soft skills during their formal studies because the related professions require a wide range of competencies beyond just theoretical knowledge and technical competences. Critical thinking, communication, collaboration, adaptability, and creativity are essential for journalists to succeed in today's dynamic media landscape.
The ERMIScom Addendum aims to address this gap and provide Higher Education teaching staff in Journalism, Media and Communication with a pool of non-formal education tools, tailored to enhance their students’ learning experience and skills’ acquisition.

Description of the tool

The ERMIScom Addendum is a compilation of 60 non -formal education activities that can be applied in the context of Higher Education as part of the formal curriculum in the fields of Journalism, Media & Communication.
The activities included in each separate chapter of the Addendum target the same concepts, skills, and attitudes as the corresponding Intellectual Output (IO)/Course of the ERMIScom curriculum:

COURSE I: Stereotypes and Prejudices: Xenophobia and Racism
 Skills: Intercultural awareness & Communication, Perspective-taking, Empathy
 Concepts: Cultural identity, Other/Otherness, Stereotypes & Prejudice, Xenophobia & Racism

COURSE II. Fake News and Hate Speech: Representation of Vulnerable Groups in the Media
 Skills: Source credibility assessment & fact-checking, Critical thinking
 Concepts: Conscious & unconscious biases, Mis-, Mal- & Disinformation, Hate speech & Discriminative Discourse

COURSE III. Social Entrepreneurship and Vulnerable Social Groups
 Skills: Leadership skills, Open-mindedness & Innovation, Creative problem-solving, Teamwork
 Concepts: Characteristics, challenges, and shared value of social enterprises (SEs), Business Model development, Social Impact and impact measurement

COURSE IV. Vulnerable Groups And Cultural Trauma
 Skills: Data research & analysis, Ethical approach when targeting vulnerable groups, respect for diversity
 Concepts: Vulnerability, Cultural and collective identity, Cultural trauma & presentation in media

COURSE V. Integration Policies for Vulnerable Social Groups
 Skills: Intercultural awareness & communication, Production of innovative research ideas, Critical thinking
 Concepts: Protection of vulnerable groups Rights, European Policies on asylum/migration, unemployment, poverty, elderly and COVID crisis, Media representation and integration

COURSE VI. Funds & Grants: Social Integration And Rights Related Projects
 Skills: Creativity & Innovation, Active citizenship attitudes, project planning & management
 Concepts: EU funding areas & programs, EU-Recovery Plan, Transparency, EU policy and programs targeting integration of vulnerable groups

COURSE VII. Transformative Methodological Approach: Teaching, Training, Learning
 Skills: Learning to learn, Personal development planning, self-reflection, mindfulness, collaborative learning & teamwork, sense of agency
 Concepts: Constructivism & Socio-constructivism, Cognitive & meta-cognitive skills, Phenomenon-based approach to education, Practical pedagogical approaches

Moreover, the Addendum is not limited to formal education settings, but may also be used in non-formal education workshops or other learning activities delivered by NGOs and youth workers