Media Literacy Skill: Abstracting
Abstracting is the skill of reducing a focal object down into a shorter version that preserves its essence. It is the distilling of the essence of a focal object into a brief description, then communicating that essence in such a way that the full import of the focal object is communicated but in a much shorter pace of time.
The skill of abstracting relies on some of the other skills of media literacy. It requires a person to first analyze a focal object to identify its elements, to evaluate those elements on the standard of importance, then to articulate those elements in a way that conveys the central essence of the focal object in a brief form.
Assignment
We have made to the end of our journey. You should now be at a higher level of critical thinking about media messages than you were at the beginning of the course. You have made significant progress. You now acquired enough knowledge through the writing assignments, chapter readings, and linked assignments and reading to understand the importance of deciphering media messages as both communication, science, and research.
In this assignment you will write an abstract for your Media Literacy Skills Manual including and showcasing what you have learned in this course. This assignment asks that you review what you have learned and abstract it down to into one page.
Directions
Students are to write a one-page abstract (approximately 250-300 words) that provides a quick overview of your manual and its contents and organization. It should express a central idea (the importance of learning and practicing media literacy skills) and your key points; it should also suggest any implications or applications of the research/contents you discuss in the manual. Your abstract should read like an overview of your manual.
You can also include what you have learned in the course and how you plan to use the manual. Who would you share it with? Why?
Resources
- Read Chapter 15: Helping Yourself and Others to Increase Media Literacy, pgs. 312 – 335. in Part V: Content in your textbook.
- Review Chapter 9: Abstracting: Communicating the Essence of Media Message and Chapter 10: Putting it All Together in your recommended text, 7 Skills in Media Literacy.
Grading
This course is a “Gordon Rule” course. The Gordon Rule requires students in Florida public universities to complete a minimum of writing intensive courses. FIU Gordon Rule courses meet this requirement by assigning several writing assignments, sequenced throughout the course, typically totaling 3,500 words or more. At FIU, in a Gordon Rule course, writing will be evaluated based on the following characteristics:
- Driven by a clear thesis or controlling idea.
- Supports thesis with adequate reasons and evidence.
- Displays sustained analysis and critical thought.
- Is organized clearly and logically.
- Shows knowledge of conventions of formal written English.
- Shows awareness of disciplinary conventions regarding content, style, form, and delivery method.
Reminders and Policies
- Make sure that you proofread your work prior to submission.
- Upload a WORD DOCUMENT ONLY to Canvas.
- Paper must be double-spaced. Use page numbers, but do not use title pages and/or page runners.
- Use 12 pt. Times Roman typeface.
- Do not ignore or write over or under the word count! Assignments that go over or are under the word count will lose 10% of the final grade. (See rubric below). Word counts will be checked. Please put your word count at the bottom of the paper.
- Don't forget to include a reference page at the end of the reaction paper. Visit The Roughwriter's Guide APA References Page by Dr. Karen PalmerLinks to an external site. for correct format.
- Late assignments will not be accepted, and technical difficulties ARE NOT an acceptable excuse for late work. If you experience technical issues, contact Canvas Technical Support.Links to an external site.
- Students are encouraged and required to complete and submit original work created by them without the use of any automated tools (as outlined in FIU’s Student Conduct and Honor Code), including any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs in this course. This course utilizes the Turnitin Artificial Intelligence (AI) Writing Detection Tool.