Creation of an Educational Online Course on the Basics of Media Literacy for Schoolchildren

During the analysis of the media market, it was found that media literacy is developing, but there are still not enough good quality courses on this topic. The goal of the work was to develop a detailed online course that allows students to structure knowledge in the field of media literacy and pays attention to the peculiarities of behavior in the digital environment. The educational course allows students to acquire skills in searching and processing information, fact checking and self-defense when working in the information space. The final product is an online educational course on the basics of media literacy for schoolchildren, consisting of three blocks and posted on the platform of the Faculty of Pre-University Training at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. The project provides a fundamental understanding of media literacy among schoolchildren. The main idea is to create a video course that increases children's online awareness. The methodology includes the following tools: content analysis, case analysis and survey. A course was made to expand children's knowledge in the field of media. At the end of the course, participants are able to conduct fact-checking, identify fake news, and protect themselves from fraud threats and data theft. The article analyzes the theoretical understanding of media literacy. The first part clarifies the concepts of fake, media, fact-checking, primary source, information garbage. For a better understanding, some illustrative examples are given. The report further touched on the topic of legal norms, ethics and rights in social networks. It explains how to stay legal online, avoid scams, and keep personal data safe. Moreover, the project raises the question regarding the capabilities and impact of artificial intelligence on the media. Finally, the article provides in-depth insight into the issue of media literacy. Legal doctrines influence the pattern of rules in every legal system. During the course, students listen to theoretical lectures and are able to apply the acquired knowledge in practice by completing test tasks. In the online media literacy course, students learn how to check facts, identify fake news, find the original source, and identify a newsmaker.