Communications in Information Literacy - Volume 18 - Issue 2 - Article 4 - Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategies for the Media Literacy Classroom

Oct 15, 2026

Inspired by the apprenticeship model, the paper documents two instructors’ efforts to anchor a semester-long media and information literacy course in current events. It outlines how curiosity about contemporary issues such as misinformation, climate change, algorithms, right-to-repair, blockchain, and artificial intelligence is used to shape engagement-driven activities. Concrete assignments help situate learning in real-world contexts and strengthen students’ confidence in independently navigating information systems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Course design and instructional goals

Cognitive apprenticeship framework

Student involvement in course planning

Engagement through current events

Contemporary topics used as learning drivers

Building real-world tasks and assignments

Context and instructor backgrounds

Department offering the course

Authors’ roles and research interests

Communications in Information Literacy | Volume 18 Issue 2 | Article 4 | | --- | --- | | 12-2024
Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategies for the Media Literacy Classroom
Nate Floyd
Miami University, [floydns@miamioh.edu](floydns@miamioh.edu)
Jaclyn Spraetz
Miami University, [spraetj@miamioh.edu](spraetj@miamioh.edu)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit](https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit)
Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Information Literacy Commons
Let us know how access to this document benefits you. | | Recommended Citation Floyd, N., & Spraetz, J. (2024) . Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategies for the Media Literacy Classroom. Communications in Information Literacy, 18 (2), 180–197 . [https://doi.org/10.15760/](https://doi.org/10.15760/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.15760/)[comminfolit.2024.18.2.4](comminfolit.2024.18.2.4) This open access Innovative Practice is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4 .0) . All documents in PDXScholar should meet accessibility standards. If we can make this document more accessible to you, contact our team. Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategies for the Media Literacy Classroom Nate Floyd, Miami University Jaclyn Spraetz, Miami University Abstract Inspired by the apprenticeship model of teaching and learning, two instructors report on their efforts to place current events at the center of a semester-long media and information literacy course. They discuss strategies to harness curiosity about contemporary topics (e.g., misinformation, climate change, algorithms, right-to-repair, blockchain, artificial intelligence, etc.), and create engagement-driven course content. The paper provides concrete examples of activities and assignments used to situate learning in real-world contexts and build students' confidence in navigating information independently. This case study offers insights for other educators seeking to apply cognitive apprenticeship principles to media and information literacy instruction Keywords: media literacy, information literacy, cognitive apprenticeship, instructional design, pedagogy Innovative Practices edited by Andrea Baer, Carrieann Cahall, Robert Detmering, Carolyn Gamtso, and Merinda McLure Floyd, N., & Spraetz, J. (2024). Cognitive apprenticeship strategies for the media literacy classroom. Communications in Information Literacy, 18(2), 180–197. Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategies for the Media Literacy Classroom We were tasked with developing a one-credit-hour, 15-week media and information literacy course titled IMS 202: Information Studies & Digital Citizenship. In designing this course, we were inspired by the cognitive apprenticeship model of teaching and learning, as described by Collins et al. (1991). This model guided our instructional approach in the classroom, enabling us to craft a course that integrated the theoretical foundations of media and information literacy with its practical applications. Our goal was to blend theoretical concepts and practical skills, enabling students to become more familiar with current information topics. This included understanding how information is produced, navigating through an overwhelming volume of information, and grasping how information influences our worldview. We encouraged students to contemplate their role in the information world and how they could best explore it during our semester together. Aligning with the cognitive apprenticeship model, our objectives were designed to convey to students that we would work collaboratively toward achieving our goals. Our aim was for the students to leave the class with transferable skills for evaluating and seeking reliable information: skills applicable both inside and outside the classroom, and throughout their lives. We involved students insetting the course goals. We r

FAQs

What outcomes are the instructors aiming for in students?

Students are intended to leave with transferable skills for evaluating and seeking reliable information both inside and outside the classroom.

Oct 15, 2026

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