BC Offering Free Media Literacy Certificate Program

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

By Deanna Rea

Bakersfield College is excited to introduce a new three-course, Media Literacy Certification Program for participants to learn how to navigate online environments ethically and confidently. The program will also provide useful tips and instruction on how to effectively utilize mass media sources, artificial intelligence tools, and online safety and privacy techniques.

The Library and Academic Technology Department at BC is passionate about increasing education and awareness of media literacy and has worked earnestly in developing these courses to train all members of the wider Bakersfield community. As citizens of an increasingly digital world, the instruction for media literacy continues to spread throughout K-12 institutions on the state level, and this certificate is an amazing opportunity for those who are eager to participate in this education alongside them.

“We’re all very excited to teach these courses and we think they’d be a great opportunity for community members to take some BC classes who maybe haven’t before,” says Ariel Dyer, the reference librarian at Bakersfield College. “This noncredit certificate would be an excellent fit for older adults, parents of young children, dual enrollment students, and anyone who wants to learn more about media literacy and digital citizenship.”

The Media Literacy Certification Program will include the following courses: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Online Safety, and Contemporary Issues & Mass Media. All three courses are asynchronous online and will be available on Canvas. Each course is two weeks long with a total of nine hours of content and will be taught by Alex Rockey, Ariel Dyer, Laura Luiz, and Faith Bradham for the upcoming semesters.

The students who complete this noncredit certification program will be equipped to use artificial intelligence tools ethically in both professional and academic settings, thrive in online environments by using the appropriate techniques, and effectively evaluate mass media sources and retrieve information. To register for these courses, enroll as a Bakersfield College student today!