Active learning ideas
Planning a Digital Project is the vital first step in the 'Exploring and Creating' strand of the NCCA Digital Media Literacy specification. Students move from being consumers to creators, learning that high-quality media requires a clear purpose and a defined audience. This topic covers the essential pre-production skills of storyboarding, scripting, and audience analysis.
Activity 01
Groups create a detailed 'persona' for their target audience, including age, interests, and digital habits. They then pitch their project idea to this persona, explaining why it would appeal to them.
What is an algorithm?
Activity 02
Students sketch a 6-frame storyboard for a 30-second video. They swap with a partner who must 'read' the story back to them; this helps identify where the visual narrative might be unclear or missing steps.
How do algorithms create filter bubbles?
Activity 03
Students display their project plans and storyboards. Peers move around the room providing 'I like...' and 'I wonder...' feedback on post-it notes to help refine the project's purpose and structure.
Can algorithms be biased?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
I don't need a plan; I'll just figure it out while I'm filming.
Lack of planning leads to wasted time and poor quality. A quick 'failed project' case study or a role play showing the chaos of an unplanned shoot helps students value the pre-production phase.
My target audience is 'everyone.'
Content for 'everyone' often appeals to no one. A collaborative investigation into successful media campaigns shows students that specific targeting is the key to engagement and impact.
Methods used in this brief