Study on training in audiovisual competence of teachers and students in southern Ecuador [Estudio sobre formación en competencia audiovisual de profesores y estudiantes en el sur de Ecuador]

Abstract

Media literacy education is a necessity in digitalized societies, which has been recognized by the Communications Law in Ecuador. However, although Ecuadorian society spends a great deal of time in front of TV and computer screens, neither students nor teachers, in particular, have been trained to deal with the media. Considering such reality, this article presents a study on media literacy education in the southern Ecuadorian school system, addressed specifically to students and teachers in de cities of Loja and Zamora. To that purpose, we applied a survey to 1,643 persons, and although results are not concluding, they allow some conclusions; mainly, that teachers in Loja present the best training (21.9% are competent), followed by students in the same city (19.5% are highly competent). They are followed by teachers in Zamora (18.9% have received audiovisual training), and lastly, by Zamora's students (16.6% show competence).