The definition of "media literacy" depends on the area and the context in which the word is used. A typical definition of the word focuses on one's "human internal side like thought, attitude and value" which is reflected by external information. The other definition stresses the ability of internalization of the information around oneself. This complexity was organized by three interface layers; instrumental ability, interactive literacy and critical literacy, and three abilities; ability of media utilization, ability of media acceptance and ability of media expression, into a crossing table. Learner's involvement to each cell of the table was assumed and the assumptions newly defined "media literacy" as a positive ability of designing interface between media and oneself.

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This paper examines the current state of media literacy education in Japan and re-evaluates the objectives that need to be addressed in media education. This paper also evaluates the possibilities for revitalization of Japanese civil society through media education. A prime objective of media education is to foster a critical "eye" about the media and through that, facilitate empowerment of citizens. Empowerment of citizens through media education is one path for revitalization of Japanese civil society. If empowerment of citizens is to be viewed as the final goal of media education, the following issues need to be additionally addressed as well in Japan: education on Net security and Net privacy issues, the interpretation of shocking images found on the Internet and digital copyrights. Media concentration is also an important issue to be understood through media education.

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The media pedagogy in Germany analyzes the social communication that uses media. It tries to promote the competency of media communications in the contemporary society to the child, the young person, and the adult. The media pedagogy in Germany pays attention to Media Competency as key concept now. This concept is variously defined by the media pedagogies of Germany. In this paper, the concept frame of media Competency is clarified through the analysis of various definitions. This paper aims to identify another concept that develops the media literacy education in Japan more and more.

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This study investigated pre-service teacher training college students' attitudes towards Media Literacy (ML) teaching "Information Study", general course subject at high school. Twenty-five students answered a questionnaire that consisted of an image, knowledge, and the conscious of importance of teaching ML, Information Literacy (IL), and Computer Literacy (CL). The result indicated that they had more complex images and less knowledge regarding ML than other literacy. They mistook IL for ML. They were conscious of the importance of IL teaching and less conscious regarding the importance of CL.

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We developed this curriculum for learners in kindergarten through high school. The purpose of this curriculum is to foster the power of thinking and the student's ability to judge media. First discussed is, into what content fields the curriculum can be divided. Second, it is determined what class subject is able to handle the theme, though it is likely to be put into practice in integrated study classes. As a result, we successfully developed the curriculum to be effective in both integrated study and one-subject classes in 4 fields: Understanding, Expressing, Media Communication, and Media Skills.

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With the spread of Information Technology, the importance of media education is increasing. Above all, Critical Viewing Skills, referred to as CVS, is an important factor. Especially, there are few studies concerning CVS with regards to the Internet and web browsing. The author focused on the ability of CVS web while browsing, and constructed a scale of CVS as basic knowledge of media education. The author divided CVS into two parts, 'disposition' and 'ability'. To assess CVS, the author used a qualitative approach as well as a quantitative approach. As a result of this, the following 2 points were found: 1) As a result of the reliability coefficient, GP analysis and Item total correlation, the reliability of the CVS scale on disposition seems to be high. 2) As a result of the qualitative analysis of the CVS scale on ability, there is a clear relationship between disposition and ability. The subjects in the high disposition group can point out how to identify the reliability of information on the web. To summarize, the reliability and validity of the CVS scale we constructed seems to be confirmed.

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Although media literacy education is becoming more popular in Japan, programs to date have mainly focused on learning by and with media. Yet a well-balanced educational experience requires learning about media. The NHK broadcasting program for schools, "Experience! Media ABC's" was developed to help Japanese elementary school teachers new to media literacy education introduce lessons in a smooth and practical way to fifth and sixth graders. The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of the program. The research uses a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and posttest. Fifty-five fifth graders in Experimental Group 1 were given a task of watching the program (eye-catching copy) and a four-hour-lesson. The Experimental Group 2 just watched the program and the Control Group had no treatment [MSOffice1]. The results of the comprehensive "Media Literacy test" reveal that Experimental Group 1 presented significantly higher posttests scores than the other two groups, and showed higher satisfaction and motivation for learning as well as an increased incentive for advanced activities. The teachers in Group 1 also recognized the effectiveness of the program. The results prove that the program is appropriate for children to learn about media.

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Reviewing the research for nurturing Media-Literacy, researchers tend to pay attention to learning outcome. It is, however, necessary to focus on the learning process in order to understand how students develop the concept and attitude toward media. In this paper, the authors focus on the process of nurturing media literacy and making it clear the development process of concept and attitude on media by qualitative methods.

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Since Japan acquired Chinese characters, mastering language skills in a formalistic approach has been prioritized over a scientific analysis of messages. Although until the Edo period where Japanese and Chinese languages coexisted, various letters and sounds were intermingled, the nation promoted the systematization of the Japanese language during modernization in the Meiji period. As a result, contemporary Japanese has been established, and a formalistic learning culture approach was inherited during this period. On the other hand, information education which works with communication media seems to be following the track of Japanese education. Just as Japanese education which stays incapable of uniting "form" and "substance" systematically, information education is having difficulties in combining media and messages organically. The issue in a formalistic learning culture approach is the construction of new paradigms for the complex and plural capacity included in the human activity called communication.

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"Mysteries in Asia" is an educational curriculum of cross-cultural communication and media literacy for students from different regions. The curriculum is composed of three stages. That is, (1) making and exchanging "image maps" on their partner's local culture, (2) producing quiz videos about their own local culture in each region, and (3) exchanging those videos as well as answers and opinions on them through the Internet and other electric media. In its Japanese local version, university students are expected to acquire media literacy through actual video production representing their own local culture, which will be transferred to people living in other region. At the same time, they are expected to note necessity and possibility of alternative communication network by realizing the influence as well as limitation of mass media that impose us certain and sometimes problematic local images.

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In China Mr. Rai proposed using films for teaching purposes he drew up a systematic syllabus based on for quality films from around the world to improve the ability of the students. His proposal was accepted by the Media Education Center under the auspices of the Chinese Ministry of Education. The program commenced in 1995. The number of schools adopting the film program had been increasing all over China. At the 2004 conference, a number of very good practical examples were demonstrated. Some were closely related to media literacy teaching. This report concerns information regarding Chinese media education including the use of films, which I obtained through my working relationship with Mr. Rai.

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