Media Masterclass for Higher Education Institutions

A Four-Day Media Masterclass for Higher Education Institutions (6-9 May 2025)

Theme: Harnessing Media for Education: Mastering Digital Tools for African Universities

This concept note outlines a comprehensive workshop that will empower participants to effectively harness digital media for educational and other useful purposes. By providing practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and opportunities for hands-on experience, this workshop will contribute to the advancement of media literacy and digital communication in African higher education and beyond.

Executive Summary

In today’s world, where information is constantly shared in countless forms, digital media has become increasingly relevant. Digital media serves as a method of transforming raw data into meaningful communication for people, using formats such as video, audio, text, and images.

This four-day Media Masterclass for Higher Education Institutions aims to equip participants from across the African Universities with the necessary skills to effectively utilize digital media for effective communication. Through theoretical sessions, practical exercises, and group activities, participants will gain a deep understanding of media literacy, digital storytelling, and content creation. This initiative is in response to the focal point “D” of the Association of African Universities’ (AAU) 2024 – 2030 Strategic Plan; i.e., Higher Education Capacity Building and Empowerment. The inaugural Media Masterclass will be delivered in English and follow up sessions will be delivered in French and Portuguese

Introduction

The AAU is a membership-based network of 450 plus universities covering the 5 regions of Africa and its mission is to enhance the quality and relevance of higher education in Africa and strengthen its contribution to Africa’s development. Since 1967, the AAU has been the leading advocate for higher education in Africa, demonstrating the capacity to provide support for its member institutions in meeting their national, continental, and global needs.

As part of creating value for its members the AAU regularly runs various capacity building programs for the benefit of various thematic groups within the member universities. These capacity building programs offer discounted fees to staff from the member universities to demonstrate value for their loyal membership to the AAU. The AAU also hosts various forums for exchanges, discussions, engagements, collaborations, and advocacy towards fulfilling its mission and to improve the functions of its member universities.

The AAU TV, a unit of the AAU, serves as a platform to promote African scholarly works and highlight the relevance of higher education in Africa. It emphasizes the role of education as a cornerstone for socio-economic development and delivers development-focused content aimed at demonstrating the contributions of higher education institutions to socio-economic development.

The AAU TV’s mission is to be the voice of academia in Africa, leveraging academic innovations for public benefit and advancing Africa’s development. The vision of the AAU TV is to continually generate innovative and high-quality content that underscores the significance of higher education in societal development, increases the visibility of AAU member universities, fosters partnerships, and ensures the sustainability of operations through financial resource generation.

Justification

The rapid evolution of digital technology has significantly impacted various sectors, including education. Across Africa, institutions—be they educational, governmental, or corporate—are increasingly recognizing the value of integrating media into their operations. A review of higher education institutions such as the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), Accra Technical University (ATU), Academic City University, and the Open University of Nigeria highlights a growing trend: the establishment of audio-visual studios to enhance teaching and learning experiences. However, many of these studios face a common challenge—a shortage of skilled professionals capable of fully leveraging their potential. Similarly, the AAU Secretariat’s experience in supporting seven African Higher Education Centers of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact) under the Centers of Competence in Digital Education (C-Code) project underscores the need for ongoing capacity-building efforts to ensure technical teams can effectively manage and optimize digital education studios.

Objectives

The AAU TV’s 4-Day Media Masterclass for Higher Education Institutions aims to provide participants with the skills and expertise needed to harness the power of digital media to improve outcomes across various higher education domains. The objectives of the masterclass are:

• To cultivate media literacy among higher education participants.
• To equip participants with practical, hands-on experiences in digital media production.
• To foster critical thinking skills related to media consumption and creation.
• To promote the ethical and responsible use of media in educational contexts.

Expected Outcomes

• A deeper understanding of digital tools media usage and its implications for education.
• Ability to create high-quality digital media content for educational purposes.
• Critical thinking skills for evaluating and analyzing media enhanced.
• Ability to contribute to the development of a strong digital presence for their universities.

Methodology

• Lectures and presentations
• Hands-on exercises
• Group activities and discussions
• Case studies and examples

Target Participants

• Media personnel employed by universities – working in e-learning departments, supporting university television/media units, or working in public relations/communications/social media offices
• University and college students enrolled in media-related programs
• University communication officers and anyone interested in producing media content

Workshop Outline

Day 1: Media Literacy and the Role of Digital Media in Education

• The importance of media literacy & ethical use of media content

in higher education

• Understanding media’s role in disseminating information and digital content
• Media convergence and its impact on education
• Panel discussion on building a strong digital brand for universities

Day 2: Digital Storytelling and Content Creation for Education

• Introduction to digital storytelling
• Hands-on session: creating video content for educational platforms (camera setup, lighting, sound management, editing, and publishing)

Day 3: Group Activity: Content Production and Packaging

• Groups Work: Production of 3-minute video content (shooting, editing, and publishing)

Day 4:

• Presentation and evaluation of video projects: Peer review of digital content produced during day 3

• Certificate awards
• Networking activities

DATE AND VENUE

1.  The Master Class will be held from 6-9 May 2025
2.  Th is a physical event being hosted at the AAU Secretariat in Accra, Ghana.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. The participation fee for the Digital Media Master Class is US$300 per participant and this includes facilitation fees, training materials, meals/refreshments during training days and excursion within Accra (subject to availability of time on the last day).
2. Participants are responsible for their airfares, accommodation, visas, and general upkeep.
3. Please register to participate via this link: https://forms.office.com/r/VCq43T1ePT
4. Please pay for your participation from this online link: https://pay.aau.org/media-masterclass

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions and queries please contact the following:

1. Mr Jonathan Kornor: jkornor@aau.org
2. Mr Edem Hottor: aehottor@aau.org
3. Telephone Numbers: +233266296601 or +233203995210