A Word from the Subject Editor

Abstract

The concept of “Media Education 4.0” simultaneously references the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), characterized by key notions such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning, human-computer interfaces, and, on the other hand, the digital revolution in the domain of pedagogical methods and teaching technologies, to which the term “Education 4.0” directly refers.

What distinguishes digital disruption in the second decade of the twenty-first century is the imperative to develop specialized digital competences at various stages of life, cognitive flexibility, creativity, and the capacity to adapt to the dynamic transformations occurring within contemporary media civilization. Equally significant is the cultivation of an open and proactive stance toward the digital world, alongside an emphasis on transversal competences (social, intrapersonal, media-related), as well as T-shaped skills (following the DG Growth model of the European Commission), encompassing both technical and functional digital competences.

Another critical consideration is the alignment of formal education with Industry 4.0, wherein enterprises and media ecosystems function as natural environments for lifelong learning. This includes the education of teachers and pedagogues in modern methodologies—digital learning formats such as MOOCs, webinars, serious games, VR/AR/MR—and the development of a broad range of specialist competencies, including media, digital, IT, and information literacy skills.

With reference to the thematic focus of this volume—and, most importantly, the articles compiled in this monographic issue—key areas of inquiry include:

1. The (macro) contexts of Media Education 4.0, particularly in relation to the development of cyberculture, new media, and convergence culture;
2. Media education within emerging research contexts shaped by neuroscience, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and posthumanism;
3. The role of media education in addressing challenges such as fake news, disinformation, and post-truth phenomena;
4. National and international educational practices aimed at developing media competences;
5. The place of social media platforms (TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) in informal education and subject-specific pedagogy;
6. Media education across selected age groups.

It is also evident that Media Education 4.0 increasingly constitutes a subject of inter- and transdisciplinary research, drawing upon knowledge and empirical findings from media pedagogy, cyberpsychology, media cultural studies, media studies, social communication research, and contemporary politics.

/Agnieszka Ogonowska/