2026 Pre-Conference Workshops
Workshop #1:
Emergent Models in Media Literacy: Shifting Mindsets
Located at John Cabot University
(by invitation only)
Hosts:
Antonio Lopez (John Cabot University–Italy) and Paul Mihailidis (Emerson College-USA)
Overview: Media literacy pedagogies and practices have long endured through rapid technological, culture, societal, economic and political changes. We are awash in narratives around Agentive and Emergent AI, mis and disinformation, and the continued fracturing of cohesive global communities who are susceptible to technocratic control and mediated realities. At the same time, new technologies have put pressure on environments, climate and sustainability, while destabilizing community information systems and public institutions. Within this climate media literacies are asked to play even greater roles in navigating this present environment. Traditionally, these calls include more knowledge about technologies. However, in this environment, we must not stop at learning about new technologies, we must shift to exploring the mindsets needed to thrive in this distinct moment. This IMLRS pre-conference will gather participants around the world to share experimental media literacy work shifting the frame of entry, the point of engagement, and the intended position of the intervention. This day will allow community to learn of new models, share work, and engage in discussions around what directions media literacies are taking to re-center the human, the community, and healthier civic futures.**(Due to limited capacity, this session is invitation-only. Key outcomes and insights will be shared during an opening session with all attendees.)
Co-Presenters: Emergent Models #1
Jad Melki
(Lebanon)
Monsak Chaiveeradech
(Thailand)
Andrea Winkler-Vilhena
(Portugal / UK)
Jamie Cohen
(USA)
Co-Presenters: Emergent Models #2
Katherin Fry
(USA)
Jeff Share
(USA)
Workshop #2:
EDMO's 2026-2027-Media Literacy Strategy and Plans
Located at Lumsa University
9:30 - 10:30am
Host:
Chloé Pété | Project Officer, (Media & Learning - Belgium)
Overview: This session will introduce the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) dedicated to monitoring and analyzing disinformation while translating research into practical, awareness-raising initiatives across the EU. It will highlight EDMO’s renewed efforts to strengthen societal resilience, including collaboration with its 15 hubs across member states and beyond. The session will also explore key initiatives such as large-scale research on societal vulnerabilities to disinformation, expanded training and capacity-building programs, the work of the EDMO Council on Media Literacy and its 2024 guidelines, coordinated public awareness campaigns, and ongoing support for media literacy practitioners.
Workshop #3:
Constructing an Integrated Framework for Media and AI Literacy: Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Pathways of the OECD PISA 2029 Assessment
Located at Lumsa University
11:00am - 12:30pm
Hosts:
Renee Hobbs (University of RI-USA) and Cathy Adams (University of Alberta-Canada)
Overview: Understand and learn about the OECD’s Innovative Domain Assessment conceptual framework for the forthcoming PISA 2029 Media and AI Literacy (MAIL) Assessment. As societies worldwide grapple with the social, cultural, and epistemic transformations brought about by algorithmically mediated communication, it is imperative to articulate robust theoretical frameworks and empirical approaches to understanding young people’s competencies. Presenters will articulate the theoretical foundations of the MAIL construct, explicate the psychometric and methodological approaches guiding the instrument’s development, and invite scholarly dialogue about the implications of large-scale international assessment for the evolving field of media literacy research. Further, discussants will advance critical dialogue on the epistemological and methodological challenges of measuring complex literacies at scale and consider the broader implications of this work for educational research, curricular innovation, and democratic resilience in the age of artificial intelligence.