Challenges and Opportunities of Media Education in The State Universities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Media education was introduced to the Sri Lankan university education in 1973. But the undergraduates in mass Communication/media studies are struggling to find job opportunities in the media industry. Therefore, the main issue is that the undergraduates are not updated with the industrial and practical knowledge. In this context, the purpose of the study is to examine the challenges and opportunities in media education at the state universities in Sri Lanka by using Technological pedagogical content knowledge framework (TPACK) model. The Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and the in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data of the study. The results show that there are some challenges and opportunities in curriculum, teaching methods, assessments, technologies related to media education. The  opportunities in media education are indroducing several special degree programmes in mass communication/media studies by the newly established media/communication departments, covering a wide range of areas in communication discipline in the curriculum, introducing some resources and infrastructural facilities to facilitate the undergraduates etc. On the other hand, limited expansion of the discipline of mass communication/ mass media within the university system, limited post graduate studies, most of the courses in Sinhala and Tamil, heavily concentrated on theoretical aspects in the curriculum and assessments, non-availability of the text books, media instruments and tools, teachers without professional practice, training and research, non- availability of opportunities in the media industry etc. are the main challenges in the media education in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the state universities should take necessary actions to address the challenges in media education specially to cater to the requirements and needs of the media industry in Sri Lanka.