Digital Media &

The Participation Gap

Jolene ZywicaCarnegie Mellon University

Problem = the participation gap

Solutionsparticipatory culturesmedia literacyconnected learning…and games?

Differences in Internet UseJune 2000 August 2011

18-29 61 94

30-49 57 87

50-64 41 74

65+ 12 41

Less than $30,000 28 62

$30,000-$49,000 50 83

$50,000-$74,999 67 90

$75,000+ 79 97

No HS diploma 16 43

HS grad 33 71

Some College 62 88

College+ 76 94

% of adults who use the internet

PEW, 2012 http://pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2012 PIP_Digital_differences_041312.pdf

What’s the main reason you don’t use the internet or email?

Just not interested 31%Don’t have a computer 12%Too expensive 10%Too difficult 9%It’s a waste of time 7%Don’t have access 6%Don’t have time to learn 6%

The Problem - The Participation Gap

unequal access to the opportunities, experiences,

skills, and knowledge that will prepare youth for full participation in the world of tomorrow

–Henry Jenkins

Access vs. ExperienceLess about access to tools (ipads, phone, laptop)More about how those tools are used (to stream

music, chat, explore interests, create & share products)

Solutions

Participatory culturesMedia literacyConnected LearningGaming

Solution – Participatory Culture

Low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement

Strong support for creating and sharing

Informal mentorship

Belief that contributions matter

Social connection

What are examples of participatory cultures?

What are examples of participatory cultures?

World of

Warcraft

What are examples of participatory cultures?

Fanfiction.net

What are examples of participatory cultures?

The Digital Youth Network(DYN)

Participatory Cultures…

Low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement

Strong support for creating and sharing

Informal mentorship

Belief that contributions matter

Social connection

Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community

involvement.-Henry Jenkins

Solution – Media Literacy

What are media literacies?

A set of cultural competencies and social skills that young people need in the new media landscape

– Henry Jenkins

Media Literacy & Skills(According to Jenkins)

Play — the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solvingPerformance — the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation

and discoverySimulation — the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world

processesAppropriation — the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media contentMultitasking — the ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient

details.Distributed Cognition — the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental

capacitiesCollective Intelligence — the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others

toward a common goalJudgment — the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information

sourcesTransmedia Navigation — the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across

multiple modalitiesNetworking — the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate informationNegotiation — the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning

Example - DYN

New Media Citizens are…

Critical consumers of digital mediaConstructive producers of digital mediaSocial advocates for better futures

New Media Citizens communicate through 5 modes…

Example - DYN

Mode Description

Verbal Use of written and spoken text in digital media. This mode provides a bridge from traditional print literacy to the multiliteracies required by digital media.

Visual Graphics and images in digital media, including basic elements and principles of visual design.

Musical The use of music and sound in digital media.

Cinematic Motion in media, including film, animation, and video.

Procedural Interactive experiences in digital media and innovation in building and design of technologies, for example those used in video games, simulations, or virtual worlds.

New Media Citizens excel at…

Example - DYN

Task Role Artifact

Writing Writer, Editor Song lyrics, movie script, game instructions

Designing Artist, Programmer Newspaper, robot, product packaging

Performing Model, Singer Speech, music video, podcast

Building Engineer, Programmer Digital song, robot, webpage

Managing Producer, Project manager, Distributor

Magazine, CD, digital game

Media literacy is not an end state but a continuous process of inquiry, investigation and self-reflection

-Kurt Squire

Media literacy is an extension of traditional literacy.

How can we acquire/develop the necessary literacies through our experiences?

Solution - Connected Learning

http://vimeo.com/dmlresearchhub/connectedlearning

Digital technologies “bring people together who want to learn together”.

We need to move away from the current model of “how can we deliver content more effectively from a single source to many listeners”

Rather, how do we motivate kids to want to learn?

Through this shift, literacy becomes a group or collaborative experience.

Examples

DYN

Family Involvement

What does “connected learning” look like for kindergarten children?

Family involvementSharing and telling storiesLearning across contexts

Are schools ready to support families and family involvement?

Solution – Games?

Games

PlayingDesigningGame-like learning

Playing Games

What can we learn from playing games?problem-solving

collaborationOvercoming challenges (persistence)

Gaming literacies?“Gaming is the production of meaning within the semiotic

resources of the game” – Jim Gee

Playing Games

Two things are important: the design of the game and the experience with the game.

ChallengesPoor design - educational games lack research on

learningBoring & meaningless experiences - games

designed for learning aren’t fun There’s a lot of garbage to sort through

Designing Games

What can we learn from designing games?

Systems thinking (logics, debugging)Mechanics (rules & features that work)Iterative design – planning & executingStorytelling & audience

Game-like Learning

Badges Awards and recognition for accomplishing quests

Quest to Learn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqMiNDyxmPk

Engagement http://www.nytimes.com/video/2008/11/21/magazine/1194833565213/immersion.html

How can we leverage the motivational features of games to design other learning environments?

Working Examples

Explore what people are doing and creatingConnect with researchers, educators, designers and

other studentsShare an idea for a game or learning environmentImpact the field of digital media and learning

http://www.workingexamples.org

Discussion Questions

Do you think technology can help close the participation gap or is it making it worse? Explain.

Why are participatory cultures important for literacy development? What do you think of Jenkin’s definition of media

literacy and skills that are important for media literacy?

Why are schools falling behind in such a connected world? How do you see formal education evolving in the next 20 years?

What can we learn from playing games? Provide examples from your own experiences.

Do games have a place in formal education? Explain.