What are teens doing with media? An ethnographic approach for identifying transmedia skills and informal learning strategies

Abstract

<jats:p>The emergence of new media, devices, narratives and practices has compelled media literacy scholars and professionals to review their theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches. Based on a new conception – ‘transmedia literacy’ – that moves from traditional media literacy to informal learning and participatory cultures practices, the research program behind the present article tries to understand how new generations are doing things with media outside schools and how they learnt to do the things they do. The article begins by describing the transformations of media literacy in recent years as a consequence of the mutations of the media ecology and, in that context, proposes a methodological approachfor analysing the acquisition of transmedia skills in informal learning environments by teens. The article describes, analyses and evaluates the development and initial implementation of this methodology working with teenagers in a high-school in NAME CITY. It ends with a Research Kit that includes surveys, creative workshops, interactive interviews and media diaries with teens between 12-18 years old. The article also describes the evolution of this methodological approach from its original formulation to the evaluation of the model after it was tested, and reflects on the possibilities of developing specific research devices to be applied in transnational research.</jats:p>

Usage of Media Products by Teachers: Pedagogical Potential, Expertise and Implementation

“…The capacity of media products, in particular, cinematography as a means of education have been known for a long time and were actively used, in particular, in Soviet pedagogy (Penzin, 1987). Within the framework of film pedagogy, patterns are revealed, forms and methods of educating children and youth with screen arts are developed (Scolari et al, 2020). Film pedagogy served as the basis for the development of new research areas -media education (Fedorov, Levitskaya, 2019;Kolokolnikova, 2021;Kondrashova, 2014;Maksimova, 2006), media upbringing (Maksimova, 2007), digital didactics (Blinov et al, 2021;Boelens et al, 2017;Mizanbekov et al, 2019).…”

Learning with YouTube: Beyond formal and informal through new actors, strategies and affordances

“…The team implemented observational methods and a more interventional creative approach during the field work, substituting traditional focus groups with creative and participatory workshops for creating meaningful research contexts in which participants could become involved (Scolari, Ardèvol, Pérez-Latorre, Masanet, and Lugo Rodríguez, 2020). The following procedure was implemented across the research:ethical and data management protocols (consents of teens, parents and schools);1633 questionnaires to determine teens’ sociocultural backgrounds and their media access, habits, uses and perceptions;58 creative workshops for exploring three specific areas: participatory culture, video games and social media;311 in-depth interviews and 90 media diaries to delve into teens’ discourses about their media practices; andonline observation of eight websites, media celebrities and online communities followed by teens.…”

“…The team implemented observational methods and a more interventional creative approach during the field work, substituting traditional focus groups with creative and participatory workshops for creating meaningful research contexts in which participants could become involved (Scolari, Ardèvol, Pérez-Latorre, Masanet, and Lugo Rodríguez, 2020). The following procedure was implemented across the research: a. ethical and data management protocols (consents of teens, parents and schools); b.…”

La alfabetización digital crítica frente a la relación entre alteridad y mediación de imágenes en red

“…Una constante entre las conclusiones de los estudios de corte cuantitativo, cuya mirada suele centrarse en los efectos de los medios, es la referencia a limitaciones derivadas de la naturaleza mul-tidimensional de las variables en juego, lo cual hace que las correlaciones y asociaciones que establecen sean parciales o limitadas, como reconocen sus propios autores (Ellison, Steinfield y Lampe, 2011;Rui et al, 2015). Por su parte, los trabajos de corte cualitativo arrojan luz sobre posibles caminos para abordar el problema de la alteridad en los entornos digitales (Crovi, 2016;O'Rourke, Eskritt y Bosacki, 2018;Pandya y Pagdialo, 2015;Scolari et al, 2020). Además de mostrar algunas posibilidades metodológicas, estos trabajos sugieren la necesidad de profundizar más sobre la dimensión ética de la alfabetización mediática digital, procurando ir más allá del contexto de la educación para la ciudadanía, explorando el posible impacto de los lenguajes mediáticos en nuestra racionalidad y estructuras de valoración ética.…”