Abstract:

As a new generation of media consumers as well as potential makers emerges, interdisciplinary conversations regarding how to prepare and support children’s participation with and through digital and social media become vital. Situated at the intersections of education and media studies, this paper responds to the participatory turn in contemporary culture (Jenkins, 2006; 2009) and the centrality of digital media content and technology in children’s lives to consider how media making in curriculum can support 21st century skills development (Jenkins, 2009). It describes a Master’s creative thesis project involving the design of media education curriculum that focused on video production skills training. The researcher drew from her eighteen years of experience as a media producer with a specific focus on children’s programming to create the brief unit which she then piloted in all-girls grade eight classroom in Ontario, Canada. The unit reflected a blend of theory and practice including instruction, discussion, several smaller video tasks, and a final video group project. The students then presented their final videos to grade six students as a peer-learning experience. Aligning with the study's research-through-practice (Creswell, 1998; Irwin & Springgay, 2008) and participatory action research (Crotty, 2003) methods, an accompanying website was created as an interactive documentation of the in-class experience from both researcher and participant perspectives. The website incorporated curriculum materials, researcher and student reflections, and samples of student work. The researcher also created a short video which served as a tool for both data analysis and dissemination; it blended student and researcher video footage with student interviews. While representing a single study within one classroom, this research offers insight into the complexities of media education in a digital age. It presents a strong case for incorporating media 'practice’ or creation into curriculum and the ways in which the video production process fosters 21st century skills. Recommendations include the need to approach curriculum design as an organic and evolving process to account for different groups’ experiences, access to technology, and skill levels. Additionally, presenting and discussing student-produced content with classmates is a particularly valuable exercise as it allows students to experience how the production process and the intended messages of the content may or may not translate into how the audience interprets the final product. Finally, the paper encourages further practice-based research on media production in the classroom as well as educator and media professional collaborations to uncover effective and innovative approaches for teaching about as well as through media.

References:
[1] Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among 5 traditions. Sage Publications.
[2] Crotty, M. (2003). The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspectives in the Research Process. London: Sage Publications.
[3] Irwin, R., Springgay, S. (2008). A/r/tography as Practice Based Research. In M. Cahnmann & R. Siegesmund (Eds.). Arts-based research in education: Foundations for practice. pp. 103-124. New York: Routledge.
[4] Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergent Culture. New York: NYU Press.
Jenkins, H. (2009). Confronting the challenges of Participatory Culture. The MacArthur Family Reports on Digital Media and Learning.

Keywords:

Media education, 21st century skills, media literacy, digital literacy, technology education, curriculum development, video production, digital media.