(Tricia's Journal Article )
When I first began reading the article “Youtube, Critical Pedagogy and Media Activism written by Douglas Kellner and Gooyong Kim in 2010, I rather quickly dismissed it for further consideration because it had all the hallmarks of anti-establishment jargon. My interest in the topic of the article, however, continued to heighten as I pondered over the ideas the two writers had expressed with such fervour. To very briefly and, quite conceivably, inadequately summarise this article, the authors are calling for educators to develop critical pedagogies that focus on the creation of “New Media” - media that can be manipulated, networked and is interactive. The enlightened students will then be able to use the “New Media” skills they have developed to not only express themselves and be entertained but also to promote social transformation within their social arena, and what better medium than video could there be to achieve these goals? As they say, “a picture paints a thousand words ...” and it is for this reason, Kellner & Kim (2010) have declared Youtube to be at the forefront of encouraging the establishment of a more egalitarian and just society (p.3). I have to applaud such a noble endeavour regardless of any particular biases displayed by the authors of this article. Herein lies the hyperreality of this account – can video be used to stimulate a renaissance of social transformation when this medium is so often used to create a fictional or fantasy circumstance that allows us to escape the realities of a less than perfect world? Youtube has the potential to become a transformational medium but it, like most things has its limitations.
The potential of Youtube
Youtube has the potential to be useful to students as a platform for pursuing self improvement and also to encourage growth as self directed learners. It can also be employed by students today as an effective and affordable form of communication (Kellner & Kim, 2010, p.21). Technologies such as Youtube can offer a myriad of new ways for students to access information, socialise and co-create new knowledge (Duffy, 2008). The new generation of students at our schools have grown up always having had access to or at the very least an understanding of the internet as well as other forms of New Media. Students are becoming disengaged with more traditional forms of educational material as their interest and participation in new and more stimulating forms of media escalates. Through their increasing interaction with Youtube, online games, online messaging and social sites, students have developed a diminished capacity to simply be passive recipients of knowledge and skills. This traditional preclusive model of education that maintained schools as “warehouses for knowledge”, where all students learn the same things the same way (kellner & Kim, 2010 p.4), can no longer accommodate today’s students and the skills they will need to be successful in the job market of the future. New generation 2.0 learners as they are described by Asselin & Doiron (2008, p.5), have particular personal characteristics and ways of learning that allow them to interact effectively with New Media such as Youtube, podcasts, and online communication. The table below (Table 1.) lists these 2.0 learner characteristics in terms of learning processes as well as by the way in which student identity is constructed through interaction with New Technology. Constructivist learning pedagogies such as inquiry learning and problem based learning could be adopted to encourage the development of these skills and traits.
10 characteristics of 2.0 learners (Asselin & Doiron, 2008, p.5)Youtube has the potential to promote the development of these new skills and characteristics either through the scrutiny of informative videos or by participation in the video production process.
The Limitations of Youtube
On the surface Youtube appears to be just one of a number of transformational New Media tools – offering a range of exciting and influential educational possibilities, but Youtube does not come without its share of limitations. Perhaps the most obvious perceived limitations of New Media according to critics has led to the decline of traditional literacy skills, a decrease in attention span and the loss of student autonomy over their work according to as cited in Weigel, James and Gardner, 2009. These concerns or perceived limitations, however, are an issue mainly due to the discrepancy between the rate at which society and educational institutions are adopting and utilising New Media. Schools, as noted by Jenkins, Purushotma, Clinton, Weigel & Robison, in 2009, have generally been slow to engage with New Media learning and growth opportunities due to a number of various factors including the cost of New Media Technology.
Kellner and Kim (2010 p. 28) would agree that the Participation Gap is an issue that concerns Youtube. Despite the fact that it is relatively cheap and easy to use, the dominant online users of Youtube still appear to come from the dominant power group in the offline world. If we want to solve the problem of transparency for young people it is imperative that we scaffold them as they develop critical literacy skills that will enable them to evaluate information beyond its face value. Additionally, the changing format of writing and creating through the use of New Media technologies, has decreased the number of opportunities for educators to scaffold students and watch over their efforts as they attempt interact ethically online. Finally, it is difficult to convince students that what they see on Youtube or other visual media is not necessarily what it seems and does not have to dictate the way they behave or what they choose to believe.
Student Speak - Webinar 26.
In Conclusion ...
Rather than focussing on the negative or limiting features of Youtube it would be more useful for educators to focus on improving access to vital technology and scaffolding students to develop a set of New Media skills and social competencies that will enable them to contribute more effectively in the Participatory culture that is swiftly becoming a significant part of their lives.
Can you handle the truth?
Click on the link to witness the no holds barred highs and lows of Youtube - to music!
Can you handle the truth?
Click on the link to witness the no holds barred highs and lows of Youtube - to music!
References
Asselin, M. & Doiron, R. (2008). Transformative Pedagogy for School Libraries 2.0. School Libraries Worldwide Volume 14 Number 2 , 1-18.
Kellner, D., & Kim, G. (2010): YouTube, Critical Pedagogy, and Media Activism, Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies,32:1, 3-36. Retrieved on October 20 from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10714410903482658
Hi Tricia
ReplyDeleteI had never considered Youtube to be anything other than a source of amusement, except for the occasional teaching resource to succinctly demonstrate a point to a class. This article, however, has made me re-think its place in education. Along with the lectures in CLN647, I have been enlightened about student's participation in, and the opportunities for, user generated content. There are certainly ways for Youtube to be used to engage students that you rightly say have a diminished ability to simply be passive recipients. Youtube, like other Web 2.0 technologies, has the potential engage 21st century learners.
I was particularly interested in Kellner and Kim's comments about the Participation Gap. So while Youtube has the potential to promote critical literacy skills, I think that access to technology is an important aspect to teaching these skills to our students. After all, if students in a school have limited computer and internet access how can interaction with Youtube, or indeed, any media production occur at all?
I certainly agree that educators sometimes have a big task in educating students that everything they see on Youtube is true, and sometimes things aren't as they seem. I guess this is one of the downsides of the fact anyone can upload anything and present as an expert. It is the price we pay for an interactive and unrestricted world of Web 2.0. Like other aspects of the internet and it is up to us as educators to educate students about online content and teach skills to discern between accurate and credible information.
By the way, I thought the Youtube clip was very clever and funny.
Thanks, Debbie
“Youtube – it’s brilliant!”
ReplyDeleteThat is what my mentor teacher said to me when I was on my first prac in 2007. We had just started using Youtube as the hook in our PE lessons, and yes, it worked! Now it is 2011, and it is interesting how much further we can take user generated content.
I particularly liked the point that Youtube is an “effective and affordable form of education”. Kellner and Kim (2010) are correct when highlighting that youtube is free to anyone with an Internet connection. However, bypassing the firewalls in schools can be difficult.
From the same practicum, I was encouraged to make friends with the resident IT guru. With a simple flick of a switch he proceeded to grant access to Youtube. This is important because Youtube is such a big part of students’ lives – if we neglect this, then it is nothing but a detriment to education.
I agree that schools are no longer “warehouses for knowledge”. I have never liked the fact that a teacher used to be a holder of knowledge and it is only distributed when the teacher wants, like an educational Santa Claus. However, as you stated, it is important to teach students that Youtube is not just a type of entertainment but a valuable learning resource.
The above comment "youtube - it's briliant was by Jimmy Cassidy
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