Transmedia Practices and Collaborative Strategies in Informal Learning of Adolescents

Javier Gil Quintana,Sara Osuna-Acedo

doi:10.3390/socsci9060092

Abstract

Transmedia literacy is the evolution from traditional media literacy to informal learning and participatory cultures. It analyzes the media literacy processes of young people through communities of practice in participatory contexts and through the use of digital discourses that enable the creation of transmedia universes. The present study is approached from a mixed research method, whose main objective is the analysis of adolescents’ digital habits through several data-collecting tools: A survey, participative workshops, in-depth interviews, a media diary, and online observation. From that background information, the study subject has focused on Spain, and it is framed within the “Transliteracy: Transmedia skills and informal learning strategies” project, funded by Spain’s ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitivity. The studio is based on a sample of 237 adolescents, from 12 to 14 years old, all intensive users of digital technologies. Interesting results were obtained concerning different transmedia practices that are frequent in adolescents and the informal learning collaborative strategies they currently use. This research work concludes that the use of the Internet, although occasionally lacking adequate safety measures, increases self-sufficiency in adolescents’ informal learning. They take control of their own learning, thus enhancing self-motivation and increasing the acquisition of transmedia competences.

Highlights

By using cutting-edge technologies in communication contexts, such as social media and mobile phone applications, we are favoring the development of a citizenship-centered, participatory culture (Jenkins et al 2015; Pathak-Shelat and Bhatia 2018)
This research’s main goal is to study the habits, attitudes, and informal learning strategies related to adolescents’ online transmedia skills in order to identify significant differences regarding their sex, as well as checking whether their actions are coherent with the collaborative learning and participatory culture
For the analysis of hypotheses Hypothesis 1 (H1) and Hypothesis 2 (H2), the answers to certain items in the survey were analyzed in order to determine if there are significant differences in the adolescents’ behaviors regarding their gender

Summary

Introduction

By using cutting-edge technologies in communication contexts, such as social media and mobile phone applications, we are favoring the development of a citizenship-centered, participatory culture (Jenkins et al 2015; Pathak-Shelat and Bhatia 2018). They thrive on social media, blogs, chats, etc., where they both learn and socialize This non-formal educative context allows for adolescents to develop strategies such as sharing, solving problems, carrying out tasks, collaboratively constructing knowledge, and boosting dynamic communication channels. Those dynamics shape transmedia literacy, as defined by Scolari (2018), which comprises skills, practices, priorities, sensibilities, learning strategies, and ways to share knowledge that are developed and applied in the context of the new participatory cultures. The digital space connects us to a world that will never be totally explored, where our knowledge is enhanced, our preferences are altered, and our personal opinions

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion