Henry Jenkins (2013) likens participatory culture to a quilting bee, wherein skillsets are shared among the group in order to advance learning and create something meaningful using what he calls “a social mode of production.” Jenkins (2014) advocates a paradigm shift for teaching wherein collaboration and open-sourced assets are held in equal esteem to the traditional model of standardized autonomy. Participatory learning presents a broad spectrum of learning opportunities with roles that range from socializer to creator; these functions may exist independently or, more optimally, interdependently, and cover an array of learning tasks ranging from simple community interaction to full project-based collaboration (Brennan et al.).  While participatory culture often incorporates the universal element of play (Jenkins et al.), it also integrates other important learning competencies that align and reinforce 21^st century skills.  In dealing specifically with adult learners in a post-secondary setting, aspects of participatory culture such as judgment, appropriation, and negotiation prove especially useful for effective engagement in a comprehensive digital learning experience.

“Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. The new literacies almost all involve social skills developed through collaboration and networking. These skills build on the foundation of traditional literacy, research skills, technical skills, and critical analysis skills taught in the classroom.” – Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture

Judgment, defined as “the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources” (Jenkins 2006) reflects the 21st century skills of media literacy and information literacy.  In my context as a college English instructor, I find this skill is paramount for student success. Learners must not only possess the skills to access information, they must show discernment when analyzing its authenticity.

Appropriation, “the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content” (Jenkins 2006) echoes the 21st century skills of critical thinking and technology literacy. The key word in this definition – “meaningfully” – resonates the impact of ongoing media immersion for college learners and compels those of us who facilitate learning to emphasize the importance of ongoing thoughtful evaluation of content.

Negotiation, which Jenkins (2006) describes as “the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms,” parallels 21st century skills like communication, social skills, and collaboration.  This, in my opinion, is the true essence of participatory culture – to adapt within different learning environments in order to glean as much pertinent and creative authority as possible while adhering to the norms of the given community.

“In such a world, many will only dabble, some will dig deeper, and still others will master the skills that are most valued within the community. The community itself, however, provides strong incentives for creative expression and active participation.”  – Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture

21st century skills, akin to those of participatory culture, “… are intended to help students keep up with the lightning-pace of today’s modern markets. Each skill is unique in how it helps students, but they all have one quality in common. They’re essential in the age of the Internet” (AES 2019).  Nurturing the skills necessary to navigate the challenges of learning in a perpetually changing world and instilling the accompanying veracity to empower creativity and citizenship will assure a learning experience founded in integrity.

Scratch Report:

My engagement with Scratch yielded several keen observations worth sharing –

1) I am definitely more a “maker” than a communicator in Scratch’s participatory culture. I should consider interacting more to gain more creative knowledge and develop my skill set (which remains minimal, at best, in this arena).

2) My coding game – even at this elementary level – is weak. I was sorely reminded of the time my boys tried to teach me target practice on Call of Duty. (It did not go well.) Apparently kinesthetic intelligence – even in a digital environment – is not my strong suit.  I did manage to create a few lovely settings and hope to incorporate some content from one of my courses – but, seriously, all I could get my sprites to do was rotate, bounce, and change color.

3) My children, as digital natives, are far better participants in electronic play than I am as a digital immigrant.  In short, they mock me.

4) I will continue to engage with Scratch to produce something cool and meaningful, just to prove them wrong.  If our eight-year-old can create an entire world in Roblox, surely I can make a sprite walk across my Scratch screen.

(Check back with me in about six months on that – I am a realist … and accept my limitations.)

Additional Resources:

Creating in a Participatory Culture: Perceptions of Digital Tools Among Teachers

Karen Cator: Creating the Conditions for Participatory Learning

Participatory Learning and Action: A three-minute introduction

What Is Participatory Culture?

References:

What Are 21st Century Skills? (2019). Applied Educational Systems/AES.

Brennan, K., Monroy-Hernández, A. and Resnick, M. (2010).  Making projects, making friends: Online community as catalyst for interactive media creation.

Henry Jenkins on Participatory Culture (2013). Edutopia.

Henry Jenkins: The Influence of Participatory Culture on Education (2014). Pull.

Jenkins, H. with Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A. and Weigel, M. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.

Food for Thought:

As next week’s reflections will be delivered in A/V format, I wanted to offer a few additional sources on the upcoming topic of social media.  One of the things I find most striking in working with college students is that, despite their constant digital media connection, many remain profoundly personally isolated. Would you agree?  It seems that, as astute as college learners are at navigating a digital participatory culture, they often fail to thrive in real-life social settings.  Why do you think that is?  The following pieces offer further insight –

Bauer-Wolf, J. (2017). ‘All by Myself’

The Curse of Modern Loneliness

Weiss, R. (2017). Understanding and Combating Social Isolation in the Digital Age.