Learning in a Participatory Culture
NML is a research initiative within MIT's Comparative Media Studies program. According to a 2007 study from the Pew Center for Internet & American Life, more than half of all teens have created media content and roughly a third of teens online have shared content they produced with others. In many cases, these teens are actively involved in what we are calling participatory culture.
Participatory culture stresses the role of teens as creators, circulators, connectors, and collaborators--rather than simply consumers--of media. Young people participate in the creation and circulation of media content within social networks that extend from their circle of face-to-face friends to a larger virtual community around the world.
Our central goal is to engage educators and learners in today's participatory culture. It is our belief that young people need to both make and reflect upon media and in the process, acquire important skills in team work, leadership, problem solving, collaboration, brainstorming, communications, and creating projects.
In Development...
NML is currently creating tools to engage learners in a multiple of learning environments including:
Participate!
With this solid foundation, we seek partnerships to stabilize and expand this viable platform to a global audience.
