1 / 15

Using Digital Media to Engage Young Citizens

Using Digital Media to Engage Young Citizens. ~ Lance Bennett Center for Communication and Civic Engagement University of Washington, Seattle, USA ~ Prepared for OECD - INDIRE New Millennial Learners Conference Florence March 5-7, 2007. Civic Engagement -Learning .

aric
Télécharger la présentation

Using Digital Media to Engage Young Citizens

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Using Digital Media to Engage Young Citizens ~ Lance Bennett Center for Communication and Civic Engagement University of Washington, Seattle, USA ~ Prepared for OECD - INDIRE New Millennial Learners Conference Florence March 5-7, 2007

  2. Civic Engagement -Learning • Cognitive skills: -- political reasoning - develop/express public voice • Social value-lifestyle: NML effective personal expression - identity • Learning outcomes: knowledge about government - how to participate • Educational achievements: informed citizens who participate in public life

  3. What are the challenges? • What schools do best -- (teaching textbook knowledge about government) is the least effective/ motivating for NMLs • What appeals to NML personal identity and digital lifestyles is hard to introduce into schools • Solution • A) understand the generational changes in citizen identities among NMLs (1980--) • B) understand how to use technologies to motivate a change from private to public life

  4. Research Findings: Generational Declines in Traditional Participation

  5. Electoral Activity Low DotNets born 1977-1987 Source: PEW U.S. Civic Health Survey

  6. Research Findings: Rise in Direct Personal Action

  7. Personal Direct Action High

  8. GenerationalCitizen IdentityDifferences Youth: Actualizing Citizen (AC) Older: Dutiful Citizen (DC)

  9. Research and Education Policy: Competing Views of Citizenship • Two paradigms or schools of thought • Disengaged youth? -- yes, if focus is on voting, knowledge about politics & government • (emphasizes DC citizen identity) • Engaged youth? -- yes, if focus on community work, consumer politics -- online communities • (emphasizes AC citizen identity) • Result -- conflicting & poorly developed approaches to civic engagement & education

  10. Most civic education designed by older DC citizens - offering little for ACs

  11. The Policy Challenge • Civic Engagement Programs that • Appeal to AC citizens -- active/personal contact with real problems and issues • Support DC values, but … • avoid textbook government • avoid presenting citizenship as duty • Offer personal paths to government • Using familiar social networking media

  12. ~ Use Interactive Technologies to Bring Democracy into the Classroom~ • Use interactive technologies to help young citizens: • Communicate with each other • Build a political agenda • Organize and act effectively • Communicate with government • Learn public communication skills

  13. Create Communication Environments • In public space -- outside of schools • Link both schools and personal life to those spaces via networking IT • Build curriculum to help students discover community issues • Teach digital media literacy in schools - to develop PUBLIC VOICE • Make it fun -- produce & share content

  14. But How to Motivate Gen Next? • I. Recognize citizen identity shifts • less collective responsibility/civic duty • strong interest in making a difference in society • II. Use new learning & comm. preferences • make learning: interactive, experiential, group • use digital media to personalize information • use online tools to link political info & action • III. Link classroom to government & society • Use media to engage students in public spheres

  15. Center for Communication & Civic Engagement Lance Bennett, Director www.engagedcitizen.org Information ~ Technology ~ Community @

More Related