“Young people are no longer
just consumers of media; they are producers as well. In
Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:
Media Education for the 21st Century, Jenkins et al.
(2006) describe this new environment as a participato-
ry culture. According to this report, a participatory cul-
ture has the following characteristics: low barriers for
artistic expression and engagement, strong support for
creating and sharing, informal mentorship whereby ex-
perienced users pass their knowledge on to novices, an
atmosphere that encourages a sense that contributions
matter, and an opportunity for social connection.
While this new cultural landscape seems ripe
with fresh opportunities for learning, schools have
largely been either slow to react or have missed the
mark completely when it comes to capitalizing on its
educational benefits. But this is hardly surprising, few
institutions are as slow to respond to change as educa-
tion; and few changes today are as mercurial as tech-
nology. It is no wonder that these two forces have had
trouble learning how to co-exist”
