ERIC Number: ED553156
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013-May
Pages: 74
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: 978-0-98568196-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Teens, Digital Media, and the Chicago Public Library. Research Report
Sebring, Penny Bender; Brown, Eric R.; Julian, Kate M.; Ehrlich, Stacy B.; Sporte, Susan E.; Bradley, Erin; Meyer, Lisa
University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research
Opened in fall 2009, YOUmedia attracts high schoolaged teens who want a safe and welcoming place to hang out and socialize, as well as those with established or nascent interests in both digital and traditional media. With the guidance of staff and the synergy of peer involvement, participants discover and pursue their interests through both collaborative and solitary activities, such as blogging, writing and sharing poetry, playing and reviewing electronic games, producing music and videos, and participating in book clubs. Special events open the door for youth to collaborate with and learn from recognized artists, authors, and experts. YOUmedia is being replicated in 30 learning laboratories across the country. This study, the first of its kind to explore teens' and adults' on-the-ground experiences in the flagship program, focuses on activities from 2010-12. It answers key questions about YOUmedia that can help inform the design of similar initiatives and more general efforts to engage students in learning through the use of technology and student-centered activities. This study: (1) Illuminates how the design of YOUmedia shapes youth participation; (2) Describes the teens that YOUmedia serves, their patterns of participation, and the activities in which they engage; (3) Provides examples of the benefits youth perceive from their participation; (4) Characterizes the roles adults play in engaging teens and the ways programmatic choices have shifted; (5) Offers suggestions for organizations intending to launch similar initiatives; and (6) Illustrates how YOUmedia instantiates elements of the emerging Connected Learning Model. Three appendixes are included: (1) Data Collection Activities and Research Methods; (2) Travel Patterns of Teens; and (3) Supplementary Tables and Graphs.
Descriptors: Urban Areas, Adolescents, Public Libraries, Electronic Publishing, Adults, High School Students, Information Technology, Access to Information, Electronic Libraries, Program Effectiveness, Participation, Role, Youth Programs, Innovation, Agency Cooperation, Observation, Interviews, Interpersonal Relationship, Program Development
University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. 1313 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 773-702-3364; Fax: 773-702-2010; Web site: http://ccsr.uchicago.edu
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research
Identifiers - Location: Illinois
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A