Looks Like Me, Sounds Like Me! Race, Culture, and Language in the Creation of Digital Media

Abstract

The technology education movement includes the introduction and application of digital books into science classrooms. These digital books are attractive alternatives to traditional texts because they can be customized for students. This qualitative study examined 35 students as they customized their own digital books. Using a variety of digital photos and videos, each student was asked to drag and drop images into their text. The students were provided with a variety of digital photos and videos to use to customize their books. The images were identical except for the racial cues of the characters. We used content analysis of students' selections and interviews of students (N = 35). We discovered that cues about racial authenticity served as the primary motivation for students selecting particular images. As students were given options, they consistently chose images that reflected their racial, gender, and linguistic identities. The results of this study indicate the need to recognize how racial cues can help students draw deeper connections to digital media if those cues are culturally authentic. This implies that culturally authentic racial cues would spawn deeper engagement for students.