Screen production for education: Digital disruption in an 'ancillary' market

Abstract

The thoroughgoing digital disruption of the entertainment-based screen industries has now been well documented. But the factors that drive such disruption are in no way unique to mainstream media industries. The distribution and use of screen content in education in many ways parallel the experience of the broader screen industries. Just as traditional entertainment and information are being challenged by new online services, so too traditional modes of distributing and accessing screen content in education are being disrupted by online services. This article analyses these dynamics in Australia, placing them in historical perspective and using three contrasting case studies to exemplify key aspects of the digital disruption of education: ABC Splash exemplifies the public service broadcasting (PSB) 'tutelage' model; YouTube exemplifies digital disruption - immensely popular despite numerous education authorities' attempts to restrict access to it; and ClickView exemplifies the 'born digital' company employing advanced technology, business strategy, and professional pedagogics.