Transmedia practices and collaborative strategies in informal learning of adolescents

Abstract

Transmedia literacy is the evolution from traditional media literacy to informal learning and participatory cultures. It analyzes the media literacy processes of young people through communities of practice in participatory contexts and through the use of digital discourses that enable the creation of transmedia universes. The present study is approached from a mixed research method, whose main objective is the analysis of adolescents' digital habits through several data-collecting tools: A survey, participative workshops, in-depth interviews, a media diary, and online observation. From that background information, the study subject has focused on Spain, and it is framed within the "Transliteracy: Transmedia skills and informal learning strategies" project, funded by Spain's ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitivity. The studio is based on a sample of 237 adolescents, from 12 to 14 years old, all intensive users of digital technologies. Interesting results were obtained concerning different transmedia practices that are frequent in adolescents and the informal learning collaborative strategies they currently use. This research work concludes that the use of the Internet, although occasionally lacking adequate safety measures, increases self-sufficiency in adolescents' informal learning. They take control of their own learning, thus enhancing self-motivation and increasing the acquisition of transmedia competences.