Six Principles for Thinking about the Use of Social Media and Mobile Devices for Social Justice and Learning

Abstract

A major research theme of LTRI is Designing for Lifelong Learning , which focuses on an investigation of the mediating power of social media, mobile devices, and more generally Technology Enhanced Learning, for social justice and learning. Over the past five years LTRI and the London Mobile Learning Group (LMLG) have developed a body of literature and project outcomes upon which I have base the following six guiding principles for thinking about the use of social media and mobile devices for social justice and learning. These overlapping principles, or propositions, can serve as a framework for educators and researchers to assist their thinking about the challenges presented by today’s social media and mobile technology so that: • their work is relevant to learners, • the focus is on learning that goes beyond often rather narrowly technology–centred perspectives, and • citizens are able to obtain equity of access to ‘cultural resources’ (the latter being widely defined). Six Principles for Thinking about the Use of Social Media and Mobile Devices for Social Justice and Learning 1. It is a democratic right to have equity of access to cultural resources (widely defined). 2. Mobile phones are new cultural resources that operate within an individualised, mobile and convergent mass communication system. 3. Users are actively engaged in ‘generating’ their own content and contexts for learning. This principle is summarised as ‘user-generated contexts’. 4. Appropriation is the key for the recognition of mobile devices (as well as the artefacts accessed through and produced with them) as cultural resources in and across different cultural practices of use, in particular everyday life and formal education. 5. There is a significant potential for the use of social media and mobile devices in informal, professional, work-based learning. 6. Social media and mobile devices can be used to design transformative, augmented contexts for learning. (see http://slidesha.re/GYYP7X for details and related publications)