How Adolescents Advance Intellectual Curiosity by Learning to Create

Broadcast News

Renee HobbsHarrington School of Communication and Media

University of Rhode IslandTWITTER: @reneehobbs

International Communication AssociationSan Juan PR May 23, 2015

http://mediaeducationlab.com

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What is the impact of a media-industry supported high school program in broadcast journalism on adolescents?

RQ1: What kinds of media production skills do students engage in in a high school broadcast journalism program?  RQ2: How is intellectual curiosity, the ability to give and receive feedback and confidence in self-expression activated through participating in the program?

Research Question

One of the “great debates” Should media industry support media literacy?

www.studentreportinglabs.com

38 participating schools

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Communication, Education & Democracy. Institutions of education, communication practices & democratic values are interconnected (Dewey) Inquiry Learning. People learn best from experiences that are carefully supported or scaffolded to meet the needs of the learner (Vygotsky)

Critical Pedagogy. Awareness, analysis, and reflection enable people to take action to make society more just and equitable (Freire)

Medium Theory. Media & technology are immersive cultural environments; media structures re-shape human perception & values (McLuhan)

Active Audience Theory. Audiences are active; meaning-making is variable; lived experience & social context are key dimensions of interpretation (Hall)

Theoretical Framework

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Program Assessment uses formative and summative research to guide program developers in planning, reflection, action and evaluation. Key characteristics include:• Participants collaborate at every stage• Intended to result in some action, change or improvement

Methods • Pre-post online survey• Interviews with teachers and mentors• Classroom observations• Analysis of student work samples

Research Design

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Learning Goals Students demonstrate independence in reading, analyzing and expressing ideas, seeking out and

using resources to gain knowledge

Students gain content knowledge across a wide range of subject matter, gained by listening, reading and sharing information and expressing ideas.

Students adapt their communication in relation to audience, task and purpose with sensitivity

to the way in which different disciplines call for different types of evidence. Students are engaged, open-minded and discerning readers and listeners, asking critical

questions to assess the veracity of claims and the soundness of reasoning, using evidence to develop their ideas.

Students use technology to gain knowledge and express ideas, with sensitivity to the strengths

and limitations of various technological tools and media.

Students learn to appreciate diverse interpretations and points of view to understand points of view that are much different from their own.

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ExpectationsStudents produce 2 broadcast news packages on a theme topic and 1 package on a topic of their choice

Teachers• Flexible levels of participation are encouraged• Wide range of backgrounds and previous experiences• Provided with modest 1-day (optional) orientation program

Mentors• Identified by local PBS affiliate• Level of participation/engagement varies widely• Role and function varies widely

Program Characteristics

“maximum program variability with no fidelity checks”

N = 566 HS students

Race13% African-American30% Caucasian36% Hispanic/Latino

Age Range 13 – 1840% age 17

Gender60% male

Class35% low SES

Sample

COMMUNITY FOCUS Texas residents reflect on damages after an Austin fire Chicago teen reflects on gang-related deaths that altered his life How does Alabama’s immigration law affect student retention?

ENVIRONMENT Water conservation: Friend or foe? Oakland youth urge citizens to deal with climate change

EDUCATION Student athletes asked to monitor social media presence Are Constitutional rights upheld in South Carolina schools? Philly teens explore possible solutions to high school dropout epidemic

Sample of Inquiry Topics

PRODUCTION SKILLS

Non-technical skills Technical skills

IN-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Gathering &

Synthesizing Info

Using Digital Media

Revision

MEDIA LITERACY

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Sign an online petition

Express an opinion to news media

Blog about an issue

Write an opinion letter

Gathering and Synthesizing InformationPercentage Analyzed videos

70%Created a story board

65%Conducted interviews

68%Fact-checked information

49%Pitched a news story

54%Discussed different points of view aboutsocial and political issues

53%

Using Digital Media to Communicate IdeasUsed a video camera to record visuals 69%Wrote a script

64%Performed in front of the camera

65%Worked behind the scenes/different roles 64%Logged footage

43%Edited visuals and sounds

68%Used images/sounds to tell a story 54%Posted videos online

38%

Engaging in Cycles of Revision & FeedbackEdited reports in response to feedback 38%

Not all students participated in all

production activities

PRODUCTION SKILLS

MEDIA LITERACY

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Sign an online petition

Express an opinion to news media

Blog about an issue

Write an opinion letter

Students demonstrate statistically significant

growth in both communication &

technical skills

ATTITUDES

Intellectual Curiosity

Giving & Receiving Feedback

Confidence in Self-Expression

Students demonstrate statistically significant

growth over time

PRODUCTION SKILLS

Communication skills

Technical skills

Giving & Receiving

Feedback

Confidence in Self Expression

IN-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Gathering &

Synthesizing Info

Using Digital Media

Revision

Intellectual Curiosity

R =.33

R =.40

R =.35

What factors are associated with intellectual curiosity?

Predictor b SE T p

Constant 1.255 0.441 2.84In-Class Activities -0.019 0.022 -0.878 NSTechnical Skills 0.047 0.02 2.309 0.02Confidence Self-Exp 0.345 0.049 7.06 0.001Comm Skills 0.05 0.029 1.739 0.08Feedback 0.288 0.054 5.348 0.001

Regression Analysis on Intellectual Curiosity

PRODUCTION SKILLS

Communication skills

Technical skills

Giving & Receiving

Feedback

Confidence in Self Expression

IN-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Gathering &

Synthesizing Info

Using Digital Media

Revision

Intellectual Curiosity

ACCESS

Inquiry learning model of media literacy

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Intellectual curiosity is stimulated by learning tasks that include social interaction that builds confidence in self-expression & giving and receiving feedback

Technical skills acquisition should not to be feared as diminishing or trivializing academic performance as it strongly contributes to intellectual curiosity

The diversity and variability of in-class media production activities is not associated with intellectual curiosity. Students may not need to rotate through all production roles to derive benefit from media production experiences

Implications

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“In some, intellectual curiosity is so insatiable that nothing can discourage it, but in most, its edge is easily dulled and blunted. Some lose it in indifference or carelessness, others in a frivolous flippancy; many escape these evils only to become incased in a hard dogmatism which is equally fatal to the spirit of wonder….”

--Dewey, 1910, p.33

Reflection

One of the “great debates” Should media industry support media literacy?

Hobbs, R., Donnelly, K., Friesem, J. & Moen, M. (2013). Learning to engage: How positive attitudes about the news, media literacy and video production contribute to adolescent civic engagement. Educational Media International 50(4), 231 – 246. Hobbs, R. (2013).“Kids Who Produce News Become Better Citizens,” Panel presentation, SXSWEdu, Austin, TX, March 6.

Hobbs, R. & Donnelly, K. Friesem, J. & Moen, M. . (2013, August). Evaluation of PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. Kingston, RI: Media Education Lab. University of Rhode Island.

Hobbs, R., Clay, D., Clapman, L. & Cheers, I. (2010). PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs. [News reporting and production curriculum.] PBS News Hour: Washington, D.C.

www.mediaeducationlab.com

www.mediaeducationlab.com

Renee HobbsProfessor, Department of Communication StudiesDirector, Media Education LabHarrington School of Communication and MediaUniversity of Rhode IslandEmail: hobbs@uri.eduTwitter: @reneehobbs