The media and global imagination: Mediagraphy as a multimodal learning activity in higher education | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Daniel Schofield, Paulina Carvajal

Year of publication: 2022

Keywords: Mediagraphy, Digital storytelling, Global imagination, Sense of belonging, Narrative analysis, Intergenerational comparison, Media influence, Reflexive interpretation, Higher education, Ethics and literacy

Methodology/Sample: Mediography/25 master students

Reference: Schofield, D., & Carvajal, P. (2022). The Media and Global Imagination: Mediagraphy as a Multimodal Learning Activity in Higher Education: Visuality Design in and for Education. Video Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 7(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1163/23644583-bja10031

Abstract

This article explores how higher education students express their worldviews and sense of belonging based on a study on mediagraphy as a learning activity. Empirical data are drawn from a study conducted in 2020 with master’s students (n=25, aged 20–30 years) in a Norwegian university. The students collected data from family members and produced short digital stories about their own daily lives juxtaposed against the daily lives of three earlier generations. The mediagraphies were analyzed by narrative analysis in a process of reflexive interpretation. A key finding is how the stories involve global imagination, a mode of thought that entails envisioning the world, placing oneself in it, and relating to other people on a global level. To give a coherent insight into the mediagraphy project, a clip accompanies the article, presenting one student’s mediagraphy. The findings show that, as a learning activity, mediagraphy can potentially be a bridge between everyday experiences and academic discussions related to media influence, ethics, and literacy.

> Summary

The paper explores how students express worldviews and belonging through mediagraphy as a learning activity.
Students created digital stories based on family interviews, juxtaposing their lives with earlier generations.
The study involved 25 master’s students from a Norwegian university, conducted in 2020.
Findings indicate mediagraphy bridges everyday experiences with academic discussions on media influence and literacy.
The project emphasizes critical media literacy skills amid cultural changes.

> Problem statement

The study explores how students express worldviews and belonging through mediagraphy as a learning activity.
It highlights the relationship between everyday experiences and academic discussions on media influence and ethics.
The research addresses the limitations of qualitative studies with small participant samples and cultural contexts.
It emphasizes the need for further exploration of mediagraphy in diverse contexts and larger samples.
The findings suggest a lack of coherent understanding of participants’ temporal and spatial experiences.

> Methods used

The study utilized the mediagraphy method to collect data from master’s students at a Norwegian university.
Participants created digital stories reflecting their daily lives and family histories.
Data analysis involved narrative analysis and reflexive interpretation of the mediagraphies.
The analysis was characterized by a multi-layered hermeneutic approach, interpreting students’ narratives.
The study emphasized in-depth insight and coherence over fragmented details in the analysis.

> Practical implications

The study highlights the importance of mediagraphy in enhancing critical media literacy among students.
It suggests that mediagraphy can bridge everyday experiences with academic discussions on media influence.
The findings indicate that mediagraphy narratives can deepen understanding of youth culture for educators and researchers.
Participants gain insights into diverse lives and historical contexts through storytelling, enriching their educational experience.
The research emphasizes the need for further exploration of mediagraphy in various cultural contexts and larger samples.