Young people are constructing cities together in Minecraft, collaborating on interactive animations in Scratch, and sharing e-textile inventions on iRemix. Yet, many youth only browse online platforms and miss the opportunities for deeper participation and learning through making. How can we help more young people become engaged in collaborating and contributing in creative online communities?
In this session, we will share observations and suggestions on ways to support young people's deeper engagement and learning in creative platforms, such as Connected Camps with Minecraft, Scratch, and iRemix. We'll address the following questions:
- How are youth benefiting from participation in creative online communities? - How are these communities designed to support youth development and participation? - How can educators, parents, and mentors play a role in supporting young people's motivation and participation?
The goal of the interactive discussion will be to identify ways to help more young people go beyond initial engagement to deeper participation.
Each of the panelists will share strategies and experiences from their creative online platforms. Ricarose Roque and Natalie Rusk will share what they have learned from youth who have grown up participating in the Scratch online community about what keeps them engaged. Mimi Ito will share reflections on the role of mentorship in online communities based on her work supporting online Minecraft camps through Connected Camps. Denise Nacu will offer suggestions based on her research on the Digital Youth Network’s iRemix platform to understand and encourage engagement among youth from underrepresented groups.
