October 5, 2010
In addition to the obvious storytelling and commercial possibilities that Transmedia presents, there is considerable potential in the application of Transmedia-like concepts in the classroom. Now, I’m not going to propose that Transmedia is some kind of magic bullet with the potential to “save” the educational system. It’s not – but nothing is. What it does have the potential to do is engage students by allowing them to absorb information in a way that they have become accustomed to in their social lives and entertainment consumption. Through Transmedia, it is also possible that that schools will be able to save time and money and – in the long run – reduce inequalities in the school system. Let’s look at some ways that these principles might be employed:
1. A Single, Centralized Platform
Critical and central to the classroom of the future is the concept of a single educational platform – a “cloud” server based way to store text, video, audio, and assignments that are then accessed locally in the classroom. Classroom learning has always been “Transmedia” to some degree. A single subject can be taught through lecture, interactive discussion, illustrations, field trips, video, and so on. Different people learn in different ways, and often it may be best to introduce a subject in one way before reinforcing the concepts through another method.
Unfortunately, this is where a lot of frictional cost and inequality is introduced. Moving between media has traditionally been very difficult in the classroom, as anybody who ever watched an educational video tape will attest. The teacher has to seat the class and set up the video so that it works (often a challenge). It can often take 15-30 minutes minutes simply to get the video started – and there is potential for significant class disruption and unrest during that time. A single Transmedia platform will allow seamless transition between media, and a great deal of saved time.
Moving between platforms can also introduce great inequality. Some schools do not have access to all materials or experiences (due to finances, geographic location etc.), or may have too many students per class to render certain experiences feasible. Poor, inner city schools cannot hope to approach the opportunities offered by rich suburban schools.
A single, cloud based platform would partly solve these problems. Fifteen years from now, or when manufacturing costs allow, all students will be issued an iPad-like device with electronic access to entire curricula. This will be cheaper, less bulky than conventional books, as well as being future proof (title updates will be downloaded annually or monthly instead of requiring the purchase of new editions). Enhanced digital texts will contain text (complete with dictionary, thesaurus and pronunciation guide), pictures (which can be zoomed into and manipulated), video, and audio. The oft-cited example is that of Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech – the idea that students will be able to read it and then instantly listen to or watch before discussing it with each other and other students. Teachers will have the ability to easily show media on a large LCD screen for communal viewing. Likewise, students could take a “virtual field trip,” or chat in foreign languages to digital “pen pals” instead of traveling abroad.
Such a scheme is currently technically feasible, but prohibitive for many reasons. It will become a reality when digital tablets can be replaced cheaply (a dollar or two) in case of loss or breakage, and are cheap enough not to encourage undesirable student behavior such as stealing and bullying. Companies will make money selling content, not hardware.
2. Discussion and Social Networking
As discussed in my article on The Future of Publishing, a Transmedia platform will nurture classroom discussion and expand the educational experience. Students will be encouraged to discuss texts, articles and subjects with peers across the country – and the world. Students will be encouraged not only to memorize and regurgitate rote facts, but to form opinions and spread them with peers.
Through social networking principles, intelligent student essays, comments and questions will be filtered and promoted – giving the originators a kind of “celebrity” within academia. The goal, of course, is to make learning an aspirational experience again and make children feel proud of their learning and thought accomplishments. Teachers will have to learn to moderate discussion – instead of simply lecturing in a one-sided way. They will also have a responsibility for validating and promoting the efforts of “weaker” students – the goal is to boost the enthusiasm and accomplishments of all students, not merely high fliers.
As discussed below, there is a significant barrier to making this desirable – safety.
3. Teacher Control
Teachers will, nonetheless, maintain substantial control in the classroom. They will be able to “lock” tablet readers to a certain text for classroom usage and trigger media elements remotely from a “control hub.” Texts will have two modes: “classroom” and “Free Reading.” In the former case, students will be compelled to follow collectively in class – the internet and other tools will be inaccessible. However, Free Reading mode will encourage students to reread material in their own time. This time, the text will be unlocked. Every element will be hyperlinked and the full spectrum of content – video, audio, interactive games, discussion – will be unlocked.
4. Security
Content platform companies will invest heavily in creating secure networks that allow children to learn and access educational content in a safe way. The cloud network will be available only to registered students and teachers. There is a clear tension between promoting social networking-like elements in education and the desire to protect kids from predators and other undesirable elements. The company that can best balance that tension will likely emerge victorious in the space. It is likely that an additional job function will emerge – that of the professional educational community manager or moderator. These employees will work in tandem with built-in filters to identify and prevent inappropriate content.
5. Game Mechanics
I am fascinated by the potential of game mechanics, but I am – as yet – unsure of how they are best implemented. It is highly possible that a “badge” or “reward” system could be set up to incentivize kids to learn – a more nuanced version of the current grade system that would encourage thought rather than memorization alone (although memorization clearly has an important role to play). I suggest you check out this speech from TED for the essential principles of this. It is not hard to imagine a world where students could earn educational badges throughout their academic career – for corresponding with a foreign student, joining the basketball team, volunteering at a charity, writing a report on 18th century religion and so on. This is essentially an electronic version of the Boy Scouts’ badges system – with rewards for commitment, interest and achievement rather than merely performing “better” on a test.
I also see a great deal of potential in ARG mechanics in the classroom. Augmented Reality Games seem ideal for learning, and I fully anticipate innovative content providers to create regional or nationwide “Game Experiences” that aim to immerse students in a historial era or geographic location and reward teamwork and problem solving abilities. There can be no doubt that students learn better through play than when they are forced to learn – although it is critical that the rules and details of these “game worlds” are accurate. Those who are currently pioneers in the ARG world will find immensely lucrative opportunities in designing these experiences.
6. Personalized Experience
The cloud platform will allow ample opportunity for students to test their knowledge against themselves and others (privately, if desired). It will then (possibly anonymously) collect information on the student and track progress, allowing an individualized learning experience to be created. Furthermore, the platform will record what the student is interested in and suggest further materials – nurturing a love of learning by creating an interest-centric system of academic progress. The goal, of course, is to utilize students’ interests to subtly push them into other areas of learning.
7 .Training Teachers
Clearly, the training of teachers to adopt these techniques and technologies represents a significant challenge. A generation from now, all trained teachers will be so familiar with social networking and digital technology that these skills will be second nature. Currently, however, an extremely slow rollout would be necessary. I welcome comments regarding the viability of implementation as well as suggestions on how to facilitate the process.
One final question: who will fact-check and filter all of this new content? Authors will bear a huge burden, as well publishers, educational authorities and teachers. Digital and Transmedia learning has enormous potential, but with opportunity comes an ever-greater obligation to ensure that we are teaching the right things.
very nice post on a topic I am very interested in – I am teaching for the first time this year a curriculum I wrote for Juniors and Seniors in high school generically labeled Environmental Literacy and Transmedia education – yes I snuck in a course in my school that uses transmedia and other concepts and actually lists those in the curriculum content
I teach environmental awareness AND transmedia concepts (aka how to navigate content across platforms and to build understand and story as you go, yes I see education as nothing more than many stories to be told and learned 
Your post, IMO, is only the tippy, tippy top of a very exciting and dangerous iceberg (Titanic analogies inserted here).
Game Mechanics in education has actually been around for a bit, but as with other industries, is just now gaining a larger awareness. Our school was fortunate to have Dr. Rebecca Hines come and speak and she discussed game mechanics and I know she was planning on taking her sabbatical to research this more. Florida now has the virtual K-12 program and she discussed some of the curriculum and ARG structured content figures in many of the programs. So there are lots of examples out there, kinda, sorta (insert the what is transmedia discussions here
But then, you move to the rural, smaller districts such where I teach and I get hunh and blank stares (from the students, not just the teachers) and oh all those sites are filtered, we just signed AUP agreements that we can not engage in any social media type of interaction with students and, well, everything in many ways associated with transmedia is VERBOTEN in the classroom (We have these standards that have to be met and curriculum we have to follow what do you mean allowing the “user” to contribute and participate ala participatory culture we have to get all this in and have students pass the test)
And digital literacy, digital etiquette and ethics are lacking in all aspects (students/staff/administrators/parents) and that makes for all those sensational news stories that scares an educator back into the closet and away from non-traditional media and content delivery strategies.
And I could go on, I have been working on putting out there what I am doing and trying to look for others doing what I do (not just the ok this is an idea but the hard, cold activities and examples and content because today’s teachers are so buried they need that more than the show and tell on what this is type of professional development) – So, I’ll stop, for now, but transmedia navigation, the New media literacy skills and the like are very exciting topics for me…. I hope this stirs up many conversations and I look forward to listening and maybe even participating
I agree with you, Christy. And my hope for msylef – and any other female creators – is to begin to understand the perspective and gifts we bring to the creative process, as women. I don’t want to emulate the male paradigm to find my place – or make my mark. I don’t want to become a person I’m not to make msylef known. I really think the female mind works differently, and that means I (we) have something unique and valuable to offer. What I do need to do is overcome a lifetime of “you can’ts” – and start offering the gifts I have. I need to sit at the table and not bury my talent in the ground hoping someone will dig it up. That’s my struggle… and “How” is my big question. I need to carve a creative place for msylef – especially since I’m just starting out, and I don’t exist on anyone’s list. But thank you for making it clear that I don’t need a list to exist… or to create. You are an inspiration to me, Christy. Thank you again.
Great post. Thank you. Your students are fortunate, because they’re learning an increasingly valuable skillset. It does make you wonder how much of a divide will open between progressive and non-progressive schools (and states). You’re absolutely right – there are HUGE privacy issues here. The wider problem is that kids are using social platforms anyway, so responsible usage ought to be taught – in the same way that I think my generation had to learn or relearn social etiquette (and conduct) online.
Now you’ve opened the “dangerous” can of worms, I want to bring something else up that probably ought to have been in the original article: the possibility of “branded education.” The educational scenario I suggest will only transpire when it becomes a financial necessity – it’s simply quicker and cheaper to teach using an online platform. I suspect that will take 15 years; it could be thirty.
However, there is one scenario that could push the technology (and associated opportunity) through far more quickly – if a company such as McDonalds or Kraft came in and subsidized the changeover. It’s totally feasible that we could see these tablet devices embedded with sidebar advertising or something equivalent. I can’t think of a situation where that would be a positive educational development, but I think it will be pushed by corporations. It’s a Faustian bargain of the biggest kind, but I can see cash-starved schools being tempted.
For many, the idea of “branded education” would take the ideas I present from utopian to dystopian, but the issue will at least be raised – and the political debate will be interesting.
I like cans O’ worms
and actually this can is ALREADY open – I am reading articles EVERYDAY of schools selling space on buses, tests, school field trips, heck how many sports have a sponsor name on the uniform (that has been a, age ole prospect)…. When I started seeing “ads” crop up on disney, PBS and other kid stations that are not ads but sponsor friendly messages (they are branded ads 
) to help fund these educational shows and experiences, I knew the “branding” of education was upon us. And schools are getting cut more – I am in NJ and if you have followed anything, well, let’s just say teachers are evil, and budget cuts have sliced into all schools.
And guess what is being sliced – field trips, extra experiences, all those things that IMO were transmedia like in delivering the content through different “platforms” and building the “storyworld”. So please, bring transmedia/games/etc to the schools, other forms are disappearing. Is this selling out? Well, what else can we do? I would give anything for a set of iPads/tablets/iTouch in my classroom to teach true transmedia navigation and app use and how to find your environmental footprint using the wonderful things that exist out there as well as teaching students how and when to use these devices (ethics in the social digital transmedia world needs to be taught to ALL ages and right now…..)
If anything I’d use it as a teachable moment – look at this branding, what does it tell you? What do you think, etc… maybe if we mess the system up, they’ll find a way to bring it back
I don’t think it will take as long as you mention, again I read everyday about this school and that school going paperless and digital and having to turn to online or other methods… things are almost snowballing, which is weird for the MASSIVE unmovable truck that is our education system. Transmedia and similar styles of delivering content may help.
And lastly – I really do think it will also cause a divide – we already have that now and with the financial issues hitting all sectors in the world, the divide is going to grow.
Now with all my dire up there – there’s so much wonderful too – slowly students do get it – but if we are not careful – this will become another fad, or breed other skills and mindsets that are just as debilitating as what is in play now (another topic for another time
This is a most intriguing concept and definitely merits further discussion. Larger educational institutions have made a move to implement more diverse media in both their teaching methods and their day to day activities. However, I feel that they have yet to take full advantage of the endless possibilities that new technologies can offer. In broad strokes, the ideas that you discussed make a very strong case for a fully function Transmedia teaching space, though I do agree with some of the other posts regarding a possible financial and social divide.
We are in fact a class dedicated to the study of Transmedia in its various respects and have just begun our foray into tackling it on both the academic and social platforms. Feel free to visit our newly created blog http://transmediums.blogspot.com/ and to follow us on twitter @Transmediums as we delve deeper into the Transmedia world!
Yes, I’ve looked at your website. It’s a great initiative, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the class produces.
I couldn’t agree with you more. There was a time when an intimate relationship with the artist and their album work, merch, music, fan clubs, etc…allowed single bands to sell out large arena tours. Now even the bands are bundled together in these huge outdoor indie fests. Where’s the next generations Motley Crue or Aerosmith? Bands that can span generations and continue to sell long after other trends have come and gone? It seems that many artists today are becoming as expendable as the single they sell. (am I sounding a little too much like lefsetz?)