Digital Media Art (DMA) in Citizenship Education - formal and informal educational practices in the 21st century

Abstract

Digital Media Art (DMA) fulfils the visual everyday life of children and young people in the 21st century. Over the last two decades, the diversity of digital content, information and communication platforms has expanded research in the field of DAM, as well as the relationship with younger audiences, in formal classroom practices and informal practices.

This article explores the educational triangulation between civic intervention, MAD creation and the youth community - Curriculum, Culture and Community. In a classroom environment - Citizenship and Development - two classes from the 3rd Cycle of Basic Education, attending the Vasco da Gama Basic School in Sines, are representative of this articulation, through which we question whether their multimedia creations awaken their awareness and artivist intention for the power of MAD. The aim is to find out which themes interest young people and how they act in their society, inside and outside of school, artistically, socially, digitally or physically.

The methodology used is based on an interactive and participatory pedagogy, according to which students in the classroom are not just seen as followers, but also as creators in MAD - video art. In the context of Digital Media Literacy, we believe it is important to expand communication between teachers and students in order to promote artistic, digital and civic creation. The creation of video art in educational practices shows potential in mass communication and, when directed towards social and environmental causes, it allows for the collective civic and artistic involvement of young people, both inside and outside of school, as well as raising awareness in communities about issues of current relevance.

In the end, the article presents the students' perception and awareness of the civic use of MAD and their digital training mobilised for Citizenship, which is more participatory in formal classroom practices. The school encourages and enables young people to participate and poses current challenges to them about the world around them; however, in informal educational practices, outside of school, it can be seen that young people do not cultivate habits of autonomous socio-cultural intervention. There is little noticeable intervention and development of their digital skills in social, cultural and artistic initiatives in the city where they were born and live.