Narrative 3 hailed stories as a universal attribute of humankind (Campbell, 1949/2008), the most ... more Narrative 3 hailed stories as a universal attribute of humankind (Campbell, 1949/2008), the most natural mode of thought (Schank & Abelson, 1995), a tool for establishing identity (Siegel & Hartzell, 2003), a frame for constructing reality (Berger & Luckmann, 1966), a means to gratify needs (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1974; Moskalenko & Heine, 2003), a commodity of enormous value (see Hollywood), and a good olʼ way to pass the time. Over the past 20 years, scores of health communication researchers investigating entertainment-education have documented what Aesopʼs and de la Fontaineʼs fables long ago established: stories can teach (e.g., Murphy & Frank, in press; Frank, Chaudhuri, Bhanot,
I really enjoy improv…In life you normally have to plan out your decisions and actions and, in im... more I really enjoy improv…In life you normally have to plan out your decisions and actions and, in improv, you just do it right there on the spot. [Improv]…gives me a way of expressing myself in the moment. You have fun, and everyone just loves what you do." Bennett, 17 years old, participant in Laughter for a Change's after-school improvisational theater program at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools
<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> <p>A conflicting corpus suggests that mor... more <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> <p>A conflicting corpus suggests that more research is needed to understand how globally watched television shows like 13 Reasons Why could affect the majority and minority of adolescent viewers.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> <p>The current study was designed to investigate adolescents' viewership of and show-related content engagement with 13RW, Season 3 (13RW-3), paying special attention to mental health outcomes and conversational partners.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> <p>AmeriSpeak, a panel-based research platform operated by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, recruited 157 adolescents aged 13 to 17 from its nationally representative pool of participants. After participants completed a survey, they were directed to either watch 13RW-3 as it aired for the first time (intervention group) or NOT to watch 13RW-3 (control group). Approximately one month later, all participants were asked to complete a second survey.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> <p>We found a significant main effect with respect to increased conversations about social and mental health issues that appeared on the show (t(151)=-2.191, P=0.03). From pre- to post-test, the intervention group spoke more frequently about these issues (M=1.28) than the control group (M=.28). In the intervention group only, when asked with whom they discussed 13RW-3 and issues related to the show, friends were the most commonly cited conversational partner, selected by 68.3% of the respondents, followed by parents (50.8%). Viewers also reported significantly higher rates of depression from T1 to T2 (P=0.001, F(1, 66.715)=12.678, B=-0.292, SE=0.082). Depressed youth spoke significantly more to parents (F(3)=3.287, 0=.027), school counselors (F(8)=3.707, p=.002) and mental health professionals than viewers who reported less depression (F(8)=6.536, p&lt;.001). Finally, approximately one-third of viewers sought additional information about bullying and mental health after watching the show.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> <p>Conversation was the most definitive outcome of watching this show, and we saw that youth are most likely to talk to friends but parents do not trail very far behind. We also discovered that viewers who may have been viscerally impacted by the content reached out for help in unique and powerful ways. Depressed youth spoke to parents and mental health professionals more. Non-heterosexual youth spoke to school counselors, sought information about sexuality, and watched the documentary Beyond the Reasons more. The potential wellness implications are considerable since conversation -- especially story-driven conversation -- can raise awareness, reduce stigma, shift attitudes, normalize/valorize certain behaviors, and strengthen supportive relationships.</p> </sec>
This dissertation examines four out-of-school learning contexts, using the same 10 research quest... more This dissertation examines four out-of-school learning contexts, using the same 10 research questions pertaining to culture, process, and skills in order to guide inquiry across these case studies. In terms of culture, this dissertation argues that safety, connection, engagement and empowerment are the four most important characteristics to scrutinize. In terms of process, this dissertation looks at participatory governance, participatory learning, and playfulness. And in terms of skills, this dissertation analyzes according to the original, multi-faceted constructs of Dynamic Appreciation, Resource Engagement, and Respectful Negotiation. This investigation also poses an additional research question for each case study, reviewing a unique feature of each experience. Collectively, this dissertation seeks to discover trends and/or relationships between/among culture, process, and skill development. I submit that looking through a communication lens at the works of educators and studen...
Said the Eye one day, “I see beyond these valleys a mountain veiled with blue mist. Is it not bea... more Said the Eye one day, “I see beyond these valleys a mountain veiled with blue mist. Is it not beautiful?” The Ear listened, and after listening intently awhile, said, “But where is any mountain? I do not hear it.” Then the Hand spoke and said, “I am trying in vain to feel it or touch it, and I can find no mountain.” And the Nose said, “There is no mountain, I cannot smell it.” Then the Eye turned the other way, and they all began to talk together about the Eye’s strange delusion. And they said, “Something must be the matter with the Eye.” —Kahlil Gibran2
Background A conflicting body of research suggests that additional investigation is needed to und... more Background A conflicting body of research suggests that additional investigation is needed to understand how globally watched television shows featuring social and mental health issues, such as 13 Reasons Why, might affect adolescents’ mental wellness. Objective This study aims to investigate adolescents’ viewership of the third season of the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why (13RW-3) and their engagement with show-related content, paying special attention to mental health outcomes and conversational partners. Methods A panel-based research platform operated by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago recruited 157 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years from its nationally representative pool of participants. Participants answered questions about how they discussed and learned about social and mental health issues portrayed in 13RW-3 (eg, masculine role pressure and sexual assault) and questions about mental wellness (eg, mental health self-efficacy and depression). Aft...
Twenty-one-year-old Assane Diop (“Azoupy” to his friends) describes himself according to his love... more Twenty-one-year-old Assane Diop (“Azoupy” to his friends) describes himself according to his loves—for his parents, for his friends, and for making things, especially video projects. During summer 2010, Azoupy posted his latest creation to YouTube: a factually accurate, youth-oriented, mobile phone recorded video on reproductive health. The significance of this feat transcends the personal, although such engagement with digital production and distribution certainly increases Azoupy’s odds of becoming the “great computer graphics designer” he dreams of being. In fact, Azoupy’s participation in this reproductive health (RH) conversation has important implications for public health management in Azoupy’s native country of Senegal, the greater sub-Saharan Africa region, and throughout the world.
Can stories succeed where traditional forms of diplomacy have faltered? This study examined wheth... more Can stories succeed where traditional forms of diplomacy have faltered? This study examined whether a primetime drama could impact American viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with respect to U.S. foreign policy and funding by surveying 173 viewers of an episode of Law & Order: SVU ("Witness"). Additionally, this study sought to uncover which theoretical construct - involvement with a specific character or involvement with the narrative more generally (transportation) - best predicted impact. The fictional character in question was Nardelie, a woman forced to flee the Democratic Republic of the Congo after repeated rape by militias vying for "conflict minerals," so named because control of these valuable minerals has triggered numerous conflicts. Separate regression analyses suggested a positive relationship between impact of the storyline and both theoretical constructs. However, when both constructs were entered into a single regression, involvement...
This paper discusses the design and implementation of a participatory culture pedagogy in the con... more This paper discusses the design and implementation of a participatory culture pedagogy in the context of a pilot after-school program at LAUSD's Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools. Ethnographic fieldnotes, instructor and student reflections, photographs, video recordings, and student work illustrate the program's culture of participatory learning, characterized by motivation and engagement, creativity, relevance, co-learning, and ecological learning. ELED also supported participants' acquisition of skills with digital tools, new media literacies , social and emotional learning, and digital citizenship. This experience suggests that relationship-building is integral and foundational to establishing citizenship, both online and offline.
Participatory activities that tap and foster social and emotional learning and new media literaci... more Participatory activities that tap and foster social and emotional learning and new media literacies enrich student learning, boost physical wellness, and support social functioning. Skeptics dismiss social and emotional learning as being too "touchy-feely," but empirical research has found that they can help lead to holistic health and achievement. Author Laurel Felt, a doctoral student, is staunchly committed to social
The present article was motivated by our observations that (1) current methods for gathering data... more The present article was motivated by our observations that (1) current methods for gathering data do not wholly capture program-related transformations, and (2) grassroots ways of knowing yield legitimate data and can enrich programmatic efforts and evaluations. Accordingly, our work seeks to leverage grassroots knowledge in order to both recognize and respect cultural beacons (CBs)—culturally-embedded, user-defined aids for understanding program-related change. Simply, these inductively gathered, locally identified CBs illuminate what to measure and/or how to measure it. Our analysis of participatory evaluations from four international, social change interventions offers four sites for detecting CBs: material possessions, community landscape features, social behaviors, and community-inspired art. We examine the methodological and relational contexts that facilitate CB discovery, discuss unexpected areas of programmatic impact, and utilize lessons learned across projects to make suggestions for continued exploration of CBs in monitoring and evaluation design and practice.
Bank Street Occasional Paper Series #30: The Other 17 Hours: Valuing Out-of-School Time, Nov 11, 2013
Various scholarly literatures suggest that improvisational theater (improv) could work as a tool ... more Various scholarly literatures suggest that improvisational theater (improv) could work as a tool for education and engagement because participation is powerful, learning environments influence outcomes, and play is educational. Systematic observation, research, and analysis of non-profit Laughter for a Change’s 2011–2012 after- school improv workshop corroborate this hypothesis. The data suggest that improvising creates a “safe space,” or a supportive context in which participants feel empowered to take risks and play freely. As a result, improv participants' learning consisted of identity exploration, great understanding between different generations, development of theatrical skills, and personal and social growth. Moreover, this learning did not occur despite the fun that the participants had—it occurred precisely because of the fun.
The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge, and Society
Abstract: This paper examines digital storytelling within the context of IWitness, a new online a... more Abstract: This paper examines digital storytelling within the context of IWitness, a new online application developed by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute that engages secondary school students in viewing and interacting with video testimony from Holocaust survivors and other witnesses. After participating in IWitness pilot projects in classroom and professional develop- ment settings, high school students and educators respectively shared reflections on their edu- cational trajectories, reported on their own learning, and offered observations about the changes they noticed among themselves and their peers. These data suggest that, as a digital storytelling vehicle, IWitness facilitates cognitive and affective growth, as well as prepares learners for the challenges of 21st century engagement.
Keywords: Visual History, Testimonies, 21st Century Literacies, Storytelling, Digital Storytelling
The idea of establishing a working group on participatory models of professional development grew... more The idea of establishing a working group on participatory models of professional development grew out of discussions that occurred during the Digital Media and Learning Conference 2011. The aim of this working group was to bring together those who are designing, developing and implementing initiatives to support teachers in understanding the affordances of digital media in learning, and to engage in a much-needed dialogue on culturally relevant professional development. We believe that, in order to generate effective models of participatory professional development, an engaged collaboration is needed between multiple stakeholders who bring a diverse set of ideas and challenges to the conversation. Our group is, thus, a mixture of researchers, teachers and school administrators from a variety of disciplines, schools, and states. Instead of working in silos on the same issue, coming together as a collaborative has led to a productive and important discussion of how to scale and sustain successful models of 21st century professional development in education.
Narrative 3 hailed stories as a universal attribute of humankind (Campbell, 1949/2008), the most ... more Narrative 3 hailed stories as a universal attribute of humankind (Campbell, 1949/2008), the most natural mode of thought (Schank & Abelson, 1995), a tool for establishing identity (Siegel & Hartzell, 2003), a frame for constructing reality (Berger & Luckmann, 1966), a means to gratify needs (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1974; Moskalenko & Heine, 2003), a commodity of enormous value (see Hollywood), and a good olʼ way to pass the time. Over the past 20 years, scores of health communication researchers investigating entertainment-education have documented what Aesopʼs and de la Fontaineʼs fables long ago established: stories can teach (e.g., Murphy & Frank, in press; Frank, Chaudhuri, Bhanot,
I really enjoy improv…In life you normally have to plan out your decisions and actions and, in im... more I really enjoy improv…In life you normally have to plan out your decisions and actions and, in improv, you just do it right there on the spot. [Improv]…gives me a way of expressing myself in the moment. You have fun, and everyone just loves what you do." Bennett, 17 years old, participant in Laughter for a Change's after-school improvisational theater program at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools
<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> <p>A conflicting corpus suggests that mor... more <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> <p>A conflicting corpus suggests that more research is needed to understand how globally watched television shows like 13 Reasons Why could affect the majority and minority of adolescent viewers.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> <p>The current study was designed to investigate adolescents' viewership of and show-related content engagement with 13RW, Season 3 (13RW-3), paying special attention to mental health outcomes and conversational partners.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> <p>AmeriSpeak, a panel-based research platform operated by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, recruited 157 adolescents aged 13 to 17 from its nationally representative pool of participants. After participants completed a survey, they were directed to either watch 13RW-3 as it aired for the first time (intervention group) or NOT to watch 13RW-3 (control group). Approximately one month later, all participants were asked to complete a second survey.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> <p>We found a significant main effect with respect to increased conversations about social and mental health issues that appeared on the show (t(151)=-2.191, P=0.03). From pre- to post-test, the intervention group spoke more frequently about these issues (M=1.28) than the control group (M=.28). In the intervention group only, when asked with whom they discussed 13RW-3 and issues related to the show, friends were the most commonly cited conversational partner, selected by 68.3% of the respondents, followed by parents (50.8%). Viewers also reported significantly higher rates of depression from T1 to T2 (P=0.001, F(1, 66.715)=12.678, B=-0.292, SE=0.082). Depressed youth spoke significantly more to parents (F(3)=3.287, 0=.027), school counselors (F(8)=3.707, p=.002) and mental health professionals than viewers who reported less depression (F(8)=6.536, p&lt;.001). Finally, approximately one-third of viewers sought additional information about bullying and mental health after watching the show.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> <p>Conversation was the most definitive outcome of watching this show, and we saw that youth are most likely to talk to friends but parents do not trail very far behind. We also discovered that viewers who may have been viscerally impacted by the content reached out for help in unique and powerful ways. Depressed youth spoke to parents and mental health professionals more. Non-heterosexual youth spoke to school counselors, sought information about sexuality, and watched the documentary Beyond the Reasons more. The potential wellness implications are considerable since conversation -- especially story-driven conversation -- can raise awareness, reduce stigma, shift attitudes, normalize/valorize certain behaviors, and strengthen supportive relationships.</p> </sec>
This dissertation examines four out-of-school learning contexts, using the same 10 research quest... more This dissertation examines four out-of-school learning contexts, using the same 10 research questions pertaining to culture, process, and skills in order to guide inquiry across these case studies. In terms of culture, this dissertation argues that safety, connection, engagement and empowerment are the four most important characteristics to scrutinize. In terms of process, this dissertation looks at participatory governance, participatory learning, and playfulness. And in terms of skills, this dissertation analyzes according to the original, multi-faceted constructs of Dynamic Appreciation, Resource Engagement, and Respectful Negotiation. This investigation also poses an additional research question for each case study, reviewing a unique feature of each experience. Collectively, this dissertation seeks to discover trends and/or relationships between/among culture, process, and skill development. I submit that looking through a communication lens at the works of educators and studen...
Said the Eye one day, “I see beyond these valleys a mountain veiled with blue mist. Is it not bea... more Said the Eye one day, “I see beyond these valleys a mountain veiled with blue mist. Is it not beautiful?” The Ear listened, and after listening intently awhile, said, “But where is any mountain? I do not hear it.” Then the Hand spoke and said, “I am trying in vain to feel it or touch it, and I can find no mountain.” And the Nose said, “There is no mountain, I cannot smell it.” Then the Eye turned the other way, and they all began to talk together about the Eye’s strange delusion. And they said, “Something must be the matter with the Eye.” —Kahlil Gibran2
Background A conflicting body of research suggests that additional investigation is needed to und... more Background A conflicting body of research suggests that additional investigation is needed to understand how globally watched television shows featuring social and mental health issues, such as 13 Reasons Why, might affect adolescents’ mental wellness. Objective This study aims to investigate adolescents’ viewership of the third season of the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why (13RW-3) and their engagement with show-related content, paying special attention to mental health outcomes and conversational partners. Methods A panel-based research platform operated by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago recruited 157 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years from its nationally representative pool of participants. Participants answered questions about how they discussed and learned about social and mental health issues portrayed in 13RW-3 (eg, masculine role pressure and sexual assault) and questions about mental wellness (eg, mental health self-efficacy and depression). Aft...
Twenty-one-year-old Assane Diop (“Azoupy” to his friends) describes himself according to his love... more Twenty-one-year-old Assane Diop (“Azoupy” to his friends) describes himself according to his loves—for his parents, for his friends, and for making things, especially video projects. During summer 2010, Azoupy posted his latest creation to YouTube: a factually accurate, youth-oriented, mobile phone recorded video on reproductive health. The significance of this feat transcends the personal, although such engagement with digital production and distribution certainly increases Azoupy’s odds of becoming the “great computer graphics designer” he dreams of being. In fact, Azoupy’s participation in this reproductive health (RH) conversation has important implications for public health management in Azoupy’s native country of Senegal, the greater sub-Saharan Africa region, and throughout the world.
Can stories succeed where traditional forms of diplomacy have faltered? This study examined wheth... more Can stories succeed where traditional forms of diplomacy have faltered? This study examined whether a primetime drama could impact American viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with respect to U.S. foreign policy and funding by surveying 173 viewers of an episode of Law & Order: SVU ("Witness"). Additionally, this study sought to uncover which theoretical construct - involvement with a specific character or involvement with the narrative more generally (transportation) - best predicted impact. The fictional character in question was Nardelie, a woman forced to flee the Democratic Republic of the Congo after repeated rape by militias vying for "conflict minerals," so named because control of these valuable minerals has triggered numerous conflicts. Separate regression analyses suggested a positive relationship between impact of the storyline and both theoretical constructs. However, when both constructs were entered into a single regression, involvement...
This paper discusses the design and implementation of a participatory culture pedagogy in the con... more This paper discusses the design and implementation of a participatory culture pedagogy in the context of a pilot after-school program at LAUSD's Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools. Ethnographic fieldnotes, instructor and student reflections, photographs, video recordings, and student work illustrate the program's culture of participatory learning, characterized by motivation and engagement, creativity, relevance, co-learning, and ecological learning. ELED also supported participants' acquisition of skills with digital tools, new media literacies , social and emotional learning, and digital citizenship. This experience suggests that relationship-building is integral and foundational to establishing citizenship, both online and offline.
Participatory activities that tap and foster social and emotional learning and new media literaci... more Participatory activities that tap and foster social and emotional learning and new media literacies enrich student learning, boost physical wellness, and support social functioning. Skeptics dismiss social and emotional learning as being too "touchy-feely," but empirical research has found that they can help lead to holistic health and achievement. Author Laurel Felt, a doctoral student, is staunchly committed to social
The present article was motivated by our observations that (1) current methods for gathering data... more The present article was motivated by our observations that (1) current methods for gathering data do not wholly capture program-related transformations, and (2) grassroots ways of knowing yield legitimate data and can enrich programmatic efforts and evaluations. Accordingly, our work seeks to leverage grassroots knowledge in order to both recognize and respect cultural beacons (CBs)—culturally-embedded, user-defined aids for understanding program-related change. Simply, these inductively gathered, locally identified CBs illuminate what to measure and/or how to measure it. Our analysis of participatory evaluations from four international, social change interventions offers four sites for detecting CBs: material possessions, community landscape features, social behaviors, and community-inspired art. We examine the methodological and relational contexts that facilitate CB discovery, discuss unexpected areas of programmatic impact, and utilize lessons learned across projects to make suggestions for continued exploration of CBs in monitoring and evaluation design and practice.
Bank Street Occasional Paper Series #30: The Other 17 Hours: Valuing Out-of-School Time, Nov 11, 2013
Various scholarly literatures suggest that improvisational theater (improv) could work as a tool ... more Various scholarly literatures suggest that improvisational theater (improv) could work as a tool for education and engagement because participation is powerful, learning environments influence outcomes, and play is educational. Systematic observation, research, and analysis of non-profit Laughter for a Change’s 2011–2012 after- school improv workshop corroborate this hypothesis. The data suggest that improvising creates a “safe space,” or a supportive context in which participants feel empowered to take risks and play freely. As a result, improv participants' learning consisted of identity exploration, great understanding between different generations, development of theatrical skills, and personal and social growth. Moreover, this learning did not occur despite the fun that the participants had—it occurred precisely because of the fun.
The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge, and Society
Abstract: This paper examines digital storytelling within the context of IWitness, a new online a... more Abstract: This paper examines digital storytelling within the context of IWitness, a new online application developed by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute that engages secondary school students in viewing and interacting with video testimony from Holocaust survivors and other witnesses. After participating in IWitness pilot projects in classroom and professional develop- ment settings, high school students and educators respectively shared reflections on their edu- cational trajectories, reported on their own learning, and offered observations about the changes they noticed among themselves and their peers. These data suggest that, as a digital storytelling vehicle, IWitness facilitates cognitive and affective growth, as well as prepares learners for the challenges of 21st century engagement.
Keywords: Visual History, Testimonies, 21st Century Literacies, Storytelling, Digital Storytelling
The idea of establishing a working group on participatory models of professional development grew... more The idea of establishing a working group on participatory models of professional development grew out of discussions that occurred during the Digital Media and Learning Conference 2011. The aim of this working group was to bring together those who are designing, developing and implementing initiatives to support teachers in understanding the affordances of digital media in learning, and to engage in a much-needed dialogue on culturally relevant professional development. We believe that, in order to generate effective models of participatory professional development, an engaged collaboration is needed between multiple stakeholders who bring a diverse set of ideas and challenges to the conversation. Our group is, thus, a mixture of researchers, teachers and school administrators from a variety of disciplines, schools, and states. Instead of working in silos on the same issue, coming together as a collaborative has led to a productive and important discussion of how to scale and sustain successful models of 21st century professional development in education.
This case study will examine YouthBuild Charter School of California’s WebSlam, articulating why ... more This case study will examine YouthBuild Charter School of California’s WebSlam, articulating why organizers convened a hackathon in south Los Angeles. Next, it will review participants’ educational experiences, examining how they learned through doing and cultivated versatile skills. Finally, it will explore community impacts.
"""What is activism? How does change get made? What role do children play? How can YOU get involv... more """What is activism? How does change get made? What role do children play? How can YOU get involved?"
One might assume that children’s and young adult books about activism would tackle basic questions such as these, accurately, exhaustively, and in a way that empowers young readers. Yet despite their evident desire to tackle activism, the three books under review either sidestep these questions entirely or address them obliquely, contributing to flawed, partial, or disempowering responses. Interrogation of these texts via critical literacy suggests that all three examine efforts to impact community wellbeing rather than activism per se; within this frame, each book uniquely characterizes and grapples with the role played by money.""
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Papers by Laurel Felt
Keywords: Visual History, Testimonies, 21st Century Literacies, Storytelling, Digital Storytelling
Keywords: Visual History, Testimonies, 21st Century Literacies, Storytelling, Digital Storytelling
One might assume that children’s and young adult books about activism would tackle basic questions such as these, accurately, exhaustively, and in a way that empowers young readers. Yet despite their evident desire to tackle activism, the three books under review either sidestep these questions entirely or address them obliquely, contributing to flawed, partial, or disempowering responses. Interrogation of these texts via critical literacy suggests that all three examine efforts to impact community wellbeing rather than activism per se; within this frame, each book uniquely characterizes and grapples with the role played by money.""