From Media Consumption to MediaProduction: Applications of YouTube™ in an Eighth-Grade Video Documentary Project

Abstract

This article is a case study of a group of middle-school students that investigates their making of video documentaries. We specifically describe their use of YouTube™ as a research tool and source of inspiration for media production. We discuss the phenomenon of YouTube™ in conjunction with its impact on young people’s visual experience, as well as its educational potential. We suggest that visual literacy in the age of YouTube™ is a form of social practice in that it enables learners to appreciate the complexities of visual communication and meaning construction, becoming active participants in the multi-modal world around them.