EUTIC 2011-Transformation des organisations:
évolution des problématiques et mutations fonctionnelles
23th and 25th November 2010, in Brussels, Belgium
Principal theme: Impacts des nouveaux médias au sein des organisations actuelles
Presentation: Oral (PowerPoint)
Title: Intergenerational learning in a video production project: Digital memories
AUTHORS
Name: Eleni Meliadou
Affiliation: New Technology Laboratory, Faculty of Communication and Media
studies, University of Athens
Contact: Praxitelous 122, 18532, Peiraias
Tel: 0030 210-4175007
E-mail: eni.meliadou@gmail.com
Name: Andreas Giannakoulopoulos
Affiliation: Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Ionian University
Contact: 7 Plateia Tsirigoti, 49100 Corfu, Greece
Tel: 0030 26610 87860-1, fax: 0030 26610 48491
E-mail: agiannak@ionio.gr
Name: Michalis Meimaris
Affiliation: Professor, Director of New Technology Laboratory, Faculty of
Communication and Media studies, University of Athens
Contact: Stadiou 5, 10562, Athens
Tel. 0030 210 368 9426, Fax 210 3689450
E-mail: mmeimaris@media.uoa.gr
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Keywords:
Intergenerational learning, video production, creativity
Abstract
An intergenerational learning research project brought together young students and
elderly participants, to study both the level of communication between them and the role of
digital technology as an agent in that respect. Use of digital media production was regarded
st
and employed as a method towards acquiring 21 century social and communication skills.
Given that creative learning is all about developing one’s own creative potential through
meaningful projects, the theoretical approach here rests on the principle, according to which
creativity lies in co-construction of meaning and encourages the learner to an active role.
Fourteen year old students and members of an Elderly People Community Centre
worked together in pairs of each, to make a digital video out of memory material of the elder
by utilizing the digital skills of the youngsters. To keep with the formal stages of video
production, each and every pair elaborated on its own story, did the actual shooting, went on
to edit the sequences and, finally, presented the finished video file to all project participants –
researchers included. In all cases the outcome was a coherent and interesting digital story
made with reminiscence, while it had simultaneously turned each young student into a
responsive listener of yesterdays, save a promising producer of tomorrow.
Editing came out as the most important among the session’s four phases (planning,
videotaping, editing and viewing) and it counted up to an actual, mutually fruitful experience of
intergenerational interaction. In terms of quality assessment, interviewees spoke invariably of
a surprisingly pleasant experience, as well as of a challenging channel of communication
between them.
.
Introduction
The handing down process refers to a social phenomenon that transforms memories
of the elders into something valuable or worthwhile to the young. The whole process, for the
most part, takes place within the family or social circle and sustains continuity. Sharing of
accumulated knowledge is, therefore, preserved in the oral storytelling tradition present in
virtually all human activities, as witnessed throughout history. However, observable changes
in the family structure appear to impinge on values and ideas flow on the part of the elder,
thus giving rise to new level standards of intergenerational relations. As intergenerational
discursive exchange fades out, both in terms of quality and of quantity, researchers try out
restoring equilibrium.
Current research has shown increased longevity to “alter the length of time spent in
specific family roles” –that being the main reason for having even four different generations
living within one family at the same time (Lowenstein A.,1999). Further, as modern couples
give first birth past the age of 30, the age gap among family members follows a growing
tendency. Accordingly, fear of social and cultural isolation of the elder mark out the ethical
framework of building new communication channels between distant age groups.
On the other hand the adolescents (11-18) are experiencing a transitional period from
childhood to adolescence and they are seeking to define their identity. A healthy family
environment that encourages a strong and equal coalition is an important factor for soothing
the emotional tension rising in every growing adolescent (Liner,D. 2006). Studies show that
students (11-18 years old) who participated in an intergenerational program gained a sense of
civic responsibility (Druin,A.,2009, Dorfman, L., et al.2004) and increased their level grades
compared to others who did not participate (Strom R.D.,1995). Younger individuals need to
be able to explore the diverse relationships between themselves and others; and moreover
need to see the perspective of others. Interactions with a supporting peer group is essential
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for developing the ability to solve tensions but so is to make a social contribution and engage
for an important cause. (Liner,D.2006). Co-operating with the elder is a both a valuable and
engaging cause, offering learning opportunities which facilitate their transition to adulthood.
The expected obstacle to the meaningful construction of intergenerational relations is
mainly the lack of common interest (Gonzalez, V.M. ,et al 2008). We can only overcome this
situation by creating a common ground that would not be offending neither to the young nor to
the elder and that would take into consideration their own way of thinking. Another obstacle is
that the displacement of families for career opportunities leads the members away from their
paternal family and as a consequence children may develop stereotypes and prejudices
against the elderly (Fair,C.D.2011) Hence, we are studying intergenerational relations as they
can evolve and offer possibilities for communication and common understanding. New media
offer the potential of communicating across different media forms in an authentic and
meaningful way, connecting the digital to the human way of thinking. Media world includes
different sorts and levels of communicative tasks as it expands to setting up a website, editing
videos, keep in touch with long distance relatives, or creating a new group in the social media.
In this sense the objective obstacles, we have mentioned, can be eliminated if we bring
together the young and the elder to get involved in a media rich environment where the
challenge is to communicate and the digital technology is the agent.
Literature review: The young as producers and the elder as storytellers
The workshop was designed to combine the memory material of the elder and the
digital skills of the young students. Each age group would be able to offer their creative
potential in their field of knowledge and produce a digital artifact together. Most of the current
technology applications do not involve real social interactions, or physical contact but
mediated communication. In this workshop the objective is to increase the level of direct
communication between the old and the young while keeping up with the standards of digital
video production. Youth as producer and the elder as a storyteller of the past can interact in a
meaningful way for both and co-operate constructively for a common goal. The roles assigned
to each age group are well justified by the literature review that shows on the one hand that
telling personal stories is an effective source of relief for the elder (Luepker, E. T.,2010) and
on the other hand that adolescents have developed technical competence through their
everyday occupation on the internet and are looking for a more creative digital expression.
(Buckingham,D.2007)
Youth is no longer a neutral consumer of media information but moreover an active
participant through social media, video platforms as youtube, my space and others. (Rideout
et al., 2005) Everyday use of computer games or the internet involves a range of informal
learning processes, where users learn through trial and error and are able to pass on their
knowledge to others. One of the current trends is media production and could be used as a
tool for research into new types of informal learning. Not only young students are fluent in
new technologies, but moreover they are providing a new perspective of digital creativity. The
evolution of computer-based tools to edit and share video has changed their perception as
viewers. The abundance of free tools for amateur producing video is altering the viewer’s
identity into a new more creative one, as he is coming to terms with the idea of him being able
to alter the content. Cary Bazalgette (Former Head of Education in British Film Institute) is
underlining the need for a further development of students’ talents with non-print media since
they are no longer merely consumers of information but active participants. Access to
technology- and the development of technical skills implied- is no longer an issue, whereas
“access to cultural forms of expression and communication” (Buckingham,D.2007) is the new
challenge.
During the workshop the students will be presenting their digital skills and the elder
their personal narrations. Literature reports that narrating personal experiences is a source of
relief to the elder and the whole process seems to be having a therapeutic effect on them
(Luepker, E. T.,2010). Recalling the past, or as it is reported in an article “life reviewing”, is
considered as an interesting alternative to psychotherapy for elderly people who are not
institutionalized, but are starting to experience a late life depression. A great example of life
reviewing is the movie “Wild Strawberries” directed by Ingmar Bergman where a man in his
80s takes the journey of reminiscence, travels through bitterness and pain to finally return into
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reconciliation. There is not a great distance from fiction to real world considering that scientific
evidence show the value of this journey through time. Despite the conclusions mentioned
above, the use of video recording is uncommon for capturing the memory of the elder while
audio recording is used more often.
There are already some aspiring projects towards the digital production of narratives
of the past like Denshõ, (http://www.densho.org/densho.asp). It is a non-profit organization
that means “to leave a legacy”. Real-life heroes narrate their stories during World War II. The
goal is to preserve the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated
during World War II. Another interesting initiative which implicates young students along with
the elder is Digi-club (www.digiclub.org/sofs/ ). It invites teenagers to “capture the stories of
the World War II generation”, motivating them to preserve their history and eventually creating
an ongoing historical documentary.
Designing the workshop
Fourteen year old students and members of an Elderly People Community Centre
worked together in pairs of each, to make a digital video. The workshop had been specifically
designed on the creative learning principles of comprehension, divergent thinking as well as
original work production (Ferrari, A.,et al 2009). In the world of new media it is not the specific
tool, nor the application proposed as a single motive to learning, but, rather the operative
conditions about it (Shneckenberg,D. 2009).Creative learning results in the awakening of selfguided motives of those involved seeking out a creative result. Creativity lies in coconstruction of meaning and encourages the learner to an active role.
The aim of this was to study both the level of communication between the young and
the elder and the role of digital technology as an agent in that respect. The level of
communication can be observed through the developing dialogue between them, the level of
collaboration and of interaction when working together. The role of digital technology is crucial
to whether it facilitates or blocks the interaction. The workshop assigned technology an
intermediate role to help out communication, using it also as a tool to transform the
nonfigurative concept of session experience into a solid creative outcome.
The workshop was organized in the five following sessions in order to provide the
participants with a lucid an understandable structure.
Pre-production: Members of the research group visited separately the community
center and the high school. First they asked the elderly to decide and prepare an
autobiographical short story that would be interesting to them and wished to share with
others. Relevant pictures of the narrated story could be digitized and used afterwards during
the editing process. At the same time high school students experienced a hand-on workshop
where research members explained the basic technique rules of the editing software
Microsoft Movie-Maker.
First discussion: Active listening and dialogue encourages critical thinking, so the
participants had the opportunity to interact and organize their work. They would have to
decide about their shooting setting and talk about the elder’s story. In approximately fifteen
minutes this session should be completed and move forward to the next one.
Shooting: The shooting process was programmed to be no more than 20 minutes.
With limited time amateurs tend to better organize their work than having to think over it
excessively. According to experience amateurs get carried away by the process, shooting
scenes irrelevant to their main scenario and the additional video material gets them frustrated
throughout the editing process. (Hernandez-Ramos,P.2007).
Editing: The instructions given to the participants were simple enough so to
accomplish their target and complete a 5 minute video. They were asked to add opening and
ending titles, at least two transitions, insert at least one image and add a music soundtrack.
There weren’t made any restraints about the camera movement nor the shooting angle.
Viewing: Sharing with the audience the outcome of their work is a major step. The
creative teams of each video would gain feedback watching the verbal and non-verbal
reactions of the audience. Furthermore the elder would have the opportunity to listen to
4
themselves
and
to
their
personal stories, while the
young students could realize in
what way their shooting and
editing work has an impact on
the story.
Results
use of the following in the
editing
video
images
sound effects
Each separate group
music
had a clear understanding of the
specific role assigned to each
opening/ending titles
and
avoided
confusion.
transitions
Students
fostered
the
responsibility of explaining the
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
technical terms to the elder and
of answering their questions. A significant change has been observed in the students’ attitude
towards the elder. When the research team first visited the high school the class did not
positively respond to the fact that their video production partner would be an elder person.
Although as soon as the workshop ended they acknowledged that the elderly were fully
capable of contributing to their common goal and moreover they found this experience to be
inspiring and life-changing.
A lesson of History took place in every working team, where students developed
curiosity about the past. The 14 year old participants stated that only when they actually met
the elderly, they started to get interested about them and their stories. In other words the
workshop itself did not attract their attention right from the beginning (during the preproduction session). In conclusion the physical contact and communication should not be
underestimated in an intergenerational setting. As digital technology motivated the students to
participate so was the actual social interaction with the elder. Listening to their stories
encouraged the students to extend their vision and relate with the elder.
During the shooting session the interaction between the participants was rather weak.
The elder had already decided their story to be filmed and were anxious to say it in front of
the camera, while the students worried more about the shooting itself. Although the elder
person of each pair was eager to listen to student’s instructions and collaborate. The final
shots were stable and the filmed persons were looking directly to the camera. Amateur video
making magazines note that the aesthetic of capturing people looking to the camera is a
common mistake made by amateurs.(Buckingham,D.,et al 2007) An interesting element of the
video narration is that almost every elder participant, while unfolding the story, is referring to
their adolescent collaborator, saying his or her name, as if he or she were the only audience.
Editing digital video enabled students and the elder to better communicate as they
manipulated the video material and discussed about the decisions that would form the final
outcome. The use of musical background was a common ground for every group, whereas
the use of another video was not. It is interesting that they used all of the possible inserts
(music, sound effects, video, images, titles, transitions) in order to make their video “look
more professional”, as they said. During the editing session they both developed the ability of
justifying their choices by watching the video several times in the preview and knew exactly
the kind of shots that they should cut. Both the young and the elder developed a sense of
solidarity while editing because they started to recognize the video as the outcome of their
collaborative and creative work.
Watching the video along with others was a rewarding and fulfilling experience for all.
The elder regarded the audience’s positive reaction as an acknowledgement of their narration
talent and felt content sharing their personal stories. All the participants were showing great
interest in watching all the videos, being respectful towards the other members’ work. Positive
feedback increased the self-esteem of the elder and motivated them to show their work to
family and friends. The workshop’s achievement is that the digital artifact made by the
participants can be carried forward and be a symbol of intergenerational collaboration.
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Discussion
Making moving image narratives is a challenge that can be used as an alternative to
teaching, communicating and learning in different contexts. Filming and editing are both
interesting activities for the young and the elder motivating them to create and share.
Completing their work was challenging enough to stay alert and active throughout the whole
project. The procedure was demanding for both the age groups, they had to organize the
content, keep up with the time restrictions and elaborate on their work. Needless to say they
have developed synthetic abilities in the sense of seeing a problem in new ways (Folmer, P.
1975), analytic abilities, that means choosing the best solution and technical abilities, working
with the camera and the editing software.
In order to support creativity and intergenerational collaboration digital technology can
serve as a facilitator providing opportunities for open learning. There are affordable tools to
shoot and edit a digital story addressing the needs of a demanding digital storytelling project.
It is difficult to teach creativity but through a challenging project where students can unleash
their talent and integrate writing, composing and digital skills creative outcomes may be
achieved.
Storytelling for the elder is a form of expression, personal fulfillment and an act of
communication. If the modern society of digital age can provide the elder with the space
needed to make their stories flourish and grow, it would be a social service of great
importance. Constructing a narrative helps their memory to increase and sharing stories helps
them gain their self-esteem. Listening to the elder people’s stories enhances students’ history
knowledge and leads them to become respectful of the past. In addition narration from the
past in a video project is contributing to the conservation of the historical memory and through
a meaningful process for students and elders.(Darcy,A.2007)
Social inclusion for the elder community can be carried out through intergenerational
programs in schools, volunteering in community centers, co-operation of relevant
organizations towards a rising awareness for the elder. Interactions between older and
younger people can be developed under different contexts and for different reasons, but
nonetheless they are a source of learning for both.
Video titles
“An old acquaintance”, “Memories”, “Something from me”, “Being a boy scout”, “My
mother’s lullaby”, “Immigrant in Australia”, “Singing in the choir”, “Fairytale”, “My life in a few
minutes”
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Haidi Eirini, Nakou Alexandra,
Papanikolaou Vasilis, Kirginas Sotiris, Economidou Roubini, Fragi Konstantina, Koutsogianni
Melina, Tsakoumis Aris, Psarauti Margarita members of the scientific research group of the
Laboratory of New Technologies in Communication, Education and the Mass Media for issues
in intergenerational communication, who undertook, together with the reporting authors,
planning and implementation of the pilot intervention presented in this paper.
Also, we would like to thank the teachers, pupils and parents of the 2nd class of the 4th High
School of Marousi named “ZEKAKIO” and all the people from Nikaia’s Community Center for
elder people.
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