Reconsidering literacies for the digital age

Dr Potter, Reader in Media in Education at the IOE, spoke at the VAF on 26 September 2019, as part of the Animated Learning Conference. 

In his talk, Dr Potter questioned the dominance of printed texts in curricula across the world, given the variety of modes and technologies that could be utilised in the classroom. He argued for a broader conception of literacy for children that recognises the role of all kinds of digital media, including being literate in animation and film.

Embracing popular culture and digital media as a partner in the process of literacy education would create a more ambitious curriculum, and one that is fit for purpose in the contemporary digital age, contended Dr Potter.

The talk was based on a number of research projects in schools and informal spaces that have been carried out in recent years. 

Dr Potter is a founding member of the DARE Collaborative (Digital Arts Research in Education) and works in the UCL Knowledge Lab at the IOE. He is the Programme Leader for the Digital Media: Education MA programme. He has also published widely on media education, new literacies, creative activity and learner agency, and is a co-editor of the journal Learning, Media and Technology.

Links 

• More about Dr John Potter
• UCL Knowledge Lab
• Department of Culture, Communication and Media
• DARE Collaborative
• Digital Media: Education MA