Konstruktionstätigkeit mit Digitalen Medien - Eine qualitative Studie als Beitrag zur Medienbildung

Abstract

Construction activities with Digital Media offer potentials for new educational (Bildung) processes. This is the pivotal result of a qualitative study based on Grounded Theory Methodology. Analysis of interviews with adolescents and adults who had participated in construction activities with Digital Media resulted in framing six sense-making concepts (Sinndimensionen) about construction activity. These 6 concepts serve as axial categories to explain construction activities:- Creation processes,- Discovering and understanding technological foundations of Digital Media- Interaction in co-construction processes,- Success criterion functioning,- Technology-based social constructions,- Formation of interconnection processes.These concepts point to reflection processes and possible transformation of the constructors' reflective relations towards the self, the world, and technology. Educational potentials of such processes are identified. They are grounded on the specific characteristics of Digital Media as software.Perspectives of computing sciences and media studies on Digital Media are discussed and their relevance for educational theory is analyzed. Media education has yet started only slowly to focus on the software basis of Digital Media. Thus such perspectives still need to inspire the development of media education theory.By developing an explanatory model of construction activity based on the technological foundation of Digital Media, the study denotes the specific educational potential of digital construction activity. It discusses how in consequence these results need to inform media education and contribute to a theory of digital media education.