Reflections of Complexity on the 2011 Digital Media and Learning (DML) conference

Reporting back on the intersections of research in media communications and education from the 2011 DML conference in Los Angeles, CA is an exercise in complexity. With that in mind, I would like to highlight some of the more prominent conceptual nodes that appeared to organize the many energies and efforts in this diverse field of scholarship.

Badges…badges appear to be all the rage and I had to take the entire conference to sort out their intrigue. As researcher and Quinnipiac University associate professor Alex Halavais stated in his fast paced Ignite Talk, “Grades suck.” A response to their necessity in schooling is the idea of a badge or a recognition of accomplished skill sets or predetermined scaffolding of concepts. Check out this open document for more information.

Open Source…information should be free. From copyleft movements to open sourcing research and innovative initiatives, the open source movement is having all sorts of powerful effects on technology and society. Check out Mozilla’s Drumbeat community and MIT’s Scratch to see just two examples of this principal in action.

Literacy…From Henry Jenkins’ Participatory Learning and You (PLAY!) initiatives at USC to the Hackasaurus project, learning digital media and networking skills are hot topics right now. The most exciting part is the two-fold benefits: empowering potential and engaged learning.

So there is the short list. Make sure to come and support Ohio State’s fast approaching Digital Media in a Social World (DMSW) 2011: Make Your Own Education, April 1-2. With an outstanding keynote speaker, Mark Frauenfelder, and plenty of great sessions, we can create an understanding of our own complex network of digital media and learning right here in Columbus.