ODYSSEYWARE

Researchers at Florida State University have found that students, due to their inherent interest in digital culture are actually becoming more responsible and self-directed in their learning while using these tech-tools.

The three-year study was part of a $50 million project on digital and media learning funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Altogether, researchers involved in the project interviewed more than 800 children and young adults and conducted more than 5,000 hours of online observations. Tripp also is one of the co-authors of the final report on the project, which will be published by MIT Press as a book called “Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out: Living and Learning with New Media.”

Because items like iPod and social networking sites are fun and part of their entertainment culture, researchers found that students are more likely to pursue answers to scholarly questions through these mediums and learn about things they might never have sought through textbooks or library indexing systems.

The study found that young people’s learning with digital media is often more self-directed, with a freedom and autonomy that is less apparent than in a classroom setting. The researchers said youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from each other than from adults.

For critics who say kids are not interested in learning and are apathetic, this is an interesting study.