The era of digital media has come to create a youthful and pervasive participatory culture featuring different forms of affiliation, expression, problem-solving and information circulation among its members. The generation of digital media savvy individuals has now populated classrooms all over our college and university campuses. Concomitant with their arrival to the campus are the inevitable challenges for educators to instruct effectively members of this newly created powerful participatory culture. From the perspective of intercultural communication and based on research in cultural adaptation and teaching innovation, this paper examines (1) salient features of the current participatory culture; (2) primary characteristics of the digital media generation; (3) major components of cultural competence for educators teaching this digital media generation; and (4) specific relevant and applicable pedagogical strategies for educators to enhance their teaching effectiveness and students’ learning outcome in their classrooms. Impact of participatory culture on teaching effectiveness is further analyzed and implications for educators’ adaptation and teaching innovation are also explored and discussed.

Authors:
Jianglong Wang, Western Washington University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Jianglong Wang is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at Western Washington University in United States

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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