Tuned in: the importance of peer feedback with foster youth creating media

ABSTRACT

This longitudinal qualitative research explores the benefits and challenges of using positive peer feedback with a group of foster adolescents during a summer academy at a Northeastern university. In addition, the authors, who taught the class for four years between 2012–2015 reflect on their experience using the structured feedback as a tool in their digital and media literacy class. The paper describes how the instructors addressed challenges revolving around students’ social, emotional, and cognitive needs through the incorporation of peer feedback. Based on positive behavior support and peer mentoring, the authors used a structured peer feedback as part of their digital and media literacy pedagogy. The findings show that students’ use of peer feedback with different media platforms helped increase the students’ engagement, develop collaboration skills and for some enhance their critical thinking. As we move to use more and more digital tools, this method of positive peer feedback can help educators to grow their students’ social, emotional, and cognitive skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Peer feedback
• media production
• media literacy
• positive behavior support
• peer mentoring
• digital empathy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yonty Friesem

Yonty Friesem's work and research in civic media focus on the opportunities to improve social and emotional skills of students in formal and informal settings using media production as civic engagement. Apart from being an award-winning film producer, he offers professional development for educators who want to drive social change in their community with their students using the power of digital media. His publications in academic and professional journals include theory of empathic dialogs via media he calls digital empathy, evaluation of various civic media programs, and explorations of implementing digital and media literacy in schools. He received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Rhode Island and MA in Leadership and Policy in Education from Tel-Aviv University.

Kelsey Greene

Kelsey Greene focuses her work and research on media literacy as a pedagogical approach to enhance people’s inquiry, reflection, and empathy. She has taught media production curriculum to adolescents and college students throughout the US and abroad. Her instructional expertise is informed by her work as an award-winning filmmaker and web designer. She received her M.Ed. in Education from the University of Buffalo SUNY.