Youth empowerment through the creation of i-docs: Educational and social impacts

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are key elements in the educational process of teens. Consequently, efforts should be made to integrate ICT into educational plans and policies. Based on this premise, HEBE has been launched – a study on youth empowerment that was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and carried out by five universities: the University of Girona, the Autonomous University of Madrid, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The project, based on media literacy and transmedia skills, involves the creation of an interactive documentary (i-doc). The HEBE i-doc: digital prints relates the experiences and reflections during the maturation stage of six youngsters with different cultural, educational, family and social backgrounds and profiles. This exploration was carried out through their own audio-visual creations, in a life story format. The i-doc has the dual purpose of (1) devising a methodology based on digital ethnography, and (2) creating an interactive platform for sharing experiences and promoting the visibility of these issues via citizen science.