Touching Mercury in Community Media

Radical changes in educational contexts are creating paradigm shifts that call for 21st century learners to possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, values, and experiences associated with multiple forms of literacy in a participatory learning culture. Contemporary educational systems are slow to adapt. Outside of school, people need to be self-motivated and have access to resources in order to gain vital experiences. Community-based media centers meld arts and culture with technology while addressing issues of social justice, access equity, and public policy. This study identifies learning of multiple forms of literacy—specifically technological, media, and critical literacies. To move beyond the phenomenological approach, this mixed-methodology evaluation protocol captures learning within these rich and complex ecological contexts with qualitative indicators interspersed with objective, measurable factors. Through the development and piloting of this protocol, a new understanding emerges of the environments and practices that foster multiple literacy learning and participatory culture.