1. Mediating community communication ecologies Dr Peter Day & Zanna Dear CMIS University of Brighton

2. Introducing 3 modules Community project – level 3 under-grad – Students often do related applied research dissertation Community media (informatics) – level 2 under-grad Developing community media – MA Creative Media

3. Community Media Community owned and controlled, giving access to voices in the community & encouraging diversity, creativity & participation. Community media provides a vital counterbalance to the increasing globalization & commercialization of the media. (Community Media Association, 2008)

4. Based on service learning principles Working in partnership with community partners to solve real world problems Active, reflective & challenging Promotes citizenship, collaboration & ‘deeper’ learning Meaningful, positive & dialogic

5. Community development Helping local groups & organizations to achieve the objectives they set themselves, especially in disadvantaged areas or in sections of the population at risk of exclusion or facing difficult conditions. (CDF, 2008)

6. Community media – approach to learning Initial contextualisation in class Fieldwork oriented Active problem solving Reader – online seminar discussions & personal blogs

7. Previous student projects West Hove News (community newspaper) Community event planning – summer festival & spring fun day Publicity & marketing Community video Photo stories Children’s painting competitions Participatory website design & build Photography workshop Photoshop workshop – posters, etc Summer holiday volunteering

8. LM 267 Community Informatics – A Students View LM 267 was a thoroughly enjoyable course. It taught the complex relations of ‘community’ through lived experience of participation and interaction, whilst demonstrating the important role media can play in supporting, and even creating, community networks.

9. LM 267 – A Students View Good: Practice ‘in the field’ was grounded in, and enhanced by, a high level of academic connectivity. The experience of community interaction in West Hove was extremely positive and inspirational.

10. LM 267 – A Student’s View Bad: The course was very full - not everybody was happy with the availability of projects. Some students expressed a desire for more media projects or more substantial work on media projects in the West Hove area. The Discussion Board Programming – The discussions that were held were fun and engaging but the programme used hindered the process near constantly. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11. Observations to date Very rewarding and great fun Can have significant effects – student & community learning (anecdotal) Time & labour intensive Requires institutional support & understanding Words need to be backed by actions….can be problematic

12. Contributing to communicative ecologies Community media as tools, spaces and processes – building social capital (esp. bridging & linking) Stimulates community learning sharing of information participation – e.g. in design of CCS engaging in dialogue – re-establishing weak ties networking – process and structure critical reflection and analysis Communities generate content suitable for the social and cultural contexts they themselves generate Community organisation, activities & action