Teenagers’ information practices in academic settings: What relevance for a transliteracy-based approach?

Abstract

Because they are ‘complex and fascinating’ (Boyd, 2014) and deeply heterogeneous, teenagers’ media and information uses are still the subject of much research. The complexity of these practices requires a relevant holistic approach, able to take into account the multiplicity of contexts of use, the multiplicity of interactions and media or tools used, and able to encompass both what is directly visible and what is implicit (Leander and McKim, 2003). Transliteracy, originally defined by Sue Thomas and colleagues as ‘the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and films, to digital social networks’ (Thomas et al., 2007), seems interesting in this respect and is the basis of our investigation and analysis. The work described here proceeds from a programme funded by the French national research agency (ANR Translit 2013–2016) focusing on the possible faces of transliteracy in action, on how high-school students (15–16 years old) manage information individually and collectively, with all the media and tools available nowadays, and academic requirements and support. The ethnographic methodology included observations of learning situations carried out between November 2013 and March 2015 (two classes of around 30 pupils each and four teachers involved).