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Civic Education and the Learning Behaviors of Youth in the Online Environment: A Call for Reform

Year 2011, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 21 - 42, 23.11.2011

Abstract

Scholarly discourse in political science and communication studies is replete with empirical evidence lamenting the decline in civic engagement and political participation among adolescents and young adults. Scholars offer a variety of factors contributing to the disengagement of youth from the civic and political process including lack of attention paid to youth by politicians and the political process, the limited experience and a narrow frame of reference of young people in the political process, their aversion to traditional politics, and to poor quality courses and a decline in civic education in schools. Youth frequently lack civic and political knowledge as well as information and communications technology and social skills needed to engage in public life due in large part to the superficial coverage of substantive civic topics in textbooks and concentrating on knowledge level information that focuses on rights to the exclusion of obligations and participation. Civics curriculum often lacks opportunities for young people to embrace and communicate about politics on their own terms and frequently has little connection between the academic presentation of politics and the acquisition of skills that might help develop engaged citizens. Current approaches to civic education are at odds with young people’s experiences of informal participation with their peers in a nonhierarchical network. Traditional civics curriculum often treats subject matter as another academic subject with right or wrong answers arbitrated by the teacher as central authority and students in competition for grades. A growing body of literature discusses the affinity that youth have for Internet use and the possibilities of new media to address disengagement and to enhance new forms of citizenship calling for pedagogical reform in civic education.

References

  • American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st-century learner. In Guidelines and standards. Retrieved from American Library Association website: http://www.ala.org///////.cfm
  • Bachen, C., Rafael, C., Lynn, K. M., McKee, K., & Philippi, J. (2008, July). Civic engagement, pedagogy, and information technology on web sites for youth. Political Communication, 25(3), 290-310. doi:10.1080/
  • Bennett, W. L. (2007). Civic learning in changing democracies: Challenges for citizenship and civic education. In P. Dahlgren (Ed.), Young citizens and new media: Learning for democratic participation (pp. 59-77). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Bennett, W. L. (2008). Changing citizenship in the digital age. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 1-24). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Bos, A. L., Williamson, I., Sullivan, J. L., Gonzales, M. H., & Avery, P. G. (2007). The price of rights: High school students’ civic values and behaviors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(6), 1265–1284. doi:10.1111/.1559-1816.2007.00212.x
  • Civic ideals and practices. (2010). National curriculum standards for social studies: Chapter 2— the themes of social studies. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from National Council for the Social Studies website: http://www.socialstudies.org//
  • Delli Carpini, M. X. (2010, June). Gen.com: Youth, civic engagement, and the new information environment. Political Communication, 17(4), 341-349. doi:10.1080/
  • Di Gennaro, C., & Dutton, W. (2006, March). The Internet and the public: Online and offline political participation in the United Kingdom. Parliamentary Affairs, 59(2), 299–313. doi:10.1093//
  • Dillon, S. (2011, May 4). Young students largely in dark on civics, test finds. The New York Times, education. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/// //.html?_r=1&ref=nationalassessmentofeducationalprogress
  • Galston, W. A. (2001, June). Political knowledge, political engagement, and civic education. Annual Review of Political Science, 4, 217-234. doi:10.1146/.polisci.4.1.217
  • Haste, H. (2010). Citizenship education: A critical look at a contested field. In L. R. Sherrod, J. Torney-Purta, & C. A. Flanagan (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth (pp. 161-188). Retrieved from http://catalog.lib.utexas.edu/
  • International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). 2007 standards. In National education technology standards
  • For students]. Retrieved from
  • http://www.iste.org//////_for_Students_2007.htm
  • Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Cody, R., Herr-Stephenson, B., . . . Lange, P. C. (2010). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York, NY: New York University Press.
  • Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A. J., & Weigel, M. (2009). Confronting the challenges of a participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century . Retrieved from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation website: http://digitallearning.macfound.org///%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C- E807E1B0AE4E%7D/_WHITE_PAPER.PDF
  • Kahne, J., Feezzell, J. T., & Lee, N. (2010, November 8). Digital media literacy education and online civic and political participation (Monograph). Retrieved from University of California Irvine Youth & Participatory Politics website: http://ypp.dmlcentral.net//media- literacy-education-and-online-civic-and-political (working paper, cited with permission of author)
  • Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010, February). Social media and young adults: Social media and mobile internet use among teens and young adults. Retrieved from Pew Internet & American Life Project website: http://www.pewinternet.org///Media- and-Young-Adults.aspx
  • Livingstone, S., Bober, M., & Helsper, E. (2005). Active participation or just more information?: Young people’s take up of opportunities to act and interact on the internet. Information, Communication, and Society, 8(3), 287-314. doi:10.1080/
  • Livingstone, S., Couldry, N., & Markham, T. (2007). Youthful steps towards civic participation: Does the Internet help? In B. D. Loader (Ed.), Young citizens in the digital age: Political engagement, young people and new media (pp. 21-34). London: Routledge.
  • Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and the Internet: Great expectations, challenging realities. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
  • McLeod, J., Shah, D., Hess, D., & Lee, N.-J. (2010). Communication and education: Creating competence for socialization into public life. In L. R. Sherrod, J. Torney-Purta, & C. A. Flanagan (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth (pp. 363-389). Retrieved from http://catalog.lib.utexas.edu/
  • Milner, H. (2009, September). The Internet: Friend or foe of youth political participation. Paper presented at 5th biennial conference of the European Consortium for Political Research, Potsdam, Germany. Retrieved from http://internet-politics.cies.iscte.pt///.pdf
  • Montgomery, K. C. (2008). Youth and digital democracy: Intersections of practice, policy, and the marketplace. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 25-49). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress. (2011). Civics 2010: Summary of major findings. Retrieved April, 2011, from U. S. Department of Education website: http://nationsreportcard.gov/_2010/.asp
  • Ohlin, J., Heller, A., Byrne, S., & Keevy, N. (2010). How young people participate in civic activities using Internet and mobile technologies. Retrieved from National Youth Affairs Research Scheme website: http://www.deewr.gov.au/////.pdf
  • Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2004). Our mission. In About us. Retrieved October 1, 2010, from Partnership for 21st Century Skills website: http://www.p21.org/ index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=188&Itemid=110
  • Selwyn, N. (2007). Technology, schools and citizenship education: A fix too far? In B. D. Loader (Ed.), Young citizens in the digital age: Political engagement, young people and new media (pp. 129-142). London: Routledge.
  • Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York: McGraw Hill.
  • University of California Humanities Research Institute. (2011, February 23). Does the Internet make for more engaged citizens? For many youth, the answer is yes, according to a new study by civic learning scholars [Press release]. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation website: http://www.macfound.org////.aspx?c=lkLXJ8MQKrH&b=4294243&ct=9139903
  • U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. (2010, November). Transforming American education: Learning powered by technology. Retrieved November 13, 2010, from U.S. Department of Education website: http://www.ed.gov//
  • Verba, S., Schlozman, K. L., & Brady, H. E. (1995). Voice and equality: Civic voluntarism in American politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Walker, T. (2006, Spring). “Make them pay attention to us”: Young voters and the 2004 election. National Civic Review, 95(1), 26-33. doi:10.1002/.128
  • Ward, J. (2008, October). The online citizen-consumer: addressing young people’s political consumption through technology. Journal of Youth Studies, 11(5), 513-526. doi:10.1080/
  • Watkins, S. C. (2009). The young & the digital: What the migration to social-network sites, games, and anytime, anywhere media means to our future. Boston: Beacon Press.
  • Watkins, S. C. (2011, April 25). What should civic learning look like in an age of social and technological change? Retrieved April 27, 2011, from Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, University of California Humanities Research Institute website: http://www.dmlcentral.net//craig-watkins/should-civic-learning-look-age-social-and- technological-change
  • Xenos, M., & Foot, K. (2008). Not your father’s Internet: The generation gap in online politics. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 51-70). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Youniss, J., Bales, S., Christmas-Best, V., Diversi, M., McLaughlin, M., & Silbereisen, R. (2002). Youth civic engagement in the twenty-first century. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 12(1), 121–148. doi:10.1111/.00027
Year 2011, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 21 - 42, 23.11.2011

Abstract

References

  • American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st-century learner. In Guidelines and standards. Retrieved from American Library Association website: http://www.ala.org///////.cfm
  • Bachen, C., Rafael, C., Lynn, K. M., McKee, K., & Philippi, J. (2008, July). Civic engagement, pedagogy, and information technology on web sites for youth. Political Communication, 25(3), 290-310. doi:10.1080/
  • Bennett, W. L. (2007). Civic learning in changing democracies: Challenges for citizenship and civic education. In P. Dahlgren (Ed.), Young citizens and new media: Learning for democratic participation (pp. 59-77). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Bennett, W. L. (2008). Changing citizenship in the digital age. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 1-24). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Bos, A. L., Williamson, I., Sullivan, J. L., Gonzales, M. H., & Avery, P. G. (2007). The price of rights: High school students’ civic values and behaviors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(6), 1265–1284. doi:10.1111/.1559-1816.2007.00212.x
  • Civic ideals and practices. (2010). National curriculum standards for social studies: Chapter 2— the themes of social studies. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from National Council for the Social Studies website: http://www.socialstudies.org//
  • Delli Carpini, M. X. (2010, June). Gen.com: Youth, civic engagement, and the new information environment. Political Communication, 17(4), 341-349. doi:10.1080/
  • Di Gennaro, C., & Dutton, W. (2006, March). The Internet and the public: Online and offline political participation in the United Kingdom. Parliamentary Affairs, 59(2), 299–313. doi:10.1093//
  • Dillon, S. (2011, May 4). Young students largely in dark on civics, test finds. The New York Times, education. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/// //.html?_r=1&ref=nationalassessmentofeducationalprogress
  • Galston, W. A. (2001, June). Political knowledge, political engagement, and civic education. Annual Review of Political Science, 4, 217-234. doi:10.1146/.polisci.4.1.217
  • Haste, H. (2010). Citizenship education: A critical look at a contested field. In L. R. Sherrod, J. Torney-Purta, & C. A. Flanagan (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth (pp. 161-188). Retrieved from http://catalog.lib.utexas.edu/
  • International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). 2007 standards. In National education technology standards
  • For students]. Retrieved from
  • http://www.iste.org//////_for_Students_2007.htm
  • Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Cody, R., Herr-Stephenson, B., . . . Lange, P. C. (2010). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York, NY: New York University Press.
  • Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A. J., & Weigel, M. (2009). Confronting the challenges of a participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century . Retrieved from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation website: http://digitallearning.macfound.org///%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C- E807E1B0AE4E%7D/_WHITE_PAPER.PDF
  • Kahne, J., Feezzell, J. T., & Lee, N. (2010, November 8). Digital media literacy education and online civic and political participation (Monograph). Retrieved from University of California Irvine Youth & Participatory Politics website: http://ypp.dmlcentral.net//media- literacy-education-and-online-civic-and-political (working paper, cited with permission of author)
  • Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010, February). Social media and young adults: Social media and mobile internet use among teens and young adults. Retrieved from Pew Internet & American Life Project website: http://www.pewinternet.org///Media- and-Young-Adults.aspx
  • Livingstone, S., Bober, M., & Helsper, E. (2005). Active participation or just more information?: Young people’s take up of opportunities to act and interact on the internet. Information, Communication, and Society, 8(3), 287-314. doi:10.1080/
  • Livingstone, S., Couldry, N., & Markham, T. (2007). Youthful steps towards civic participation: Does the Internet help? In B. D. Loader (Ed.), Young citizens in the digital age: Political engagement, young people and new media (pp. 21-34). London: Routledge.
  • Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and the Internet: Great expectations, challenging realities. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
  • McLeod, J., Shah, D., Hess, D., & Lee, N.-J. (2010). Communication and education: Creating competence for socialization into public life. In L. R. Sherrod, J. Torney-Purta, & C. A. Flanagan (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth (pp. 363-389). Retrieved from http://catalog.lib.utexas.edu/
  • Milner, H. (2009, September). The Internet: Friend or foe of youth political participation. Paper presented at 5th biennial conference of the European Consortium for Political Research, Potsdam, Germany. Retrieved from http://internet-politics.cies.iscte.pt///.pdf
  • Montgomery, K. C. (2008). Youth and digital democracy: Intersections of practice, policy, and the marketplace. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 25-49). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress. (2011). Civics 2010: Summary of major findings. Retrieved April, 2011, from U. S. Department of Education website: http://nationsreportcard.gov/_2010/.asp
  • Ohlin, J., Heller, A., Byrne, S., & Keevy, N. (2010). How young people participate in civic activities using Internet and mobile technologies. Retrieved from National Youth Affairs Research Scheme website: http://www.deewr.gov.au/////.pdf
  • Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2004). Our mission. In About us. Retrieved October 1, 2010, from Partnership for 21st Century Skills website: http://www.p21.org/ index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=188&Itemid=110
  • Selwyn, N. (2007). Technology, schools and citizenship education: A fix too far? In B. D. Loader (Ed.), Young citizens in the digital age: Political engagement, young people and new media (pp. 129-142). London: Routledge.
  • Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York: McGraw Hill.
  • University of California Humanities Research Institute. (2011, February 23). Does the Internet make for more engaged citizens? For many youth, the answer is yes, according to a new study by civic learning scholars [Press release]. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation website: http://www.macfound.org////.aspx?c=lkLXJ8MQKrH&b=4294243&ct=9139903
  • U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. (2010, November). Transforming American education: Learning powered by technology. Retrieved November 13, 2010, from U.S. Department of Education website: http://www.ed.gov//
  • Verba, S., Schlozman, K. L., & Brady, H. E. (1995). Voice and equality: Civic voluntarism in American politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Walker, T. (2006, Spring). “Make them pay attention to us”: Young voters and the 2004 election. National Civic Review, 95(1), 26-33. doi:10.1002/.128
  • Ward, J. (2008, October). The online citizen-consumer: addressing young people’s political consumption through technology. Journal of Youth Studies, 11(5), 513-526. doi:10.1080/
  • Watkins, S. C. (2009). The young & the digital: What the migration to social-network sites, games, and anytime, anywhere media means to our future. Boston: Beacon Press.
  • Watkins, S. C. (2011, April 25). What should civic learning look like in an age of social and technological change? Retrieved April 27, 2011, from Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, University of California Humanities Research Institute website: http://www.dmlcentral.net//craig-watkins/should-civic-learning-look-age-social-and- technological-change
  • Xenos, M., & Foot, K. (2008). Not your father’s Internet: The generation gap in online politics. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 51-70). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Youniss, J., Bales, S., Christmas-Best, V., Diversi, M., McLaughlin, M., & Silbereisen, R. (2002). Youth civic engagement in the twenty-first century. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 12(1), 121–148. doi:10.1111/.00027
There are 39 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Civic Education
Authors

Barbara A Jansen This is me

Publication Date November 23, 2011
Published in Issue Year 2011 Volume: 2 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Jansen, B. A. (2011). Civic Education and the Learning Behaviors of Youth in the Online Environment: A Call for Reform. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 2(2), 21-42. https://doi.org/10.17499/jsser.48271