Weekly Reading #10

How does the project detailed in the video support research process that consistent with the kind of research people encounter in the workplace.

The project of Deforest Action detailed in the video supports the research process that is consistent with the kind of research people encounter in the workplace because it’s real world. The applicants experienced first-hand the effects of deforestation in Borneo and the people who inhabit it. With their data and the support from the locals, they were able to stop Palm Oil companies from coming in and causing deforestation. They observed, collected data, and found solutions to the problem. This is authentic research at its best.

How does this project support new literacies?

According to “What Wikipedia Can Teach Us About New Media Literacies,” new media literacies is a set of cultural understanding and social skills which young people need as they confront the new media landscape of the twenty-first century. Authentic research allows students to learn and practice their skills with new media which is essential in being successful in the workplace by the sharing of information. Authentic research takes information gathered by students and teaches them to relate it to their world or needs. It is important that students know new media literacies in order to create authentic research, as well as share their findings with other peers and professionals in and out of the twenty-first century workplace. An extension of the Deforest Action was the “touch” project, where game creators in China are helping the program to develop a game where people can truly experience the 3-D world of an orangutan using gaming stations such as the Kinect for Xbox.

According to “New Literacies and 21^st Century Technologies,” part of the current perspective being used to inform the broader dimensions of new literacies research is that new literacies are central to full civic, economic, and personal participation in a global community. The Deforest Action project was the epitome of this definition. It took a group of 14 people and threw them into an unfamiliar culture to fix a local problem. They observed, monitored, and collected data on the effects of deforestation in the community and globally. They worked to protect the communities of Borneo.