The document aims to study how young people ages 13-17 use digital technology in both formal school settings and informal leisure situations, and how this supports critical reflection and development. It discusses interviews with 7 girls and 5 boys who describe school as requiring effort versus leisure being free time. They view mobile phones as for leisure due to freedom. In school, they use computers for research, while in free time they use them for games, social media, and creative pursuits. The study finds the formal/informal distinction incomplete and that technology use depends on its dialectical relationship with the user and context.

1. YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCEPTUALISATION OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL
LEARNING SITUATIONS IN RELATION TO THEIR USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA
Annika Lindkvist
Ma. student, Interaction Media Design, Södertörn University
annika.lindkvist@sh.se

2. UNGMODs
AIM - to research how young people conceptualise leisure and school, and how
they use digital media technologies within these two areas.
Relationship
between

3. The overall aim to study how young
people (13-17 years) use digital
Information and
Communication Technology
(ICT) in both informal and
formal everyday learning
situations particularly the way in
which possibilities of multimodal
expressions supports individual
critical reflection on learning,
UNGMODs
knowledge and self development.

4. The overall aim to study how young
people (13-17 years) use digital
Information and
Communication Technology
(ICT) in both informal and
formal everyday learning
situations particularly the way in
which possibilities of multimodal
expressions supports individual
critical reflection on learning,
UNGMODs
knowledge and self development.
This formal and informal
everyday learning situations
was translated into school
and leisure

5. The overall aim to study how young
people (13-17 years) use digital
Information and
Communication Technology
(ICT) in both informal and
formal everyday learning
situations particularly the way in
which possibilities of multimodal
expressions supports individual
critical reflection on learning,
UNGMODs
knowledge and self development.
This formal and informal
everyday learning situations
was translated into school
and leisure
AIM - to research how young people conceptualise leisure and
school, and how they use digital media technologies within
these two areas.

6. The overall aim to study how young 1 class from a
people (13-17 years) use digital secondary school
Information and
Communication Technology
(ICT) in both informal and
formal everyday learning
situations particularly the way in
which possibilities of multimodal
expressions supports individual
critical reflection on learning,
UNGMODs &
knowledge and self development.
1 class from
upper secondary
This formal and informal
everyday learning situations
was translated into school
and leisure
AIM - to research how young people conceptualise leisure and
school, and how they use digital media technologies within
these two areas.

7. A sociocultural perspective
Like UNGMODs, this study also view learning and
development through a sociocultural perspective. That an
individual is actively engaging in meaning-making in
relation to the surrounding culture, historical context. That
we engage through tools (both physical and intellectual)
which mediates the world in a dialectic relation between
human and non humans (Vygotskij, 1978; Säljö, 2000;
Barad, 2003). But also that learning is constantly taking
place everywhere, not just in formal settings but also in
(uncontrolled) informal settings (Kress, 2010)

8. Qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews
(the interviews had topics for discussion) and discussions
with these 12 students from both schools.
4 boys and 3 girls from the secondary school
2 boys and 3 girls from the upper secondary school
5 meetings with the separate groups

9. School is a place where you have to make an effort, you
are not there for... Yes, you are there to have fun also but
you have to make an effort and you need to show that
you are alert in class. But on your free-time, you can
School
relax and just be. You are not really alert when you are
at home and taking notes of whats happening. Well you
don’t make an effort at home, it is free. You don’t have to
make an effort! - Boy, 16 y.

10. How about a bus ride to school?
- Researcher
That belongs to the (category) school
because you have to take it to get to
school, you would not ride the bus
otherwise
But you might ride that bus if you
are going to town or something
But then you choose it your self
Then is it school or leisure? - Researcher
Well, you can do what ever you what
on the bus, you could like call
someone or listen to music and that
16 years old is leisure
16 years old

11. How about a bus ride to school?
- Researcher
That belongs to the (category) school
because you have to take it to get to
school, you would not ride the bus
otherwise
But you might ride that bus if you
are going to town or something
But then you choose it your self
Then is it school or leisure? - Researcher
Well, you can do what ever you what
on the bus, you could like call
someone or listen to music and
16 years old that is leisure
16 years old
Mobile phones belongs to
leisure because of the feeling
of freedom that they bring

12. In school I work. Boy, 13 y
Usage of computers (laptops) according to the students
from the secondary school
SCHOOL FREE-TIME
Firefox (web browser), different games,
NeoOffice (open source office suit social net works,
for Mac OS),
chats,
Google (search engine),
photo-applications and
Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) image processing programs,
3D programs ...

13. We are use to mobile phones and as soon as it gets a little boring,
well it is a habit /.../ and if it is quiet and I am supposed to read a
paper and when I am finish, then I could just as well text someone.
Instead of sitting there and not do shit, then I can text someone
instead - Boy 1, 16 y
Ideas of computers (laptops) according to the students
from the secondary school
SCHOOL FREE-TIME
Firefox (web browser), different games,
NeoOffice (open source office suit social net-works,
for Mac OS),
chats,
Google (search engine),
photo-applications and
Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) image processing programs,
3D programs ...
UNFREE-TIME
Had the same
type of usage
as free-time

14. Conclusions
Formal = school and Informal = leisure
- Do not seem to paint the whole picture
The quality of digital media is developed out of the
dialectic relation with the user/s
If you are to study young peoples use of digital
technologies one has to understand their perspective on
the different contexts.

15. UNFREE TIME
Creates a relation
between the two
Conclusions
Formal = school and Informal = leisure
- Do not seem to paint the whole picture
The quality of digital media is developed out of the
dialectic relation with the user/s
If you are to study young peoples use of digital
technologies one has to understand their perspective on
the different contexts.

16. Thank you for listening!
I’d like to end with a question:
How can school engage students, to participate in a way
that feels meaningful to them?