Feedback received from: Richard Sanders Judith Evans Vanessa Hughes Liz Miller Claire Pollard and Dina

Akeel 1. Do I need to include more historical information on the evolution of the mobile phone? Does the audience need this context to connect with the video?
Richard. On this one, I think you have the balance right. The historical context is not the main focus of what you are doing, but does play a role in setting up what you are talking about. It provides a nice contextualisation that will allow this artefact to speak more effectively to its audience. Jude. I think there was a good amount (I would argue the right amount). It made perfect sense as it was and I don't see how you could give/reinforce the same messages if you took any of it out. Vanessa. I think there may be too much historical context, however it would be useful to see more of the convergence aspect you know, how mobiles have developed from just a phone to what we have today? Liz. I think you need some historical information on the mobile phone, but maybe you could cut this section down a little. The most relevant information really is the growth in use of the smart phone and convergence culture. You couldn't do anything that creative with a mobile phone until relatively recently. Claire. I do think it's a little long - it's 2.5 mins before you get to your questions. I wonder if you could restructure it so that you introduce the questions and then go back and explain the context. I think it's useful though as students don't necessarily have a sense of the developments in technology (as we well know) and the images of mobiles phones changing size over time and the old man holding a massive phone is hilarious. Definitely something students would enjoy. You could create more impact as well by having the cost of the phone come up as you say it (you leave a nice dramatic pause before hand) maybe with a bigger font and a kerrr-ching sound too.

2. Are there any parts which are too long or need more time?
Richard. I think what you have produced is balanced well and keeps you engaged throughout. The one aspect that felt as though was a bit of long pause was when some of the quotes were on the screen When thinking about it, I would put this down to the fact that you have an excellent narration voice and I missed it when you went silent on certain slides Jude I don't think so personally! Vanessa I would like to see more of the experiment that you did in class I found this fascinating, particularly your students opinions on how dependent they are on these devices. Liz The most interesting part for your project is your own original research, so that's the part that needs the emphasis. But if you cut down the beginning a little, it will give that more prominence. Claire Hmmmm. No. It is quite long. The bits with the students are the most interesting and it takes a long time before you get there. I realise that you are presenting things in the chronological order in which you carried them out (i mean the research) but i wonder whether that's entirely necessary.

3. What about the examples of mobile video festivals, mobile news footage, mock mobile viral adverts? Are these helpful in establishing the use of mobile footage today?
Richard Yes, and I think you do need to keep this fairly focused on a few things. There are so many different ways that can be considered as a creative use of mobile technology and you need to situate it in the things you are primarily concerned with in your work. Jude I really liked the way you had shown the examples. I thought the one about the school girl giving birth and it being videoed was particularly powerful and thought provoking. If I was using it in a class I think I would pause it there and have a good discussion around the use of mobile phones for things like that. Vanessa I think the mobile footage is crucial in explaining how widespread these devices are and how they have changed reception of news and advertising almost without us realising. Liz Yes, I liked the way you has added this and it was useful in terms of showing how creative content can be. Claire

Absolutely - the chimp thing was alarming. The nhs video was also really chilling (seriously, i got cold) but it was contextulaised as i had enough time to read the headline which summed it up well. I was less sure about how that bit linked with the rest- which seemed to be about students mobile phone usage. I realise they simulated mobile phone usage but i don't see that it adds much in terms of answering your key questions. Maybe the point is that "uncreative" video is deemed to be the thing most people use mobile phones for - they document rather than create.

4. Do you understand the critical theory well enough from the quotes and examples given? Would this work as a platform to introduce these ideas to students if this video was for educational purposes?
Richard I think the theory aspects are clear and easy to understand, but would question the portrayal of Jenkins. In convergence culture, he actually questions technological convergence and refers to it as the black box fallacy, as he does not believe that everyone will use one device for everything. The definition that you provide before this Convergence: The flow of content across multiple media platforms is more related to what Jenkins thinks, as he sees convergence culture as the bringing together of this information in peoples minds (rather than in a black box.). Creative practice is then potentially born out of this bringing together of information, in the form of participatory culture, collective intelligence, etc I think bringing this in could help to enrich what comes afterwards especially when you try to get them to do something creative with the devices is it a question of this new culture as not actually being engaged with in the minds of the kids? Jenkins does have something to say about this, as he does mention that this culture is not evenly in place across society. Jude I have a bit of prior knowledge, but I learned a lot just from watching the video. The whole idea of the 'native' was interesting and is something that could inspire a lot of discussion. It was definitely a good way to introduce the subject. Vanessa Yes! I think this would be really useful in introducing the concept of convergence to my A level students. It could be used as a platform to discuss how they and other people make practical use of converged technology. Liz Yes, the critical theory was well explained and signposted. It is included in an accessible style for the student audience. Claire Yes. I understood it. Would students???? I think in a video when things are moving quickly it can be hard to take it in. I wonder whether you could allow them to read the quotes and then in the vo sum it up (so basically)... Maybe you do that quite well already.

5.What is your view on the task? Was what they created in the task, in your eyes, creative? Is the fact that they made it, they created it- creative? Or does the reflection and explanation of what they did make it a creative practice?
Richard I dont think what they created was especially creative. They have used some of the tools that can lead to a creative output, but they have not really thought past recording something. I think with mobile phones, creative for me could come more from mixing together more than one application that resides on the phone (e.g. creating a video with an augmented reality app, and then using an online editing app to collaboratively put this together which then produces something a little bit different.) Obviously, this is my own interpretation of what creativity could mean in this situation! Jude I thought you turned it round really effectively. From claiming that the experiment "didn't work" to finding something to interpret from it was brilliant. I think that the tasks were as 'creative' as teenagers get when they're asked to do something. I think that they are truly creative when they think that no one is looking/judging/ assessing. And if you asked them to look at something else they had filmed on their phone, when they hadn't been told what to do, I think it would be more free and more representative of their true self. Vanessa I loved the task (and may even steal it to conduct something similar in some of my sessions). I thought your students were really creative, maybe not with converged technologies but certainly with their ideas and thought processes which they then demonstrated through the use of mobiles fabulous! Liz I shared your feeling that their attempts to be creative were quite disappointing. Do you think you would have got some more interesting results if they had done these projects at home? Perhaps they needed more constraints to make them think creatively - just an open brief to "be creative" can be quite paralysing! No. It's documenting and showing off. I think with phone videos they are so used to messing about while their mates film -and they are so aware of audience- that they are not creative or even authentic. Does the reflection and explanation of what they did make it a creative practice? No - they are just good at justifying. None of them did anything in that task that they haven't done a million times. Hasina and the other girls ...those video were like a nokia advert or something.

Claire

What about the variables of this particular focus group? Inner city working class, many from second generation immigrant groups. Is that a factor into how they may use technology and how creative they are as individuals? Does class and culture restrict or limit creativity?
Richard I think the social aspect here does have a role to play coming from a more disadvantaged culture or class means they potentially have less cultural capital and a more restricted access to technology (or learning how to use it in settings at home/personal life). I think the above poses some very interesting questions when you try to relate this back to Prenskys views as they dont quite tally! Jude I don't think class and race would particularly be a factor. I think that, in a secondary school setting, it is usually the case that you like who you like regardless of those things (or maybe that's a regional thing)

Vannesa If I use my students (typically middle-class) as a yard stick, I can see them producing very similar material. I dont think class or culture restricts creativity it may be expressed differently but I suppose it depends on what you consider creative, which I found very interestingly discussed throughout your artefact. Liz Analysing the type of students involved would mean a much bigger study, but I'm guessing that generally "creative" and "artistic" professions are not valued particularly highly among this cohort? Claire I think behaviours are learned and if their parents don't use technologies creatively, young people won't. Which stomps all over technological determinism because i genuinely think that society and human interaction are way more powerful than technology. Or even just opportunity. Just because something good is available, doesn't mean people will take it. Also our school culture is to hammer our creativity.

Next Step: 6. Will the next task Pocket the Moment, (a homework they were set to capture anything spontaneously), be different because it embraces the idea of immediacy? An idea which they have demonstrated as the main use of their mobile videos. Perhaps allowing them to make something funny, as this seems to be central to what they create, will encourage a creation, which they want to share. And the theory suggests that is one of the ideas behind creativity. Richard I think if you can connect a task to a more self-motivational aspect of something they enjoy doing, this will indeed produce better results. However, will the outputted results still be limited in some way by their background and experiences? Will be interesting to see what happens! Jude I think it will be different but I wonder if it is really possible to set a task that asks them to capture something spontaneously, or will the very fact that they know they have to do it take away any spontaneity? Sharing is the key to this I think. It was what I discovered through my research. You may find, something created outside of the classroom is a little more illuminating. Liz That sounds promising, and I hope they come up with some interesting and "creative" ideas. Claire I doubt it. I reckon you'll get pics like that youtube video. But the social interaction and the jokes themselves might be creative, their style of capturing and presenting it won't.

Vanessa

Dina The part( 1:01 min ) maybe you can add another image of Martin Cooper, because you used the same image before . - The part ( 1:34 min ) you start to talk about satellite signals, it would be nice if you change he image to show that. - Ofcom results, if you presented it in a pie chart will make it more clear, effective, and easy to remember. - The part (2:27-2:38 min ) Mark prensky, can you add his voice over. -The part( 2:58 min ) the activities on smartphones, I got a bit lost, it has allot of information, I can see the mouse movement, but it took me a while to read and get the info that you want to focus on. If you can highlight the row with a colour it will help a viewer to focus on it. -The part (3:07 3:12 min ) the 3 names seemed a bit wierd, I dont know what do I get from them. - The part (3:13 min ) viewing all these facts are really interesting and impressive, and shows the effectiveness of what you are saying about mobile footage. - maybe you can cancel the part ( 3:37- 3:42 min ) -The part (4:47- 5:05 min ) you can present the figures in a schedule or a chart, that they appear while you talk. -The part (5:16 min ) you can create your own slide , of creative practice, by adding it to any image. -The part ( 5:49- 5:56 min ) you can cancel that part because its not clear and you added allot of stuff after. -The quote after, you didnt mention who said it _ I liked that you showed your students work even when you thought that it is a bit disappointing, but shows that they still can use their phones creatively. - I loved the 2 examples you presented to show how students used their phones to document life moments. -The slide of the criteria you set to your students you can show it as points written on chalkboard. -The conclusion is nice but maybe you can add something to it to make it clear to the viewer that it reached to an end Wish you all the best luck