Integrating Technology into Community Youth Research
Description:
Increasingly youth development programs are exploring how to integrate technology into their activities. In this issue brief, researchers from SRI International describe a joint project with the Gardner Center aimed at using technology to give youth more active roles in data collection and analysis. This work draws on a collaborative partnership that explored how new technology might be introduced to support the community youth research process of the Youth Engaged in Leadership and Learning project. The issue brief begins by describing early decisions about how to best structure technology experiences for youth. Next, the researchers discuss some of the technology-supported activities in greater detail and some of the challenges faced in this work. Last, they consider some implications for designing technology learning experiences with and for youth. This work illustrates what programs can expect as they begin to explore how technology might help youth develop research skills and support the design of influential presentations of findings to the community.
Suggested Citation:
Penuel, W.R., Gray, J.H., and Kim, D. (2004). Integrating technology into community youth research. Stanford, CA: John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities.