Augmented Reality & Jenkin’s Literacies
Jenkins (2008) presented a list of literacies that “constitute the core cultural competencies and social skills that young people need [or obtain] in our new media landscape” (Jenkins, 2008). Many of these literacies, two of which in particular, can be seen demonstrated when using the AR apps listed above, as well as ones similar. These new media literacies When analyzing the “try it before you buy it” style AR apps such as IkeaPlace and InkHunter, Jenkins (2008) literacies “Play” and “Distributed Cognition” are most useful in understanding how and why they are utilized. Distributed Cognition, described by Jenkins (2008) as, “the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities” is prevalent within these apps as they allow users to generate knowledge that would have previously been unknown prior to use. For example, one can guess how a certain piece of furniture will look in their home, but often are let down when the furniture arrives and does not “fit in” how they expected. Now, with AR apps like IkeaPlace, the potential buyer can virtually place the furniture in their homes without the commitment of purchasing it, and with true-to-scale AR technology, can see exactly how it will not only look but fit, inside their home. This sense of knowledge is unprecedented and displays the emerging literacy of distributed cognition described by Jenkins (2008). The literacy of play, which is often used as a means to problem-solve by experimenting with one's surroundings (Jenkins, 2008), is also very prominent when it comes to AR apps, specifically InkHunter and AR Dragon, as these apps embrace the value of play immensely; allowing users to toy with new technology, use it to problem-solve, have fun, and ultimately gain a better understanding of how things work. Because the stakes of failure are low or non-existent when it comes to playing, playing grants users the chance to rehearse and acquire core skills and knowledge they may have not acquired previously. When analyzing play through the lens of the InkHunter app, one can clearly see how problems can be solved through experimentation. Rather than permanently tattooing an idea into one’s body, by simply playing around and experimenting with the app, the user can turn this idea into (augmented) reality, allowing them to view how the tattoo will look before making it permanent. These literacies can go far beyond apps and new technology as implementing them correctly into everyday institutions, such as education, can have beneficial effects for current students and digital natives (Prensky, 2001) who are often punished for their use of these skills. As stated by Jenkins (2008), “...schools, afterschool programs, and parents have distinctive roles to play as they do what they can in their own spaces to encourage and nurture these skills.” As a digital native myself I am familiar and would consider myself to excel in most of these literacies/skills presented by Jenkins (2008), however, through the use of these apps I was able to gain a better understanding of how these skills apply to various aspects of our lives, and how they are intertwined with almost everything we do.
References:
Henry Jenkins. (2008, November 20). The New Media Literacies: An Introduction. Retrieved August 1, 2019, from http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2008/11/the_new_media_literacies_an_in.html
Prensky, M. (2001a). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5. RetrievedJuly 25, 2019,from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf