The Difference is Digital? Digital Technology and Student Media Production

a variety of philosophies and motivations, ranging from creative ’self expression’ through to technical and vocational training. Within formal Media Studies courses, student production has often been perceived as merely an adjunct to (or an illustration of) the theory; although most teachers would now recognise it as an indispensable aspect of the subject. Meanwhile, both in schools and in informal settings, media production has also been seen as a valuable means of developing young people’s social and communication skills. In practice, most media production courses are based on a combination of these different rationales albeit often an uneasy and contradictory one.2 2