“Geovivència”: A participatory video to study geography in secondary school

Abstract

Our diagnosis of the current situation of teaching geography in Catalan secondary schools is not positive: students seem to show no interest in the subject because the approaches that teachers use do not convey the significance and utility of geography content. We think digital technologies can provide a valuable service to education by reversing this situation. Participatory videos, in particular, are an effective tool to convey abstract concepts of social studies, such as urban morphology, socio-spatial segregation, neighbourhood histories or their historical memory. In this article, we present a critical evaluation of an innovative educational experience carried out in our school that consisted in the creation of seven short films made collectively by third- and fourth-year compulsory secondary education students. The project has allowed us to enhance cross-curricular dynamics and increase students’ motivation and interest in geography.