When creating content in a digital media class, students often are their harshest critics. They can be brutal. This is why it is important for you to learn how to create a healthy student culture in your digital media class.

Digital media education allows educators to foster a system that enables students to receive constructive feedback and thrive. 

Robb Goff and Shanda Hall are both expert educators who have built thriving digital media education at their respective schools. 

Steps to Building a Healthy Student Culture  

Creating a healthy culture of constructive feedback within your digital media class is one of the most beneficial things educators can do for their students. 

Shanda Hall, who is a veteran digital media educator, taught her students to use certain questions and phrases when giving constructive feedback on classmates’ projects:

• “Can you tell me why you’ve chosen this audio or video?”
• “If you were to do this project again, what would you do differently?”
• “What are two things that you think you did well?”
• “Next time you might want to consider…”
• “Did you think about…?”
• “What was your reasoning behind this?”

Another excellent way to foster a healthy culture in your digital media class is by reassuring your students that it’s okay if it is not perfect. 

Students are comparing all of the content that they see on social media. They are critical of their own work and want it to be on that level. 

Robb Goff explains how important it is for students to realize that it takes time to become good at creating content for others.

“You are brand new to content creation. It’s going to take time and growth before you are on the same level as the creators that you see on TikTok and Youtube.”

Establishing a healthy culture and system of feedback is something that won’t happen overnight. Remind your students that their project isn’t about the grade but their growth and improvement.

Importance of Collaboration 

Whether it is students reviewing the work of their peers, or teachers asking for ideas for #digitalmediaEDU lesson plans—you can’t receive feedback without collaboration from others. 

Educators need to collaborate with other educators in every aspect of digital media education. By joining the Striv Education Network you will have access to a curriculum that was designed by teachers, as well as having an entire community of digital media educators to collaborate with.

We want to help teachers fit this curriculum to each teacher’s needs. If you want to focus more on graphics and less on audio and video, we can help make the lessons focus on graphics. We will tailor the curriculum to your equipment and teaching strengths, and build from there.

If you are interested in learning more about Striv Education and our curriculum click here.