Peer Pedagogies On Digit, Dezuanni, Michael

Every day millions of children around the world watch video gameplay on YouTube in the form of a popular entertainment genre known as Lets Play videos. These videos, which present a players gameplay and commentary, offer children opportunities for interaction and learning not available in traditional television viewing or solo video gameplay. In this book, Michael Dezuanni examines why Lets Play videos are so appealing to children, looking in particular at videos of Minecraft gameplay. He finds that a significant aspect of the popularity of these videos is the opportunity for knowledge and skill exchange.

Focusing on Lets Play practices, the videos themselves, and fans responses, Dezuanni argues that learning takes place through what he terms peer pedagogy--a type of nonhierarchical learning that is grounded in the personal relationships fans and players feel toward one another. Moreover, the Lets Play platform is part of a larger digital ecosystem that enables children to learn from one another in unique ways. Dezuanni explores how Lets Players enable learning opportunities, examining digital literacies, the Lets Play genre, and peer pedagogies. He then presents case studies of three successful family-friendly Lets Players of Minecraft: Stampylonghead, StacyPlays, and KarinaOMG, microcelebrities in a microindustry. Dezuanni analyzes the specific practices and characteristics of these players, paying particular attention to how they create opportunities for peer pedagogies to emerge.