Midterm Assignment: Changing and exploring education

Boundaries of Learning: From Church Dance to Anime Communities

In today's world learning doesn't fit neatly inside classrooms. We have so much now like technology, WIFI, and overall new dominant culture. So the boundary between formal and informal education has been reshaped by participatory cultures and digital networks and other online networks. I explored two very different learning communities a church dance ministry and the global anime community. At first glance they seem unrelated as is one rooted in faith and the other in fandom and media. Even though they are different at first glance they both reveal how people learn through participation, mentorship, and shared passion. It is what is at its core with these two in the way that they learn. They show how education can be as well, not just a classroom but more like a community built on creativity, connection, and belonging.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The dance ministry that Neftali is a part has nothing to do with traditional education but it still has the qualities of learning, feedback and peer to peer learning. In this community the members learn choreography, coordination, and expression through watching then repetition the steps which then leads to feedback for anyone in an inclusive way. There's no formal teacher or syllabus like Neftali said but there are members who naturally take on mentoring roles who guiding newer members and give good feedback. Not only is this an example of participatory culture but we can relate this to week 4 and what I learned about having a flipped classroom. What Neftali also said to me is that some already have background in dance so they look at videos on there own time at home so they can share what the learned. This is what was talked about in "The Flipped classroom study: A survey of Research" by as they say "We define the flipped classroom as an educational technique that consists of two parts: interactive group learning activities inside the classroom, and direct computer-based individual instruction outside the classroom" (Bishop 5). Learning and videos are done outside and then practiced together in a group where there is still the leadership, but everyone has more of a say in what is going on so everyone can learn.

What stood out most in Neftali's interview was how feedback and repetition function as learning mechanisms. The members rely on dialogue and demonstration that way the feedback is collaborative and helps learners see mistakes as a way to grow. This way no one is being put down or feeling left out. Neftali said how emotions and faith play a key role as the group's sense of shared purpose and spiritual motivation creates a safe environment. This goes back to the core idea of participatory culture and the definition I gave inspired by Henry Jenkins. It means having a low barrier to entry, this way anyone can join. This allows for learning to happen in a safe environment.

Participatory Culture 

Shifting topics I found similar patterns of participatory learning in digital media. Otaku culture began in Japan but has expanded globally now having millions of fans whole watch anime and create and share their own content. As Henry Jenkins in "Confronting the challenges of Participatory Culture" (2009) argues that this is what participatory culture is at its core. These environments have low barriers to participation, strong peer-to-peer learning, and shared social norms that value creativity and contribution over credentials (Jenkins 9).

In the anime community learning is interest-driven and collaborative. Fans learn Japanese to understand dialogue and others make digital art. This learning happens informally through YouTube tutorials, Discord groups, Reddit forums, or feedback in online art spaces. This learning connects personal interest, relationships, and opportunities for growth. Which is what the professor has been talking about and what I pointed in the interview with Neftali and the anime community. Having motivation and something you're passionate about creates that hunger for learning as opposed to something you don't care for like a traditional school topic. So for many fans anime communities make them feel included and safe. This makes learning more happy and self-directed than traditional schooling would ever allow. As each member contributes expertise in small ways like drawing techniques to cultural analysis.

Offline and Online Learning as Mirrors

Neftali's dance group and the anime fandom operate in very different spaces but share several deep ideas that show how learning is changing. Both are participatory in the sense that they thrive on collaboration, mentorship, and shared purpose. In the dance group the older members like Neftali mentor people through physical modeling and repetition. In the anime community the experienced fans mentor others through tutorials, translation, or critique threads. Neither one has a authority where its one person has all the say and is above everyone.

Both are also emotionally connected as Neftali said how faith and friendship create a supportive learning atmosphere. Then we have anime communities that provide belonging for people who feel marginalized elsewhere. This shared identity creates the intrinsic motivation that makes learning deep and lasting as again everyone feels like the belong and for the most part get along.

Then both communities are transmedia learning ecosystems. Transmedia Dance is defined by jenkins as "The ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities" (Jenkins 2009 p.14). This means that learners combine physical, auditory, and visual cues to improve. Then we have the anime fans who watch shows, read manga, discuss online, and create fan work. This transmedia navigation is now being an important skill to learn as we now live in the tech world where technology dominates our learning and communication. In all these ideas we see that learning becomes very personal and expressive to show what you like and what you believe.

Blurring the Boundaries of Learning

Both of these seemingly unrelated topics make us think of what the relationship between the student and learner should be. This model contrasts with the traditional schooling we all grew up with where teachers instruct and students absorb. The Horizon Report (2023) says that the future of education will continue moving toward more learner-centered models. The report says it clear as day as it says "the very concepts of course location and mode are expanding" (EDUCAUSE, 2023, p. 24). The examples of the dance ministry and anime fandom show what this future could look like. Instead of top-down instruction maybe learning communities will form around shared passions. Where creativity will replace standardized tests and more participation is encouraged. What the article correctly points out, online classes really are the leaders in education change. Every online class I have taken is different where each teacher has it set up. Here in Professors Vu's, I would say has been the most interactive where some of the things we learn are stuff we practice.

These participatory cultures really made me wonder what the future could look like. If people are already learning complex ideas through fandom, ministry, or gaming. Then what role should schools play? There is still a lot of research I can learn and there is definitely more research that can be done as a whole. One way we can see it clearly would be if schools invite students to bring their fandom, faith, or creative practices into the classroom. As that would treat them as legitimate learning experiences rather than distractions. As this would create a more open environment where people connect, not just a place where people are forced to go.

Conclusion

Now after having learned more about these two communities I see how learning in the future will depend less on institutions and more on relationships. Offline communities like Neftali's dance group teach through, faith and mentorship. Online spaces like anime fandoms teach through creativity, and digital literacy. When we now take a step back and see how these two are connected we see the bigger picture. Learners are not just passive learners but active participants in their own learning which is something that we have been focusing in this course. Whether on a church stage or in an anime forum these people are learning how to express identity and build community. At the end of the day that is what education is about and what we should be striving for all the time.