Dimension 2.1
Remix as a creative act
Belshaw (2011) contends that in digital environments, creativity is a necessary component of literacy, and proposes reproduction and remix as creative acts. This is echoed by Hoechsmann (2019) who suggests that the “spark of originality, creativity and ‘authorship’ lies in the yoking together of already existing elements, often with some further innovation or addition” (p. 95). Collier (2018) adds the notion of ‘relocalization’ to creative and productive practice where local contexts and ecologies become spaces for remix to occur. Belshaw posits that creativity in digital literacies is “about doing new things in new ways. It is about using technologies to perform tasks and achieve things that were previously either impossible or out-of-reach of the average person” (Belshaw, 2011, p. 212). From the findings, one example that specifically points to this remix creativity in action is the story of Aquila’s student who created a pair of moccasins for their coursework and posted the experience of this production to the course blog site (link withheld to protect anonymity). An additional example is Carina's work with TCs and students in local schools to remix within coding and computational thinking opportunities in a special project to design and program a robot to navigate on the moon.In the dimensions of digital literacy outlined by Martinez-Bravo (2022) et al., the cognitive dimension includes the element of creativity under the “cognitive processes of analysis, comparison, inference, interpretation, evaluation, creativity, and production” (p. 6). This includes the production of creative artifacts using digital tools for the purpose of meaningful learning and knowledge building (Martinez-Bravo et al., 2022). From the findings, I notice how the participants’ lived experiences with course design, particularly during the pandemic, showcases the creative engagement with students through collaborative and creative remixing of learning activities using a variety of digital tools and strategies (see Appendix G).