Design fiction as a critical inquiry method in media education: first findings of an exploratory research project

Wuyckens, Géraldine [UCL]

This paper suggests a new application of design fiction in media education to engage pupils in critical reflection and evaluation of digital media and technologies. Design "fiction refers to a design practice that uses narrative structures to explore possible futures for technologies and questions people about the impact of new technologies on everyday life. Thee purpose of design fiction is to materialize possible scenarios by creating diegetic prototypes and then debate them. Diegetic prototypes refer to objects and services that only exist in a story world, the world of the diegesis. As a result of recent technological changes, media education is looking for new methods for understanding the media environment. In this context, design fiction offers a new way to re-think our relationship with technologies through the production of diegetic prototypes. I propose considering design fiction as a critical inquiry method which enables pupils to ask relevant questions about digital media and technology with the objective of developing their critical thinking. Based on the findings of a scientific observation of two pilot projects in primary and secondary schools, this paper presents a preliminary version of a critical inquiry method using design fiction at school as well as a method to assess pupils’ critical inquiry competence. The critical inquiry method takes the form of an educational program divided into several sessions in which pupils are invited, among other things, to create a diegetic prototype, contextualise it in a near future and discuss the consequences of its implementation in the imagined future society.