Resources

Merlin John

When young people's web service TrueTube picked up a BETT 2009 Award for Secondary Digital Content in January it was a coming of age for a service that had first come to the attention of educators in 2008 when it won the Education Resources Award for Innovation at The Education Show. But the public face of this service for the 15-22 age range is just the tip of an iceberg which now attracts around 1 million website hits a month.

And the innovation continues. TrueTube is now poised to create a ‘younger’ version of its site for primary-aged learners, and to extend its brand to international audiences through ‘franchised TrueTubes’ run by partners in France, Spain, China and the United States. Then there's the mobile, hands-on, community service that will shortly be delivered by van to anywhere in the UK where young people congregate and are not easily connected to broadband internet services.

TrueVent will link young people with journalists, academics and decision makers to take debate to the stage of precipitating action. And finally there's the work already underway for TrueGames, exploiting gaming technology and its natural support for role-playing and modelling ‘What if...?’ approaches to the issues at the heart of TrueTube.

Innovation was integral right from the start when TrueTube, with its accent on ‘true’, started to raise social, political and ethical issues important to young people for online debate, unafraid of controversial topics while deftly avoiding the sidetrack of controversy. It started with simple ‘for’ and ‘against’ videos to generate online debate, before the team and its freelance collaborators - with an average age of 25 - began to reflect the complexity required with a wider number and range of videos. Animation techniques were instituted and developed for those drier, more challenging subjects where traditional video interview techniques were less effective.

An editorial board of young people helps decide on the issues to be spotlighted, and they are introduced every fortnight. There are no restrictions on topics, as a quick glance at the site shows. A recent focus on ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders), for example, featured at least six video contributions covering a variety of viewpoints. Unlike the now ubiquitous YouTube, TrueTube is fully editorialised and ‘safe’, in the sense that around 85% of the video materials are commissioned, and all other contributions are pre-moderated.

Editor-in-chief Erik van der Schaft makes no apologies. "The massive expectations around YouTube are proving to be wrong," he says. "Every minute 13 hours of video gets uploaded and the pearls are overwhelmed by the rubbish that's on there with them. We've gone the opposite route and editorialise and moderate everything, moving away from Facebook and Bebo models for social networking.

Ammunition for debates that can be conducted anywhere

“We ask our viewers what they want and then people come to us for their ammunition, to find their core content to use in debates elsewhere - to use on blogs or their own social networking group, to embed it or download it. For example, a strand we did on 'Feminism 3.0' – about a generation gap in feminism - was picked up and debated on a feminist website. We are perfectly happy that the debate happened elsewhere because we don't want to monopolise people's time. We see ourselves as a catalyst rather than a social networking site. We seed the debate and it moves on into the wider world."

That's exactly how a lot of TrueTube material is used - for debates that happen elsewhere. The material can be streamed directly into a browser window but it can also be downloaded, a much better option for teachers and learners working in school environments which might be restricted by over-zealous firewalls or hampered by 'narrowband'. And the service has been complimented by teachers who have used video debates to stimulate learners who had hitherto not contributed to classroom discussions. "We've heard that from a number of teachers and we find it very gratifying," says Erik. “That’s something to be proud of.”

The great thing about using archive media, adds Erik, is that it’s an equaliser, a democratiser: “It makes it easier for everyone to participate, and by not shying away from some pretty hardcore issues it gives young people the self-confidence to speak up.”

Ironically, TrueTube has found it difficult to work directly with schools - not for want of trying on both sides but more down to the demands that schools place on their teachers and learners. And while Erik is all too aware of the importance of student voice, he feels that it is the exception rather than the rule in schools, which makes his service all the more valuable for them.

The surprise comes with a question on where all the innovation comes from, and it becomes clear that the TrueTube people do not think of themselves first and foremost as innovators. In fact Erik almost bridles at the question: “Innovation for innovation’s sake is just not interesting. All we are interested in is creating maximum impact among young people. To that end we will do whatever works. We are quite pragmatic. Innovation is a means to an end, although it does go down well with young people.”

“Necessity, who is the mother of invention”, that adage about innovation that goes all the way back to Plato’s Republic, comes to mind. And it’s linked to something at the heart of all media - for an effective message you have to have something to say. It’s evident in the myth of ‘user-generated’ content which has tantalised traditional publishers who have moved to the web. Only 15% of current material on TrueTube is not commissioned, although staff would like it to be higher. The simple truth is that having something to say, while simultaneously having the required skills to express it well via video, is still comparatively rare.

That’s why the organisation was quick to commission an innovative company called Forbidden to produce a user-friendly version of its online video editing suite for users. The resulting version of CLESH (clip, load, edit, share) is a valuable set of video tools for learners in and out of school to develop their editing skills and produce clips to contribute to TrueTube.

They can construct new material from the copyright-free clips and music already on the site, or they can import their own. All final contributions are vetted.

TrueTube for primary schools

CLESH, however, was just a start. TrueTube Primary is the working title for a planned new service. “Primary schools are in dire need of video materials, even more so than secondary,” says Erik. “It’s much harder to find age appropriate materials for 10-11 year-olds in the YouTube area than it is for 15-16 year-olds.” And primary schools tend to have better access to the required technical facilities and more flexibility in the curriculum. He feels that the same overall principles are relevant but a different voice and means of address are required.

TrueTube international

International sister sites are also now on the cards for TrueTube. Negotiations with organisations in a number of countries are already underway. Erik anticipates that they will work on a franchise model with each site keeping to the original model, except with local priorities and in the native language: “These are people who came to us saying, ‘We don’t have anything like this. Can we work together instead of reinventing the wheel?’” Interest has also been expressed in using in TrueTube - with its wealth of interviews with young people - as a resource for English as a second language.

TrueVan brings mobility and ‘off-net’ reach

Another new development is TrueVan, to reach the parts where new media and broadband are still rare. The van and its specially trained crew will visit schools, shopping malls, festivals - anywhere where young people congregate. It will have its own photo/video booth, complete with backgrounds and green-screen technology for instant media gratification. Interviews can be recorded and uploaded in an instant, and the van can also be used for more ambitious video creation, editing and online work.

TrueVent for social action

Young people and decision makers rarely get together and TrueTube hopes to change that later this year with TrueVent. Journalists, academics and decision makers will be brought together with young people to work together and then make decisions. They will have to decide what ‘Britain 2.0’ should be “for our young people to feel comfortable and be ready to take over”. They will make decisions after discussing issues like ‘democracy and devolution’, ‘community and identity’ and ‘liberty and security’. The next day they will return to their home communities to instigate action among local media and decision makers.

TrueGames

The online platform is already in place, so development of gaming technology to support exploration of social issues is another logical next step. Erik has already had experience of this in the Netherlands where he helped develop a game in which young people could play at being prime minister. A complex set of decisions and consequences quickly showed them that virtual reality could also be challenging. A first game is being developed and TrueTube hopes to make game-playing an integral feature.

Although working at full capacity, TrueTube welcomes enquiries from educators and schools for joint endeavours and topics. While it has made a dynamic impact in its two years of existence, its new initiatives indicate a step change to take its service wider and deeper. One thing is sure – that its ethics and commitment to young people will remain the same. As the website says, “TrueTube doesn’t judge, we don’t take sides and we certainly don’t think we have THE answers. We just want to give you food for thought.”

TrueTube is a project of CTVC, a registered charity involved in the production of ethical programming for UK and international broadcasters. CTVC and TrueTube are funded by the Rank Foundation. Both organisations are based at 9-10 Copper Row, Tower Bridge Piazza, London SE1 2LH.

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