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This paper explores the combination of formal and informal learning coupled with locative media principles; we research the potential of this specific type of media to reinforce and expand learning goals out-of-class time, equipping students with lifelong learning attitudes. We report on the findings from and observations on how a class of undergraduate students used locative media for the first time to learn about the effects of spatial segregation in a specific underserved area of Austin, Texas, usa. Students were asked to visit several locations and produce multimedia stories with a focus on the local history. Results from the study show that using locative media is highly efficient for learning purposes. Students get to experience the content learned in the classroom in a physical setting, which fosters ‘situated learning’, a theory we used as theoretical framework. Our findings also suggest that rather than local history or history in general, current societal issues with a strong spatial component are more effective in engaging students with the assignment off the classroom. Hence, segregation and gentrification were found in this study to be useful subjects to be explored and taught through the principles of locative media.

This study explores how US Latina girls, in Central Texas, may develop a stronger sense of place and belonging through the grasping and crafting of locative literature. This work presents the results of a field study, in which training about locative narratives and locative media was provided during two different occasions. Firstly, a four-day workshop was conducted within the context of a summer camp with girls organized by a non-profit organization called Latinitas, based in Austin, Texas, USA. Secondly, the training was provided within the context of an after-school program, in a middle school, given also by Latinitas, to girls age ranging from 11 to 13, during five lessons spanning over five weeks. We found that the process of creating narratives rooted in the concept of place helped the participants to reflect on the location where they live, their locality, and their identity.