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ETL501: A Reflection On Learning

ETL501: A Reflection On Learning

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In the first week of ETL501, we were asked to create a definition reflective of our emerging understanding of dynamic learning environments (Wilson, 2024, July 2). After all I have learned this semester, I would not change my answer. However, I now have a greater depth of understanding that underpins this definition. In this blog post, I unpack the key strategies I used to create a research guide and outline my understanding of the technological skill set necessary to be a teacher librarian in the 21st century.

 

A fundamental learning experience from this unit was the creation of a research guide for year five students on the Eureka Stockade. At the forefront of my mind when creating the guide was accessibility. WordPress (WordPress, n.d.) was chosen as the platform for the research guide as it contained an accessibility toolbar, which allows the user to adjust the font size and the contrast of the research guide. This decision was influenced by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (World Wide Web Consortium), in particular SC 1.4.4 and SC 1.4.3. Readability was also an important factor. For novice researchers, simplicity of language is key to ensuring students actually use and appreciate research guides (Puckett, 2015, p. 80). Given that the target audience for the research guide is year five students, the language used had to match their reading abilities. Using the Hemmingway Editor (.38 Long LLC, n.d.), I obtained feedback on the readability of the content I created and simplified the information to ensure that year five students could read and understand the task.

 

To evaluate the books and digital resources that I included in the guide I used Caulfield’s (n.d.) SIFT method, which is the same method the students are encouraged to use during the research task. Using this method myself made it easier to create prompts that encourage students to critically evaluate the resources themselves. As a classroom teacher, I used to undertake the task of evaluating resources on behalf of my students, which I reflected upon in Module 4.5 (Wilson, 2024, October 5). I now have the knowledge and the skills to scaffold my students in undertaking this important information literacy skill for themselves.

 

21st century teacher librarians need to possess the technical knowledge necessary to tailor online spaces, such as research guides, to meet the teaching and learning needs of their students. It is an expectation in the Australian Capital Territory that teacher librarians be able to maintain “a virtual learning commons accessible to everyone, at any place and on any device” (Australian Capital Territory, 2019, p. 2). As a future teacher librarian, I aim to create a curated collection of digital artefacts that provide targeted support in information literacy skill development. I have already begun this process in ETL501, with the creation of infographics (Wilson, 2024, September 5) and other digital artefacts embedded within my research guide.

 

This unit has also encouraged me to think critically about physical school library spaces I have worked in previously and apply theory to suggest improvements to these spaces (Wilson, 2024, July 16). As a future teacher librarian, I feel confident that the knowledge I have gained from this unit will allow me to create and maintain a dynamic school library space that is responsive to the ever-changing information landscape.

 

 

References

Australian Capital Territory. (2019). School Libraries: The Heart of 21st Century Learning. https://www.education.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1435435/School-Libraries-The-Heart-of-21st-Century-Learning.pdf

Caulfield, M. A. (n.d.). Check, Please! Starter Course. https://checkpleasecc.notion.site/Check-Please-Starter-Course-ae34d043575e42828dc2964437ea4eed

World Wide Web Consortium. (n.d.). Web Content Accessability Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

Puckett, J. (2015). Modern Pathfinders: Creating Better Research Guides. Association of College and Research Libraries.

Wilson, A. (2024, July 2). The Dynamic School Library: My Emerging Understanding. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2024/07/02/the-dynamic-school-library-emerging-understandings/

Wilson, A. (2024, September 5). Smart Searching Infographic. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2024/09/05/smart-searching-infographic/

Wilson, A. (2024, October 5). Teaching Information Literacy. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2024/10/05/teaching-information-literacy/

WordPress. (n.d.). WordPress. https://wordpress.org/

.38 Long LLC. (n.d.). Hemmingway Editor. https://hemingwayapp.com/

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Teaching Information Literacy

Teaching Information Literacy

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This blog post is a reflection on my experience with teaching information literacy. I identify the changes needed in my own teaching practice and the challenges I see facing the profession as a whole.

 

How is information literacy currently taught to students in your context?

Reflecting on my six years teaching Year 1 and Year 2, information literacy was barely touched upon. The only thing I can recall is teaching our students how to paraphrase information they had read on topics of interest when writing their own informative texts, but this was as far as we went on this topic. For these tasks I always sought out quality information sources myself and provided these to the students. Upon reflection, doing this was taking away the chance to model, guide, and support my students in how to select quality information sources.

 

What is needed to build upon current teaching approaches?

A clear continuum of what information literacy may look like at each stage. An example of this is Hossain’s (2020, p. 14) K-12 Academic Integrity Literacy (citation and referencing) continuum. The expectations listed in the ‘K-Grade 2’ column emphasise a need for teachers to explicitly model information literacy practices, such as verbally acknowledging the ownership of work. Linking back to the teaching of paraphrasing that I mentioned previously, I could further build upon this by clearly explaining why we paraphrase the information we have gained to develop an awareness of ownership within my students.

 

What do you see as the challenges for teaching information literacy in our complex and changing information ecosystem?

I see smartphones as a huge challenge when it comes to teaching information literacy. While the younger generation are often labelled as “digital natives”, evidence suggests that the digital literacy skills of this cohort vary considerably, and the technologies they choose to engage with are limited (Merga, 2018, p. 78). In 2023, it was estimated around 91 percent of 14- to 17-year-olds in Australia owned a smartphone (Maclean, 2024, para. 1). While smartphones appear to be the technology of choice for the current teenage cohort of students, the technology has drawbacks that impact the application of digital literacy skills. A smartphones screen size and capabilities do not facilitate the ability to critically assess content using strategies such as exploring multiple sources (Yarmey, 2023, p. 108). This limitation impacts a young persons ability to critically assess information sources that they may encounter when using their smartphones.

 

What might you consider to be potential ways to respond to these challenges?

Embedding instruction on how to select the right tools for information searching within our information literacy lessons. Also ensuring that the information literacy skills that are taught, particularly at the high school level, are transferable to mobile phone devices, as it is inevitable that this cohort of students will engaging with information sources using smartphones.

 

References:

Hossain, Z. (2020). Connecting policy to practice: How do literature, standards and guidelines inform our understanding of the role of school library professionals in cultivating an academic integrity culture? Synergy, 18(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/373

Maclean, J. (2024, September 9). 91 per cent of Australian teens have a phone – but many are not secure. CSU News. https://news.csu.edu.au/opinion/91-per-cent-of-australian-teens-have-a-phone-but-many-are-not-secure#:~:text=Most%20Australian%20teenagers%20have%20their,the%20interactions%20they%20might%20have.

Merga, M. K. (2018). Reading Engagement for Tweens and Teens: What Would Make Them Read More?. Bloomsbury Publishing

Yarmey, K. (2023). Changing the conversation: introducing information literacy to a generation of smartphone users. In Godwin, P. & Parker, J. (Eds.), Information Literacy beyond Library 2.0 (1st ed., pp. 103-110). Facet.

Smart Searching Infographic

Smart Searching Infographic

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In Module 4.2 of ETL501, we were encouraged to create a smart searching infographic that could be used to develop students’ search skills. I chose to adapt Caulfield’s (n.d.) SIFT method into an simple, eye-catching infographic. The SIFT method is comprised of four steps that aid in the evaluation of information sources that students may encounter. These steps are: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context. Further learning about the SIFT method can be gained through the Check Please! Starter Course.

The SIFT method

References:

Caulfield, M. A. (n.d.). Check, Please! Starter Course. https://checkpleasecc.notion.site/Check-Please-Starter-Course-ae34d043575e42828dc2964437ea4eed

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A participatory designing approach

A participatory designing approach

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At the onset of a school library’s build or refurbishment, it is crucial that the needs of the people who will be using the facilities are considered in the design. A participatory designing approach ensures that a space is not just aesthetically beautiful, but also works well for the end user by including them in the designing process (Hughes et al., 2019, p. 331). The most favourable time for the school community to have an impact on the design process is at the very beginning, as opportunities for the school community to influence the design process decline once professionals are engaged (Hughes, 2019, p. 10). There are many methods teacher librarians can use to give a voice to the teaching and learning community of a school to ensure the end product will be one that is functional, well used, and elicits a love of reading and learning. Examples of participatory design methods include surveys, charettes, and student design projects that can be embedded into units of work.

 

Site visits are a useful participatory design strategy that allows a teacher librarian to gain insights into design possibilities. During site visits, teacher librarians can speak directly to other teacher librarians, teachers, and students to gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses different design features posess and how they impact learning and teaching. The information gained from site visits can create a foundation upon which other participatory design methods can be built upon. Any photos, ideas, and anecdotes collected from the site visits could then be presented to the school community and used as a springboard for inspiration and guide an informed discussion around design possibilities.

 

One way in which I would keep school community members up to date on the school library redesign process would be through the creation of Prezi’s (n.d.), that could be distributed to the wider school community via different channels, such as email and the school social media accounts. Using the Prezi format would make the information accessible to everyone, from staff and parents, to our youngest students. Classroom teachers, particularly in the younger grades, could use the Prezi as a springboard for discussion with younger students.

 

References:

Hughes, H. (2019).  (Re)Designing the library through school community participation. Connections, 111. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-111/re-designing-the-library-through-school-community-participation/

Hughes, H., Bland, D., Willis, J., & Burns, R. E. (2015). A happy compromise: collaborative approaches to school library designing. The Australian Library Journal, 64(4), 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2015.1033380

Prezi. (n.d.). Prezi. https://prezi.com/

The dynamic school library: My emerging understanding

The dynamic school library: My emerging understanding

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Module 1 of ETL501 The Dynamic Information Environment has made it clear to me that a dynamic school library does not only exist within the space where the school’s books and resources are held. It is present in every classroom, with collaboration and co-teaching happening between the teacher librarian and classroom teachers. A dynamic school library is responsive to the learning needs of the students upon which it serves. It is ever evolving, keeping pace with the changing information environment around it.

 

A key takeaway I gained from this module are the approaches that I can utilise to help me create a dynamic school library in the future. The first approach, The 21st Century School Libraries Framework (Loh, 2018, p. 4), illustrates how a school library can evaluate access, space, and programming in order to fulfill the five key roles of a school library, being: reading, research, collaboration, studying, and doing (Loh, 2018, p.4).

The 21st Century School Libraries Framework (Loh, 2018, p.4)
The 21st Century School Libraries Framework (Loh, 2018, p.4)

The second approach is built upon the concept of embedded librarianship, where a teacher librarian embeds themselves alongside classroom teachers in the planning and teaching of curriculum content. Boyer (2015, p. 74) outlines that the level upon which a teacher librarian embeds themselves within the school learning framework exists on a continuum, aptly called The Embedded Continuum.

The Embedded Continuum (Boyer, 2015)
The Embedded Continuum (Boyer, 2015)

Below is a Y Chart categorising the main themes I have identified throughout module 1:

Y Chart: A dynamic school library
Y Chart: A dynamic school library

 

References:

Boyer, B. (2015). Designer Librarian: Embedded in K12 Online Learning. TechTrends, 59(3), 71-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-015-0855-9

 

Loh, C. E. (2018). Envisioning the school library of the future: A 21st century framework. Office of Education Research National Institute of Education. https://repository.nie.edu.sg/server/api/core/bitstreams/c3e6186c-3beb-419e-b602-b54c874963aa/content

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ETL533: A Reflection on Learning

ETL533: A Reflection on Learning

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Literature in Digital Environments (ETL355) has introduced me to new forms of literature that I had not experienced before and has helped me in reclassifying literature that I had engaged with in the past. Reflecting back on my initial understandings at the commencement of this unit, I had already been using digital literature sporadically within my classroom teaching, I just did not realise at the time. In my initial blog post, I mused as to whether the app Scratch Jr (DevTech Research Group & Scratch Foundation), which I had used with my students in the past, was a form of digital literature (Wilson, 2023-a, para. 3). With the information that I have now learned from this unit, I now recognise that the app itself is not digital literature, but it can be used as a platform to create digital literature. Although the primary focus of my lessons was technology and coding, I was inadvertently encouraging my students to create their own pieces of digital literature.

 

In Module 4.1, I shared my concerns around the use of social media as a platform to create digital literature (Wilson, 2023-d, para. 2). Research has shown that users engage with social media on a shallow level, with many sharing articles they have never read or voting in polls attached to articles they have not clicked on (Glenski et al., 2020, p. 40). Personally, I have witnessed this myself on Facebook with news articles containing deceptive headlines and when reading the attached comments, it is clear that many people did not actually read the article. Whilst an author creating a piece of Twitter fiction does not have the intention of spreading false information, users that come across these tweets may not have the engagement level needed to comprehend that what they are reading is fiction and therefore I still hold these concerns at the conclusion of the unit.

 

Creating my own digital story has been an educational and personally meaningful experience. I challenged myself by selecting a platform I had never used before to create my digital story. Through this process I have enhanced my digital technical skills by learning how to embed video, create hotspots within pictures and use programs, such as JuxtaposeJS (Knight Lab, n.d.) to enhance and engage readers with the story. The digital literature piece that I created is not only a valuable piece for use within the classroom, but it has also become a personally meaningful piece of digital literature for my family, serving to preserve our family history and will be treasured for many years to come.

 

The feedback that I received on my digital storytelling proposal encouraged me to think beyond the digital story itself to how I could use my digital story within the classroom. Two pieces of feedback suggested using my digital story as a proforma for students to create their own texts on their grandparents (Forfar, 2023; rachelerinives, 2023). The inclusion of prompts encouraging text-to-self connections throughout the story would give guidance on the kinds of interview questions students could ask an older person who is significant to them. Another piece of feedback encouraged me to consider the reading levels of the students accessing the text (lizfrench77, 2023). This feedback was acted upon through the inclusion of narration to support early-readers in accessing the text. The many different perspectives provided through the feedback on how the digital text could be used in the classroom was encouraging and demonstrates the versatility of the digital story that I have created.

 

As a current classroom teacher, my takeaway from this unit is that digital literature, when embedded authentically, has the power to enhance and support the student learning experience (Sukovic, 2014, p. 206). In Module 2.3 I identified that I could begin to adapt my current pedagogy by embedding quality digital literature in to my guided reading lessons (Wilson, 2023-c, para 1). This small but meaningful step will just be a starting point from which I can further embed digital literature in authentic ways to develop my students’ digital literacy skills and enhance curriculum content.

 

As a future teacher librarian, I hope to cultivate a digital literature collection that goes beyond eBooks. In Module 1.2, I identified three main points when it comes to selecting quality digital literature for a school library (Wilson-b, 2023, para. 1-4). This knowledge, coupled with the experience of critically evaluating three pieces of digital literature in the first assessment, has equipped me to be able to critically evaluate digital literature for the inclusion in my future school library.

 

References

DevTech Research Group & Scratch Foundation. (n.d.) Scratch Jr. https://www.scratchjr.org/

 

Forfar, L. (2023, September 17). Hello Amanda [Comment on blog post “Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal”]. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2023/08/27/digital-storytelling-topic-proposal/#comment-15

 

Glenski, M., Volkova, S., & Kumar, S. (2020). User Engagement with Digital Deception. In Shu, K., Wang, S., Lee, D., & Liu, H. (Eds.). Disinformation, Misinformation, and Fake News in Social Media Emerging Research Challenges and Opportunities (1st ed., pp. 39-62). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42699-6

 

Knight Lab. (n.d.). JuxtaposeJS. https://juxtapose.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*1c6rflz*_ga*MTAxNTYwNDE2MC4xNjk0NjA3MTQ5*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*MTY5NDYwNzE0OC4xLjAuMTY5NDYwNzE0OC4wLjAuMA..

 

Lizfrench77. (2023, September 16). Amanda, your proposal sounds fascinating and has the potential to be a memorable and meaningful learning experience. [Comment on blog post “Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal”]. Connect the Dots.

 

Rachelerinives. (2023, September 3). This is such a great idea on a way in which to present a history topic and engage students. [Comment on blog post “Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal”]. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2023/08/27/digital-storytelling-topic-proposal/#comment-12

 

Sukovic, S. (2014). iTell: Transliteracy and Digital Storytelling. Australian Academic and Research Libraries, 45(3), 205–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2014.951114

 

Wilson, A. (2023-a, July 9). Prior Knowledge and Pigeons: My Preliminary Understanding of Digital Literature. Connect the Dots. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/amandawilson/2023/07/09/prior-knowledge-and-pigeons-my-preliminary-understanding-of-digital-literature/

 

Wilson, A. (2023-b, July 18). Evaluating digital narratives [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68469_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140370_1&forum_id=_321155_1&message_id=_4517189_1

 

Wilson, A. (2023-c, August 6). One small change in my classroom practice [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68469_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140370_1&forum_id=_322389_1&message_id=_4547401_1

 

Wilson, A. (2023-d, September 8). Concerns around using social media platforms for digital storytelling [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68469_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140370_1&forum_id=_323703_1&message_id=_4579869_1

Cover of digital story, Growing Up in the 1960s
Context for Digital Story Telling Project

Context for Digital Story Telling Project

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Growing Up in the 1960s (Wilson, 2023) is a non-fiction digital narrative that centres around a young boy named Frank. Using a first-person perspective to tell the story, Frank shares facts, photos and videos of what life is like for him growing up in the Victorian town of Yarrawonga. Reading about Frank’s family, home, school, and the fun he has, students can gain a glimpse into what life was like for Frank as a child in the 1960s. After interacting with the text, students are then able make connections between Frank’s life and their own life, identifying similarities and differences to their own experience of growing up in the 2020s.

 

This digital story is primarily designed to be utilised by Year One students, aligning with the Year One History content descriptors of AC9HS1K01 (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d.-b) and AC9HS1K02 (ACARA, n.d.-a). The intended purpose of this digital story is to provide students with a window into life in the past, bringing Frank’s story to life through the combination of text, video, photographs, and audio. Primarily, it is envisioned that this story would be read by Year One students independently or in small groups. After reading the text, students could represent their thinking on a Venn Diagram to identify similarities and differences between themselves and the main character Frank (Fehring, 2019, p. 88).

 

As the intended audience for this digital story is junior primary, digital enhancements have been included to support early readers in accessing the text. An optional “read to me” function is embedded wherever there is text to support early readers in accessing the story. The text can also be read without the narration, giving the reader the option to read at their own pace and not compete with the narration coming from the device (Hoel & Jernes, 2023, p. 11). The narration takes “appropriate advantage of what the digital world allows” (Yokota & Teale, 2014, p. 581) through the use of a text-to-speech generator to create a young boy’s voice telling the story. This gives authenticity to the narration, making it appear as though Frank himself is telling the story directly to the reader.

 

Throughout the story, students are encouraged to make text-to-self connections between their own personal experiences of growing up and Frank’s experience in the 1960s. A yellow tab appears in the bottom left-hand corner which provides questions that prompt the reader to reflect upon the story being told and make connections to their own lives. Using hotspots for questioning is recommended as an effective way to engage students with the text without detracting from the story itself (Xu, et. al., 2021, p. 222). These text-to-self prompts assist students to understand and interpret the information that is being presented to them within the digital narrative (Ewing, 2022, p. 184). Not only does this meet the Year One History outcomes as mentioned previously, but it also simultaneously meets the Year One English outcome of AC9E1LE02 (ACARA, n.d.-c).

 

An example of the questions included to promote text-to-self connections

An example of the questions included to promote text-to-self connections (Wilson, 2023)

 

Further digital enhancements are utilised through the embedding of hotspots into a couple of the pictures to give further context to the photos that are included. For example, a historical arial map of Yarrawonga has been included. On its own, this map may not be of any significance to a student. However, the map is embedded with hotspots that pinpoint places of significance to Frank. These hotspots are aligned with the story to ensure that they support comprehension and engagement (Hoel & Jernes, 2023, p. 12). From developing a more comprehensive understanding of the places significant to Frank, students can then make inferences about his life in Yarrawonga and how he may have moved about the town.

 

An example of how hotspots were embedded to add context and meaning

An example of how hotspots were embedded to add context and meaning (Wilson, 2023)

 

Genially (Genially, n.d.) was selected as the platform for this digital story as it provided the functionalities needed to create a non-linear story, giving students control in how they navigate the story. Exploring digital literature in a non-linear format is beneficial to younger students, as it aligns with how they access information within today’s hyper-connected world (Manresa, 2015, p. 117). Growing Up in the 1960s can be read in any order without it impacting on the story line.

 

Contents pageContents page (Wilson, 2023)

 

This digital story has many applications within the classroom and across year levels. It could also be used as a launch pad for students to create their own on piece of literature on an older person who is significant to them. It’s uses also extend beyond the Year One classroom, as it can be used across all year levels as an example of digital literature or as a proforma for creating biographies.

 

Click here to read the digital story Growing Up in the 1960s (Wilson, 2023)

Cover of digital story, Growing Up in the 1960s

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.-a). Continuity and change between aspects of their daily lives and their parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods (AC9HS1K02). Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/hass-f-6/year-1/content-description?subject-identifier=HASHASY1&content-description-code=AC9HS1K02&detailed-content-descriptions=0&hide-ccp=0&hide-gc=0&side-by-side=1&strands-start-index=0&subjects-start-index=0&view=quick

 

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.-b). Differences in family structures and roles today, and how these have changed or remained the same over time (AC9HS1K01). Australian Curriculum.  https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/hass-f-6/year-1/content-description?subject-identifier=HASHASY1&content-description-code=AC9HS1K01&detailed-content-descriptions=0&hide-ccp=0&hide-gc=0&side-by-side=1&strands-start-index=0&subjects-start-index=0&view=quick

 

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.-c). Discuss literary texts and share responses by making connections with students’ own experiences (AC9E1LE02). Australian Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum.html/learning-areas/english/year-1/content-description?subject-identifier=ENGENGY1&content-description-code=AC9E1LE02&detailed-content-descriptions=0&hide-ccp=0&hide-gc=0&side-by-side=1&strands-start-index=0&subjects-start-index=0&view=quick

 

Ewing, R. (2022). English and literacies : learning how to make meaning in primary classrooms. Cambridge University Press.

 

Fehring, H. (2019). Literacies Assessment: Theory and Practice. In Henderson, R. (Ed.), Teaching Literacies: pedagogies and diversity (2nd ed., pp. 70-98). Oxford University Press.

 

Genially. (n.d.). Genially. https://genial.ly

 

Hoel, T., & Jernes, M. (2023). Quality in children’s digital picture books: seven key strands for educational reflections for shared dialogue-based reading in early childhood settings. Early Years. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2023.2172552

 

Manresa, M. (2015). Traditional Readers and Electronic Literature: An Exploration of Perceptions and Readings of Digital Works. In M. Manresa & N. Real Mercadal (Eds.), Digital Literature for Children: Texts, Readers and Educational Practices. P.I.E. Peter Lang.

 

Wilson, A. (2023). Growing Up in the 1960s. https://view.genial.ly/64f46e5725668e00136d4c70/presentation-growing-up-in-the-1960s

 

Xu, Y., Yau, J. C., & Reich, S. M. (2021). Press, swipe and read: Do interactive features facilitate engagement and learning with e‐Books? Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(1), 212–225. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12480

 

Yokota, J., & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture Books and The Digital World: Educators Making Informed Choices. The Reading Teacher, 67(8), 577–585. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1262

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Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal

Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal

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For my digital story, I am creating a non-fiction narrative of the life of a child in the 1960s. The story will centre around a seven-year-old girl and share stories and artefacts about what life was like for her during this time. Digital artefacts, such as videos and photographs containing hotspots, will be created using artefacts and stories from my mother’s childhood. This digital story is inspired from an interview that my 2018 Year 1/2 class conducted with my grandmother on what life was like when she was a child. Using the information gathered from the interview the children then identify similarities and differences between her life as a child and their lives today.

My Grandmother being interviewed by my Year 1/2 class.
My grandmother being interviewed by my Year 1/2 class.

The main character in the story is seven years old, making it relatable to a junior primary cohort. It aligns with the Australian Curriculum learning area of Humanities and Social Sciences, in particular the Year One History content descriptors of AC9HS1K01 and AC9HS1K02 (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.).

Genially logo (Genially, n.d.).
Genially logo (Genially, n.d.).

I have chosen Genially (Genially, n.d.) as my creative platform. Genially allows presentations to be presented in an interactive and non-linear way, making it possible for younger students to take control of the story, explore topics of interest and revise content as needed. Supporting digital elements, such as embedded narration, are available within Genially to support early readers in accessing the content. Genially also comes with a vast array of graphics to make it visually appealing to a younger audience.

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). The Australian Curriculum. https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Genially. (n.d.). Genially. https://genial.ly

Space Frog! (npckc, n.d.)
Digital Literature Review: Space Frog!

Digital Literature Review: Space Frog!

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Space Frog! (npckc, n.d.) is a piece of hypertext fiction that embodies a Choose Your Own Adventure style of reading. The story is about a frog called Space Frog, who is on a quest to find a star. The simplicity of the story line and the use of anthropomorphic animals makes it a suitable option to use as an introduction to hypertext fiction for a younger audience.

 

The first Choose Your Own Adventure book was published in 1979, with the concept becoming popular in the eighties, and to this day, is the fourth best-selling book series of all time (Jamison, 2022). In the books, readers would be presented with choices to make at crucial points within the story. The reader would then be guided to a different page within the book to continue the story. The hyper-connectedness of the internet streamlines this literary style by removing the need for flicking through pages. This is suitably demonstrated in Space Frog!, where the reader is in control of how the story evolves through the use of hyperlinks. At points throughout the story, the reader is prompted to make decisions about which direction the story should go by clicking on the hyperlink that corresponds with how they would like the story to progress.

Choices are made using hyperlinks (npckc, n.d.)
Choices are made using hyperlinks (npckc, n.d.).

The story contains simple, computerised graphics that align with the content of the text on each screen. With many other children’s digital narratives, the story remains fixed while the illustrations contain interactive digital elements. For Space Frog!, the opposite is happening; the graphics are static and contain no interactive elements, while it is the story itself that readers can manipulate and change. The use of static graphics takes away the element of distractibility that illustrations containing hotspots can possess (Hoel & Jernes, 2023, p. 12). On the other hand, it is a missed opportunity to utilise the full abilities of digital media to create graphics that enhance a young readers comprehension of the story.

 

While the content is appropriate for a younger audience, it does not contain any digital supports that would allow an early reader to read the text independently. Accessibility features, such as narration or text-to-speech, would assist an early reader to access this piece of digital literature independently. Instead, early readers may require an adult to read with them in order for them to access the text.

 

On pages where there is no decision that needs to be made, the reader progresses the story by clicking on forward arrows to move the text forward, or backward arrows to go back to the last page. In linear digital story books, research has shown that students in upper primary don’t often adhere to the “codex convention of reading” and will move forwards and backwards, subsequently affecting their comprehension and recall of the text (Trushell et al., 2001, p. 399). Given that hypertext narratives possess the added complexity of not being as linear as a traditional text, if these behaviours are exhibited when reading Space Frog!, it could greatly impact a child’s comprehension of the story. This is another reason why the text would need to be read in the company of an adult.

Arrows are used to move the story forwards and backwards (npckc, n.d.)
Arrows are used to move the story forwards and backwards (npckc, n.d.).

Space Frog! exists within a niche in the hypertext fiction world as there doesn’t appear to be many hypertext fiction pieces suitable for younger children. When searching for hypertext fiction on websites such as the Interactive Fiction Database and itch.io, the majority of their titles appear to be aimed at a much older demographic as they contain mature themes. Also, much of the hypertext fiction that exists on the internet is self-published, therefore teachers would need to be critical of their quality. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and appropriate themes would need to be evaluated before sharing a selected piece with the students (Dobler, 2013, p. 21). From reading Space Frog! multiple times and using alternate scenarios and endings, there does not appear to be any grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors, therefore would be suitable to use within the classroom.

 

In a classroom context, Space Frog! could be used to model hypertext fiction or the concept of Choose Your Own Adventure to the class. It could be used in independent reading by proficient readers, but due to the lack of accessibility features, it would require scaffolding and support for early readers.

 

Space Frog!’s simplicity is its strength as well as its weakness. Its content is suitable for a younger audience and its simple design and graphics make it not as distracting as other digital literature aimed at children. However, it’s lack of accessibility features, such as narration and text highlighting, means it would require adult support for a child to read it.

 

References

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.

Hoel, T., & Jernes, M. (2023). Quality in children’s digital picture books: seven key strands for educational reflections for shared dialogue-based reading in early childhood settings. Early Years. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2023.2172552

Jamison, L. (2022, September 12). The Enduring Allure Of Choose Your Own Adventure Books. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/09/19/the-enduring-allure-of-choose-your-own-adventure-books

npckc. (n.d.). Space Frog!. https://npckc.itch.io/space-frog

Trushell, J., Burrell, C., & Maitland, A. (2001). Year 5 pupils reading an Interactive Storybook on CD-ROM: losing the plot?. British Journal of Educational Technology, 32(4), 389–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8535.00209

K'gari: The Real Story of a True Fake (SBS, n.d.).
Digital Literature Review: K’gari

Digital Literature Review: K’gari

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K’gari (SBS, n.d.) is a digital documentary that challenges Eliza Fraser’s account of events from when she became shipwrecked on the island of K’gari (previously known as Fraser Island) in 1836. This review will apply the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (Mayer, 2021, p. 34) to analyse the effectiveness of the digital elements used within this digital documentary.

 

The cognitive theory of multimedia learning outlines that learners actively process incoming information through multimedia when it engages both the visual and auditory senses concurrently through focused and thoughtfully laid out content (Mayer, 2021, p. 34). The theory is based on three assumptions: “dual channels”, “limited capacity” and “active processing” (Mayer, 2021, p. 34). These three assumptions will be elaborated on and applied to K’gari to analyse the effectiveness of the digital elements used for learning the Butchulla’s side of the story.

 

The first of these assumptions is that humans acquire information through “dual channels”, being the visual and aural channels (Mayer, 2021, p. 34). In K’gari, Eliza Fraser’s recount is presented through written word on the screen while concurrently being narrated by Miranda Otto, hence simultaneously engaging both the visual channel with written word and aural channel with narration. The Butchulla’s side of the story engages the aural channel by orally recounting their history of events and engages the visual channel through animations that support what is being said.

 

K’gari builds upon this first assumption by adding in a third sense, touch. The powerful digital effects mean the reader doesn’t just question Eliza Fraser’s account of events but is actively encouraged to physically destroy the words with powerful digital effects, like triggering lightning to strike at the words, physically washing away the text with the waves of the ocean and blowing paragraphs away with the wind.

The reader clicks the screen to trigger lightning to destroy Eliza Fraser’s words (SBS, n.d.).
The reader clicks the screen to trigger lightning to destroy Eliza Fraser’s words (SBS, n.d.).

The second assumption is that each channel has a “limited capacity” in the amount of information that it can process at one time (Mayer, 2021, p. 36). K’gari chunks the information by presenting the reader with one paragraph of Eliza Fraser’s recount at a time, then presents the Butchulla’s rebuttal to what has just been said. This back-and-forth continues throughout, with the documentary only progressing when the reader clicks their mouse. This allows the reader to set the pace in which they absorb the information presented.

 

The third assumption is “active processing”, where humans actively make sense of the information being presented to them by paying attention to the incoming information, integrating it with their prior knowledge, and cognitively organising this new information (Mayer, 2021, p. 37). The juxtaposition of these two recounts side-by-side provides scaffolding for the user to actively compare and contrast both accounts simultaneously. This is not something that can be as easily replicated in print form as the history of First Nations Australians is primarily an oral history, spanning 60,000 years (Koori Heritage Trust, n.d.), whereas history in England, where Eliza Fraser originated from, has primarily taken the form of written records (English Heritage, n.d.). This digital documentary provides the perfect platform upon which these two differing mediums of history telling can be juxtaposed side-by-side, comparing the Butchulla peoples’ oral retelling of events against Eliza Fraser’s written words.

 

By analysing K’gari against the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, it is evident that K’gari’s digital construction makes it a highly effective piece of digital literature for learning. It has applications within the classroom across the Australian Curriculum, as this digital documentary aligns well with the learning areas of English and History and Social Sciences (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.). It is also an authentic way to embed the ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’ cross-curriculum priority into units of work.

 

Digital documentaries are a powerful medium upon which the oral histories of First Nations Australians can be preserved. It is estimated that around 90 percent of First Nations Australian languages are critically endangered (Johnson, 2016, para. 24). The significance of the K’gari digital documentary is three-fold; it corrects Australian history, preserves the oral history of the Butchulla people, and educates readers on the purpose of correcting the name of ‘Fraser Island’ back to ‘K’gari’.

 

From analysing K’gari through the lens of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, one can see how the digital elements employed are a powerful way for the Butchulla people to reclaim their history from the falsehoods perpetuated by Eliza Fraser. The juxtaposition of oral history with written history through the use of engaging visual, aural and tactile digital elements creates a crucial learning experience for readers.

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). The Australian Curriculum.

English Heritage. (n.d.). Story of England. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/

Johnson, L. (2016, October 6). What is language extinction and why should we care?. SBS. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/what-is-language-extinction-and-why-should-we-care/3zxux82rm

Koori Heritage Trust. (n.d.). Oral and Visual Recordings. https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/visit-us/collections/oral-visual-recordings/

Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia learning (Third edition.). Cambridge University Press.

SBS. (n.d.). K’gari Interactive Documentary. https://www.sbs.com.au/kgari/

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