Synopsis:
While fractured fairy tales have long been a way for students to examine known plots from alternate perspectives, Twisted Tales, an app developed by the Institut Za Transmedijski Dizajn Murska Sobata (Institute for Transmedia Design/ ITD, 2023) aims to support children to develop ‘…empathy [and] … recognise, understand and accept others’ feelings and needs…’, (para. 7, Apple Inc., 2024). McDonald (2023) explains that although fairy tales have been linked to quality children’s literature over the past two centuries, these stories were originally an oral traditional, generally shared with an educative purpose. Following this custom, the Twisted Tales (ITD, 2023) app was first developed as a set of audiobooks that children can independently access, by clicking on aesthetically rendered character icons. Stories indicate a target age of between 6 and 12 years and run for 10-20 minutes each. The 5 twisted fairy tales include Cinda Real– the story of a girl experiencing bullying for a physical disability, New Hansel and Gretal– the tale of how two siblings cope with the grief, Allen and the Magic Lamp- the journey of the boy who wished he was a fashion designer, instead of a footballer, Desiree and the Snow Queen– detailing how a child with Down’s Syndrome learns to forge new friendships and Little Red (Bianca) and the Wolf- the fable of a young woman overcoming intimidation. McDonald (2023) acknowledges the value in students assuming a text analyst role to compare and contrast fractured fairy tales with their traditional counterparts, and examine complex themes such as gender, power or justice, through quality children’s literature. Interestingly, the app’s development was funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program (in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre for Creativity) whose purpose is to support education, sport and youth, with a particular focus on social inclusion and digital transformation, among other progressive goals (European Commission, n.d.).
Value Added to the Narrative through Digital Delivery:
When evaluating the app as a digital literature artifact, Yokota & Teale (2014) suggest carefully examining the value that the digital platform adds to the narrative. In the case of Twisted Tales (IDT, 2024), the simplicity of the app suits the younger end of the recommended age range, allowing them to access the story easily. The audiobook format provides opportunities for modelled reading, complex vocabulary and a narrative structure that supports learning to read (Haines, 2015). The latest version of the Twisted Tales (IDT, 2023) app has also integrated a ‘create’ option, allowing users to develop their own story or oral response. While this feature is only a basic recording tool that allows users to recount their own oral version of the story of up to 10 minutes and save it within the app, Kearney (2010) suggests that by transferring the role of ‘listener’ to the parent or teacher, and ‘storyteller’ to the child, children are able to engage in ‘…reflective dialogue…’ that deepens their understanding of complex themes, such as those in Twisted Tales (ITD, 2023) (para. 2, p.182).
User Experience and Functionality:
Haines (2015) Story Apps evaluation rubric suggests that children’s apps must be assessed for their functionality as well as the quality of the narrative itself. The app presents as an uncluttered and easy to navigate format that and accessibility is further enhanced with adjustable font size settings. Simple icons help children (and their grown up) to navigate home, or to app and privacy information, support and settings. In the settings, the app acknowledges the privacy concerns faced by parents and reiterates the commitment to not collect and share privacy data outlined in Apple’s review (Apple Inc., 2024). Accessibility is also enhanced with the Twisted Tales (IDT, 2023) app itself is free to download with no in-app ads or purchases. It can also be used in an offline setting without a Wi-Fi connection.
Limitations and Areas for Further Consideration:
While there are many positive features, the app does have some constraints. The most obvious is that the app does not engage multimodal elements or include interactivity, while the story is being told. While this may enhance the focus of the reader, it also has the potential to limit opportunities to further build digital literacy. (Combes, 2016; Yokota & Teale, 2014). Given the app originates in Slovenia, the stories are available in English, Slovene, Croatian and Sebian, which Yokota & Teale (2014) argue may enhance children’s intercultural understanding through exposure to various languages. That being said, at times the English transition of the story results in some grammatical errors such as mixed tense or ambiguous translations. Finally, although the Apple Inc. (2024) app review boasts that Twisted Tales (IDT, 2023) includes a toolkit for parents and educators to have meaningful conversations and explore the complex themes together, there is no feature in the app that prompts this to occur.
Evaluative Summary:
Overall, Twisted Tales (IDT, 2023) is a simple digital storytelling app that encourages children to examine the experiences of diverse characters, in the hopes of fostering social inclusion. The app has scope in which to expand and improve upon its interactivity and engagement, but on the whole the user experience is straightforward and entertaining.
References:
Apple Inc. (2024). App Store Preview: Twisted Tales. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/twisted-tales/id6449082379
Combes, B. (2016). Digital literacy: A new flavour of literacy or something different? Synergy, 14(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v14120163
European Commission. (n.d.). Erasmus+ EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/about-erasmus/what-is-erasmus
Haines, C. (2015). Evaluating Apps and New Media for Young Children: A Rubric. https://lib.nckls.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/05_Evaluating-Apps-Rubric.pdf
Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student‐generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2011.553623
Institut Za Transmedijski Dizajn Murska Sobata. (2023). Twisted Tales (Version 6). [iPad App]. Apple Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/twisted-tales/id6449082379
Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 67(8) 577-585.