The Boat, an interactive graphic novel adapted from the original short story by Nam Le, conveys the story of a young refugee fleeing Vietnam by boat. Created in collaboration with SBS and artist Matt Huynh, the adaptation immerses readers in Mai’s experience as she travels by boat to Australia in horrific conditions. The narrative reflects the real stories of many Vietnamese people who fled their homeland following the fall of Saigon.
While traditional texts depend on the printed word to evoke emotion, movement, and setting, The Boat demonstrates the powerful potential of digital storytelling to deepen reader engagement through its multimodal elements. Even though imagination plays a critical role in literary instruction (McGinley et al., 2017) this digital adaptation uses visual art, animation, sound design, and interactive features to enhance and intensify emotional resonance. Readers are drawn into the story through sensory cues and motion — for instance, the shifting screen mimics the rocking of the boat, and layered sound effects heighten tension and provoke emotional response. The colour palette employed – monochrome and its various shades, darkened or lightened in different parts of the story are bought into reality by interspersed photos of real Vietnamese families – putting faces to the suffering.
This interactive format also allows readers to move through the story at their own pace, lingering on text or design elements as needed. Such pacing encourages thoughtful reflection and invites readers to consider how visual and auditory techniques contribute to the starkness and gravity of Mai’s journey. In doing so, The Boat places readers directly in the protagonist’s position, fostering empathy and a more immersive experience. The benefits of the multimodal aspect of this piece are beneficial in highlighting an experience that is often hard to imagine unless lived – promoting empathetic responses that may be beneficial for understanding the human impact of displacement. For issues that are critically important in a student’s understanding of the world, by experiencing Mai’s journey in a sensory, embodied way, readers are invited not just to observe, but to feel the stakes of her story.
Although this format is highly engaging and offers substantial educational value, it is not without its limitations. Practical barriers — including inconsistent internet access, limited bandwidth, and lack of suitable devices — can restrict student participation, particularly in under-resourced settings. Additionally, the layering of visual, audio, and textual elements may overwhelm some learners, especially those with sensory sensitivities or diverse learning needs. However, these limitations do not preclude the use of The Boat as an effective teaching resource. With thoughtful scaffolding and differentiated support, educators can adapt the experience to promote accessibility and inclusion for all students.
As (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited [AITSL], 2024) cautions, despite the increasing availability of digital tools, Australian students’ digital literacy skills have declined over time. This highlights the importance of ensuring that digital texts like The Boat are introduced in a pedagogically sound manner that builds student capability. (Dalton & Rose, 2008, p. 349) advocate for a digital reading heuristic that scaffolds engagement with digital literature by guiding students through structured phases — including an introduction to the digital format, targeted learning activities, and framing within a relevant sociocultural context. Moreover, features within The Boat, such as the option to control sound and navigate at an individual pace, offer flexibility that can support a range of learner needs. Together, these strategies enable teachers to make meaningful use of the text while ensuring equitable access and understanding. This type of strategy places The Boat as part of a learning experience, set within a range of activities to build student’s knowledge and understanding, not the only experience. In addition to its adaptability, this type of interactive graphic novel may be appealing to those who are decidedly ‘non-readers.’ (Fuller, 2014) discusses the combination of graphic novels and digital technology as a combination that draw the most reluctant reader into the story. In the days of instant gratification and quick scrolling, teachers have to be constantly adapting and offering activities and texts that will engage students and help them to develop not only their comprehension, but perhaps even a like for reading – regardless of whether that text is digital or in print. After all, they are reading, aren’t they?
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited (2024). Spotlight – Evaluating the Evidence for Educational Technology. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlights/evaluating-the-evidence-for-educational-technology-part-2-enabling-learning#:~:text=The%20use%20of%20culturally%20relevant,and%20in%20culturally%20responsive%20ways.
Dalton, B. & Rose, D. (2008). Scaffolding Digital Comprehension. In C. C. Block & S.R. Paris (Eds.), Comprehension Instruction, Research-Based Best Practices (2nd ed., pp. 347-361). The Guilford Press.
Fuller, L. (2014, August 13). Graphic Novels for the Digital Classroom. International Literacy Association. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2014/08/13/graphic-novels-for-the-digital-classroom
Le, N. (2019). The Boat | SBS. SBS. https://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/
McGinley, W., Kamberelis, G., Welker, A., Kelly, M.R., & Swafford, J. (2017). Roles of Affect and Imagination in Reading and Responding to Literature; Perspectives and Possibilities for English Classrooms. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, Vol. 32, (1), 67-85. https://doi.org/10.63997/jct.v32i1.638