Prior to the commencement of ‘Literature in Digital Environments’ I believed that I had a decent understanding of what constitutes digital literature. In my blog post ETL533 Assessment 1: Reflections on Digital Literature in the Classroom, I considered my previous experience with digital literature, including storybook apps and connected that to my learning from Module 1 (Crombie, 2022a) where I discovered that not all digital features enhance the experience of digital literature. As the unit progressed I realised just how much more there was to the subject than I had initially believed.
I found that the more I read, the more critical I have become when evaluating digital literature for use in the classroom, making sure to assess if the digital aspects add or detract (Dobler, 2013) from the text. I have taken on board both Yakota and Teale’s (2014), and Walsh’s (2013) prompts for evaluating digital literature and used simplified versions (Crombie, 2022b) to review a variety of digital literature in assessment 2 (Experiencing Digital Literature). I found that using the same questions to evaluate multiple pieces of digital literature was limiting and that there can be no set evaluation of digital literature just as there is no one set of questions that effectively evaluate the quality of print literature because they all vary in audience, purpose, and experience. The main consideration is if the digital features support the story and is a piece of quality literature (Crombie, 2022c).
Learning about, and reviewing, digital literature did not prepare me for the extent of the technical challenges of creating my hypertext story, Little Red. Ideally, incorporating a way for students to help co-author the narrative and add to what is being read would enhance the experience (Serafini et al., 2015) and move it along the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) model (Puentedura, 2011) into the modification and redefinition sections. The many possible digital features involving animation, text, film and game like interactive features (Sargeant, 2015) have helped me realise that creating a piece of digital literature on your own may not produce the best outcome and that the different facets of knowledge and skills required are more suited to a team effort.
Based on my digital story telling project proposal, ala_muti (2022) suggested the possibility of including comprehension questions at the end of my digital text for students to justify why they chose a particular ending. I took the concept of seeking feedback on board and provided a link to a google form survey with a small number of simple questions about the students engagement with, and enjoyment of, the story. Further, to support my audience of year 1 and 2 students I used the Chrome extension Mote to add audio for each question in the google form which complemented the read to me option of the main text.
Amy (2022) suggested having students construct their own ending to the story and including instructions on how to use Book Creator for their own creations. As the app Book Creator is already used widely throughout my school I felt that any specific instructions would be better in a face-to-face teaching context, so that responses could be provided within the context of the classroom. I did take on board the concept of students constructing their own story ending by commenting on how the text may be used as a prompt for students to write their own endings to familiar stories (Crombie, 2022d) and would work well in a narrative teaching unit.
I see digital literature as another tool to engage and enhance the reading stamina of young readers and believe it will continue to evolve (Allan, 2017). It is our job as teachers to evolve with it in order to help students continue to develop the necessary literacy skills for their future. The role of the teacher is critical with Walker et al (2010) suggesting that it is difficult for students to transfer their digital skills and knowledge from informal to formal situations without teacher guidance.
The knowledge I have gained from this subject has demonstrated that the teacher librarian has a critical role to play in incorporating digital literature into the school library catalogue where it can be easily searched and found by students. It is currently a gap in our school library that would significantly benefit the future learning of students.
Although there is some evidence that reading on screens may negatively impact comprehension and cause slower reading (Jabr, 2013), devices and screens are now part of daily life and students need to be taught to use them in ways that not only enhance their experiences but help them develop life skills. I firmly believe that using a balance of both print and digital literature is required for students to be successful 21st century learners and thinkers. When students read and create their own digital literature they are practising skills and using tools they will encounter in the world beyond school (Tackvic, 2012).
References
ala_muti. (2022, September 10). I think this is a wonderful idea! [Comment on blog post “ETL533 Digital storytelling project proposal”]. A Journey into Teacher Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/belindac/2022/09/04/etl533-digital-storytelling-project-proposal/
Allen, C. (2017). Digital fiction: ‘Unruly object’ or literary artefact? English in Australia, 52(2), 21-27.
Amy. (2002, September 14). I think your idea of an interactive story using Book Creator is wonderful [Comment on blog post “ETL533 Digital storytelling project proposal”]. A Journey into Teacher Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/belindac/2022/09/04/etl533-digital-storytelling-project-proposal/
Crombie, B. (2022a, July 24). ETL533 Assessment 1: Reflections on digital literature in the classroom. A Journey into Teacher Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/belindac/2022/07/24/etl533-assessment-1-reflections-on-digital-literature-in-the-classroom/
Crombie, B. (2022b, August 22). Digital literature review 1. A Journey into Teacher Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/belindac/2022/08/22/digital-literature-review-1/
Crombie, B. (2022c, August 22). ETL533 Assessment 2 part B: Critical reflection. A Journey into Teacher Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/belindac/2022/08/22/etl533-assessment-2-part-b-critical-reflection/
Crombie, B. (2022d, October 3). ETL533 Assessment 4, part A: Context of the digital story telling project. A Journey into Teacher Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/belindac/2022/10/02/etl533-assessment-4-part-a-context-of-the-digital-story-telling-project/
Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.
Jabr, F. (2013, April 11). The reading brain in the digital age: The science of paper versus screens. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/
Puentedura, R. (2011). A Brief Introduction to TPCK and SAMR – Hippasus. Retrieved from http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/archives/2011/12/08/BriefIntroTPCKSAMR.pdf
Sargeant, B. (2015). What is an ebook? What is a book app? And why should we care? An analysis of contemporary digital picture books. Children’s Literature in Education, 46(4), 454-466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-015-9243-5
Serafini, F., Kachorsky, D. & Afuilera, E. (2015). Picture books 2.0: Transmedial features across narrative platforms. Journal of Children’s Literature, 41(2), 16-24.
Tackvic, C. (2012). Digital storytelling: Using technology to spark creativity. The Educational Forum, 76(4), 426.
Walker, S., Jameson., & Ryan, M. (2010). Skills and strategies for e-learning in a participatory culture. In R. Sharpe, H. Beetham & S. Freitas (Eds.), Rethinking learning for a digital age: How learners are shaping their own experiences (pp. 212-224). Routledge.
Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. (pp. 181-194). Primary English Teaching Association (PETAA).
Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1262
