My current understanding of literature in digital environments is that there are many divisive opinions and perspectives associated with the use of technology for educational purposes, specifically reading instruction. Some people laud the benefits, such as increased student engagement, while others cling to traditional forms of reading. As an English teacher and blossoming Teacher Librarian, these issues are significant because I need to understand how I can best teach my pupils and ensure digital texts are utilised effectively.

It is important for teachers to engage teenagers and many people believe this can be achieved through digital literature. During my career, I have discovered that young people often have negative reading experiences earlier in their lives and do not develop a love of books. Schools have provided access to Kindles, e-readers or e-book applications and various academics have conducted projects to test the efficacy of these programs. Colleen Foley’s article (2012) was interesting because many teachers, teacher librarians and parents identified increased reading enjoyment amongst students in selected Australian schools. Similar studies, such as the work completed by Haas, Lasley, Sosebee, and Cox (2017), have been conducted internationally and support Foley’s findings. Haas, Lasley, Sosebee, and Cox (2017) surmised that some young people might connect with e-books because the digital nature of the texts reflects their knowledge and interests outside of school, although other factors such as linked tutoring programs and personal choice also contributed. I have used PowerPoint presentations with internal hyperlinks and found similar benefits; students enjoy digital texts if they are given the freedom to explore and make decisions about how their learning will progress. Technology often provides this freedom.

Digital texts that promote engagement include those with interactive elements, although I have discovered that some of these features, specifically hotspots, can hinder students’ comprehension and therefore may not be as useful in a school environment. For example, Barbara Combes (2016) explained that learning to read is already a complex process and students reading digital texts may be distracted by noise or interactive elements, preventing them from ‘making meaning’. Martin Kutscher (2017), a pediatric neurologist, has discussed these issues, stating that students are more likely to understand and remember information if it is presented in a linear format free of extensive hyperlinks (pp. 24-27). He also identifies disruptive multi-tasking or ‘snacking’ (Combes 2016) as a negative feature of digital reading and I have noticed this in my own classroom. On devices, students have access to a plethora of applications, pages and information and can become distracted from their reading by other activities, most of which are leisurely and unrelated to the schoolwork.

At this point, I can see how digital texts can be used to promote interest and engagement. However, I think the possibility of decreased comprehension needs to be considered when choosing texts for the classroom or school library. In any case, digital texts are becoming increasingly present in our world and students need to be able to navigate this literature in order to function within society.

References

Combes, B. (2016). Digital Literacy: A New Flavour of Literacy or Something Different? Synergy, 14(1). Retrieved from https://www.slav.vic.edu.au/synergy/volume-14-number-1-2016/reflections-and-actions/611-digital-literacy-a-new-flavour-of-literacy-or-something-different.html

Foley, C. (2012). Ebooks for Leisure and Learning. Scan, 31(4), 6-14. Retrieved from https://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/ereserve/pdf/foley-c.pdf

Haas, L.E., Lasley, E., Sosebee, T., & Cox, D. (2017). Increasing motivation of Struggling Readers: Can e-readers, Apps, and Support Features Help?. Journal of Literacy and Technology, 18(2), 90-120. Retrieved from http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/uploads/1/3/6/8/136889/jlt_v18_2_haas_lasley_sosebee_cox.pdf

Kutscher, M. (2017). Digital Kids. London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.