Touch Press Inc (2017) has created a contemporary experience for readers in their IOS version of War Horse, which was originally penned by Michael Morpurgo in 1982. The classic story of a horse’s participation in World War I remains intact in this digitised adaptation, although it is enhanced by an optional audiobook, illustrations by François Place and a video performance by Michael Morpurgo. The defining aspect of this application, however, is the inclusion of informative text, video and images about World War I. Readers can scroll through a multimodal timeline of of the war or listen to experts discuss different aspects of this period as a slideshow plays.
This text is very engaging and useful because it incorporates different types of media, including audio, images and video. It supports the current English curriculum, which dictates that students must study multimodal texts at various stages (Board of Studies, 2012). The development of multiliteracies has become a necessity because readers regularly encounter various forms of media in their daily lives (Chan, Chia & Choo, 2017). A highlight is Place’s illustrations, which form a menu readers can scroll through in order to access specific chapters. These types of images are important in an increasingly visual world (Unsworth, 2010) and should be emphasised in the classroom because they support comprehension (Cappello & Walker, 2016). In this case, each image summarises the chapter and provides readers with an easier way to find information.
The audio is another beneficial multimodal element because it can be used to help students recognise and comprehend words within the story. Narration can easily be toggled on and off during reading if the reader presses the speaker button at the top of the screen. In addition to audio, the text is highlighted as the narrator speaks. Studies have shown that this support can help improve students’ literacy skills, especially fluency and vocabulary development (Biancarosa & Griffiths, 2012; Guernsey, 2011). The narration, in conjunction with the images, would be particularly helpful to ESL readers (Biancarosa & Griffiths, 2012).
The layout of the app is effective because the additional content (information about World War II, author’s performance) is positioned at the bottom of the application’s homepage so that the focus remains on the actual novel. It is the structure of the War Horse application (Touch Press Inc, 2017) that makes it superior to other enhanced e-books, which can be confusing due to the large number of interactive elements readers are able to explore (Pope, 2010). Touch Press Inc present a cohesive narrative because the story isn’t interrupted. The additional content also means the publisher has created an open world individuals can explore, unlike the more restrictive environments of traditional print books (James & de Kock, 2013). Therefore, the enhancements support the novel rather than causing distractions, which Pope (2010) identifies as a defining feature of a good e-book.
One aspect of the text that doesn’t work as well as it should is the video element, specifically the ‘expert videos’ and the author’s performance of the novel. The presentations are not very engaging because they are static and focus on voice. In fact, the lack of children and teenagers in the filmed audience of the author’s performance demonstrates that the content is not suitable for younger viewers. In order for digital texts to be effective, they should reflect the lives of readers (O’Connell, Bales & Mitchell, 2015), and the videos in this version of War Horse do not reflect the captivating visuals youths witness in their daily lives.
Access to the application is also limited and reading this text would be more difficult in the classroom in comparison to online texts or ebooks that can be read using various devices and operating systems. Touch Press Inc’s version of War Horse is only available as an iPad application, so although the application itself is inexpensive ($7.99), the school would have to purchase iPads for student use or require students to bring their own. In some schools, sets of devices are available but many schools ask students to bring a device of their own choosing. Reading the application on the iPad could also have an impact on the body; the lights and glossiness of the iPad screens can cause eye strain and lead to headaches and other associated health issues (Jabr, 2013).
The War Horse iPad application is recommended for teachers of high school English and History who want to support students with limited reading skills. It would be more feasible for selected students to interact with the text due to the cost of supplying iPads to entire classes. The visual and aural elements would help students comprehend the original novel.
References
Biancarosa, G., & Griffiths, G. (2012). Technology tools to support reading in the digital age. The Future of Children, 22(2), 139-160. Retrieved from https://futureofchildren.princeton.edu/publications
Board of Studies. (2012). English K-10. Retrieved from https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/english-year-10/english-k-10
Cappello, M., & Walker, N. (2016). Visual thinking strategies: teachers’ reflectins on closely reading complex visual texts within the disciplines. Reading Teacher, 70(3), 317-325. doi: 10.1002/trtr.1523
Chan, C., Chia, A., & Choo, S. (2017). Understanding multiliteracies and assessing multimodal texts in the English curriculum. The English Teacher, 46(2), 73-87. Retrieved from https://journals.melta.org.my/index.php/tet/index
Guernsey, L. (2011). Are ebooks any good?. School Library Journal, 57(6). Retrieved from https://www.slj.com
Jabr, F. (2013, April 11). The reading brain in the digital age: the science of paper versus screens. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/
James, R. & De Kock, L. (2013). The digital David and the Gutenberg Goliath: the rise of the ‘enhanced’ e-book. English Academy Review, 30(1), 107-123. doi:10.1080/10131752.2013.783394
O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). [R}evolution in reading cultures: 2020 vision for school libraries. The Australian Library Journal, 64(3), 194-208. doi:10.1080/00049670.2015.1048043
Pope, J. (2010). Where do we go from here? Readers’ responses to interactive fiction. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 16(1), 75-94. doi: 10.1177/1354856509348774
Touch Press Inc. (2017). War Horse [iPad application software]. Retrieved from https://apps.apple.com/au/app/war-horse/id557865146
Unsworth, L. (2010). Multiliteracies, e-learning and English teaching. Language and Education, 22(1), 62-75. doi:10.2167/le726.0