The transmedia world of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter has existed in the form of films, games, social media pages, fan fiction and interactive websites for years, redefining the concept of books and establishing this franchise as a digital pioneer. In fact, Pottermore Limited, the online representative of the Harry Potter stories, patented the ‘interactive digital experience for a literary work’ (United States Patent and Trademark Office, 2013). Wizarding World (Wizarding World Digital, 2019), however, is a very new inclusion to the collection. In the application, articles about different aspects of the Harry Potter world, such as Diagon Alley and Platform 9 and ¾ are accompanied by interactive quizzes, polls, videos, and quotes from the original novels. All the content is presented in a visually appealing way, using recognisable logos that will help readers create links between the different media. Wizarding World is also highly interactive, so it would be a good resource for educators to use when helping students develop contemporary literacy skills because it requires individuals to listen, view, read and interact.
The main benefit of this text is that its transmedia nature provides readers with immersive opportunities that reflect our current society and prompt stronger connections with the story (Carman, 2011; Gutierrez, 2012; James & de Kock, 2013; O’Connell, Bales & Mitchell, 2015). The Wizarding World ‘feed’ replicates the structure of social media platforms, so because the information is presented in a familiar way, navigation becomes less of an issue. The experience is made personal and relevant through the inclusion of a ‘Wizarding Passport’, which displays the reader’s house, Patronus and wand after they complete sorting activities. Interactive polls enable young people to connect with others by seeing how they voted. These results can even be filtered so individuals can see how people from specific houses voted. Hidden codes challenge stronger users and turn the reading of Wizarding World into a game-like adventure. Ultimately, readers are given the chance to explore the story in an interactive way, an experience that is essential to learning in our digital world (Edwards, 2013).
Reader comprehension is supported by thematic ‘weeklies’ that connect videos from the films with original content from the novels and articles. For example, students can read about the different locations associated with Diagon Alley (an important setting in the Harry Potter world) and then watch a video clip of Harry Potter entering Diagon Alley for the first time. Disengaged readers are more likely to become motivated if they can connect with texts that develop information and storylines through different types of media (Hill, 2010). It also means that readers are better equipped to visualise written descriptions and the static nature of print texts can be avoided (James and de Kock, 2013). The ‘weeklies’, as the name implies, are distributed weekly and provide contemporary and up-to-date information, which means that users are not subjected to irrelevant information.
The extensive content, which will continue to be updated as the application is still in its infancy, provides targeted opportunities for different learners. For example, each of the quizzes is given a difficulty rating, which school teachers could use to set interactive tasks for their students and enable them to ‘work at their own pace’ (Lamb, 2011, p. 16). Unfortunately, the text’s organisation, particularly the multiple pathways to content, is a disadvantage. For example, many of the quizzes can be found in the ‘feed’, in the ‘quizzes’ section and the ‘weeklies’ section. Transmedia texts are also inherently non-linear. These multifarious elements could create confusion and be overwhelming for some students (Pope, 2010). Another negative aspect of Wizarding World is that it is an extension of the Harry Potter series, so users of the application will also need to interact with the print text or the films in order to gain complete understanding. On the other hand, the interactive features could prompt students to engage with the written text as it makes the traditional reading experience more exciting and relevant (Carman, 2011).
Due to its availability across various mobile devices and operating systems, the experience of interacting with this app would be easy to replicate in a school setting. It is also free for users to download, so it could be installed quickly without having to consider the budgetary concerns of the school and its families. Overall, it is a high-quality application that is recommended for teachers and librarians who are looking for a way to promote reading, although they would be unable to cover all of the transmedia text in the classroom due to its extensiveness.
References
Carman, P. (2011). Read between the lines. School Library Journal, 57(11). Retrieved from https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com
Edwards, J. (2013). Reading beyond the borders: observations on digital ebook readers and adolescent reading practices. In J. Whittingham, S. Huffman, W. Rickman & C. Wiedmaier (Eds.), Technological tools for the literacy classroom (pp. 135-158). Retrieved from IGI Global.
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
Kutscher, M. (2017). Digital Kids. London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Gutierrez, P. (2012). Every platform tells a story. School Library Journal, 58(6), 32. Retrieved from https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com
Hill, R. (2010). When technology and books collide. Book Links, 19(2), 9-10. Retrieved from https://www.booklistonline.com/booklinks
Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading/Store.action
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
United States Patent and Trademark Office. (2013). United States Patent 8806335. Retrieved from http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=8806335.PN.&OS=PN/8806335&RS=PN/8806335
Wizarding World Digital. (2019). Wizarding World [iPad application software]. Retrieved from https://apps.apple.com/au/app/wizarding-world/id1427926466