Posts Tagged with literature

Assessment 4 Part D: Critical Reflection

ETL533: Literature in Digital Environments
Posted on

The subject ETL533 has expanded my understanding of what digital literature is and the ever-burgeoning possibilities afforded by advancements in technology (McDonald, 2022, September 5a; Rowland, 2021). There is no doubt that digital texts are changing the way we read, write, create, and respond to literature (Weigel & Gardner, 2009). I personally think that this is exciting as digital technologies are transforming reading experiences in previously inconceivable ways (McDonald, 2022, July 28). It is, however, making it even more difficult to define digital literature due to features, like interactivity and non-linear narratives, that are edging digital texts “closer to the gaming or entertainment industry” and the rapid pace of developments (McDonald, 2022, September 5a; Serafini et al., 2015, p. 16).

At the beginning of this session, I was so naive about the huge variety of digital texts available. My experience was embarrassingly limited – mostly just to eBooks! I have found it helpful to learn about different categories of text formats, even though this can still be contentious (Serafini et al., 2015). According to theorist Allan, the three most popular formats enjoyed by young readers are: eBooks, apps and “born digital narratives” (2017, p. 22). It has been beneficial for me to experience and critique examples of each of these three formats, such as: Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit (McDonald, 2022, September 5b), Woonyoomboo and the Night Heron (McDonald, 2022, September 5c) and the first episode of Inanimate Alice (McDonald, 2022, September 5d). I have come to realise that while formats evolve and sophisticate, the time-honoured tradition of telling a good story remains and will always be innate to our very nature (McDonald, 2022, July 21).

As a classroom English teacher of six years, I have not yet seen digital literature featured in any subject booklists (McDonald, 2022, August 16a). I recall some early English Department discussions about using Inanimate Alice, but this was eventually outvoted due to staff apprehension about teaching a multimodal text instead of print literature (McDonald, 2022, August 16b). Since learning about the benefits of digital literature, particularly for students who have learning needs and are English language learners, I am surprised that digital texts in classrooms are still so rare (Lamb, 2011; McDonald, 2022, October 9). It has led me to wonder – why are teachers and teacher librarians hesitant to incorporate digital literature into classrooms and school libraries, and what can we do about this? I mean, surely it’s not just a lack of awareness?

I now understand there may be concerns about perceptions of quality (or the lack thereof) of digital literature, particularly when compared to canonical print texts. But to me, this only emphasises the need for evaluative criteria (Walsh, 2013; Yokota & Teale, 2014). For example, when evaluating quality digital literature, it is important that the digital features do not disrupt narrative comprehension and support the reading experience (Lamb, 2011; McDonald, 2022, July 21; Sargeant, 2015).

Other concerns that teachers have may involve perceptions of their own technology skill levels, choice overwhelm, access costs and the time required to feel confident (Curtis, 2022; Matthews, 2014; McDonald, 2022, August 16; McDonald, 2022, October 6). As Weigel & Gardner aptly distil, it’s true that using technology and digital texts in the classroom does require educators to take “several leaps of faith” (2009, p. 41) However, I genuinely don’t think these challenges should deter educators from upskilling and implementing digital literature in the classroom (McDonald, 2022, October 9).

In addition, I think that providing opportunities for students and staff to engage in digital storytelling, and to create digital texts of their own, is equally important (McDonald, 2022, October 9; Reid, 2013). Research suggests that digital storytelling is powerful and supports learner engagement, motivation, creativity, and expression of ideas (Sukovic, 2014; Towndrow & Kogut, 2020).

As I embarked on my first ever digital storytelling project, I felt some apprehension that my limited technical skills would limit my desired creation, as expressed in my written proposal (McDonald, 2022, September 3). Peer feedback was instrumental in shaping the development of my digital text, Head to the Treehouse, as well as bolstering my confidence and sparking new ideas. Stolz (2022, September 4) encouraged me to “be adventurous” in exploring platforms that would offer reader interactivity, where students could click on links to access different story elements (para. 3). Before this, I thought I would have to export a complete video file that was not interactive at all. I was thankful for Stolz’s encouragement because I decided to use Google Slides so I could embed video content in sections and utilise navigational, interactive elements. Building on this feedback, Cheetham (2022) encouraged me to consider incorporating puzzle-decoding elements to enhance the narrative, where protagonist Flo is hunting for and solving clues. This led me to use hyperlinks to Google Forms quizzes, so that readers could solve the clues too.

Finally, Muti (2022) endorsed my choice of Canva as a digital tool, and to utilise premium features. I had not even thought of subsequently prompting students to, as Muti says, “have a shot” at creating their own digital story (2022, para 2.). Her comment encouraged me to consider how I could model to students how to create a digital story, as an exemplar for them to make one of their own. This in turn, prompted me to develop a response task for students to create a digital story that concludes the narrative.

I am excited for the future of digital literature, which is far more sophisticated and engaging than my little story (McDonald, 2022, September 5a). We all need to keep advocating for the incorporation of digital literature and digital storytelling into classrooms and school libraries. This is not to rule out print texts, but to have them sit together side-by-side, as part of rich, diverse, multimodal resource collections offered to students (Yokota & Teale, 2014). Students need to experience a variety of texts, genres, and formats to prepare them for their reading futures and life beyond the school gates (Dobler, 2013; McDonald, 2022, September 9). Let’s keep this digital ball rolling.

 

Reference List 

Allan, C. (2017). Digital fiction: ‘Unruly object’ or literary artefact? English in Australia, 52(2), 21-27.

Cheetham, J. (2022, September 7). This sounds like a wonderful and appropriate story for middle to upper primary students. [Comment on “Assessment 3: Digital storytelling proposal”]. From Dust Jackets to Digital Horizons. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/emmamcdonald/2022/09
/03/assessment-3-digital-storytelling-proposal/

Curtis, J. (2022, September 13). Too many to choose from. [Comment on “Module 4.2 & 5.2: Digital tools”]. Interact 2: ETL533 Discussion Board. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/
discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_64104_1&conf_id=_128305_1&forum_id=_282776_1&message_id=_4253513_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17.

Matthews, J. (2014). Voices from the heart: the use of digital storytelling in education. The Journal of the Health Visitors’ Association: Community Practitioner, 87(1), 28-30.

Muti, A. (2022, September 4). I love your proposal, Emma! [Comment on “Assessment 3: Digital storytelling proposal”]. From Dust Jackets to Digital Horizons. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/
emmamcdonald/2022/09/03/assessment-3-digital-storytelling-proposal/

Reid, K. (2013). Creating e-books in the classroom. In J. Bales (Ed.), E-books in learning – a beginner’s guide (pp. 37-43). Australian School Library Association.

Rowland, R. (2021, July 8). What is digital literature? Understanding the genre. Book Riot. https://bookriot.com/digital-literature/

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.

Serafini, F., Kachorsky, D., & Aguilera, E. (2015). Picture books 2.0: Transmedial features across narrative platforms. Journal of Children’s Literature, 41(2), 16-24.

Stolz, K. (2022, September 4). This sounds like a wonderful and appropriate story for middle to upper primary students. [Comment on “Assessment 3: Digital storytelling proposal”]. From Dust Jackets to Digital Horizons. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/emmamcdonald/2022/09/03
/assessment-3-digital-storytelling-proposal/

Sukovic, S. (2014). iTell: Transliteracy and digital storytelling. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 45(3), 205-229.

Towndrow, P. A., & Kogut, G. (2020). Digital storytelling for educative purposes: Providing an evidence-base for classroom practice (1st ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8727-6

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers (pp. 181-194). Primary English Teaching Association Australia.

Weigel, M., & Gardner, H. (2009). The best of both literacies. Educational Leadership, 66(6), 38-41.

Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6), 577-585.

Image Source: Image by PicJumbo from Pixabay

Digital Storytelling and Digital Tools

ETL533: Literature in Digital Environments
Posted on

This week we have been learning about digital storytelling, and the ways in which we can harness new media technologies to do what humans have always done – tell stories. As defined by Matthews, digital storytelling “presents personal narratives, images and music to create a unique and sometimes emotional snapshot into another person’s experience” (2014, p. 28).

I found this video explainer, created by the University of Guelph in Canada, helpful in clarifying my understanding of digital storytelling:

I also noticed that this YouTube video is itself a form of digital storytelling as the University of Guelph librarians have used the platform Powtoon to create a video that incorporates audio narration, background music, moving images, text, and animation.

When thinking about digital storytelling and how it is used in the classroom, I have a few burgeoning thoughts! I think it can be such a powerful way to teach content using multimodal methods and is likely more appealing to a wider student group than reading printed written texts. Digital stories can also be published and shared widely in learning communities.

I imagine that students with different learning preferences and needs may find it particularly helpful – such as providing definitions, translations, audio narration and so on (Walsh, 2013). However, it is important that multimodal elements enhance understanding, not distract from the text and its content (Dobler, 2013).

Some questions that I have:

  1. How do we best support students, when creating their own digital stories, to source audio-visual content ethically and legally?
  2. How can teachers be best supported to develop their own digital storytelling resources for classroom use? (e.g., through staff professional development activities)
  3. How can we encourage other staff to incorporate digital stories in their classrooms, when their might be some (understandable) apprehension!

Digital storytelling tools

I think it is important for students to be able to create and share their own stories using digital tools. As Tackvic comments, when she reflects on her students using digital storytelling tools, she is delighted that they are “not only becoming more confident writers, they are also learning how to use 21st century skills” (2012, p. 429).

Some fantastic digital tools that I have found so far:

  1. Storyboard That
  2. Canva
  3. Storybird
  4. ThingLink
  5. PicLits

It’s important to incorporate digital literature and digital storytelling into classrooms, not to take the place of print texts, but as an important part of comprehensive programs. Students need to experience a variety of texts, genres and formats to, as Dobler states, “prepare them for the wide variety of reading experiences they will encounter in their future” (2013, p. 21).

References

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.

Matthews, J. (2014). Voices from the heart: the use of digital storytelling in education. The Journal of the Health Visitors’ Association: Community Practitioner, 87(1), 28-30.

Tackvic, C. (2012) Digital Storytelling: Using Technology to Spark Creativity. The Educational Forum, 76(4), 426-429.

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment (Ch. 13). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).

Image Credit: Visual Art by Çiğdem Onur from Pixabay

Introduction and Digital Literature Review 1: Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit

ETL533: Literature in Digital Environments
Posted on

The blog posts that follow will contain reviews of three different examples of digital literature, along with a concluding critical reflection on my experiences. The three digital literature examples that I have reviewed align with the three most popular formats of digital literature for children and young people, as identified by Allan: eBooks, apps and “born digital narratives” (2017, p. 22).

It is important for educators to have criteria to evaluate the quality of digital literature (Walsh, 2013; Dobler, 2013). The evaluative criteria that I will be using is drawn from criteria established by both Yokota & Teale (2014) and McGeehan et al. (2017), which I have rephrased as statements:

  • Criterion 1: The text is appropriately presented in digital format (Yokota & Teale, 2014).
  • Criterion 2: The text takes advantage of features the digital world allows, beyond what is possible in print (Yokota & Teale, 2014).
  • Criterion 3: Supplementary features align with the text (McGeehan et al., 2017)
  • Criterion 4: Interactive features maintain the integrity of the main story (Yokota & Teale, 2014).
  • Criterion 5: Digital features support readers’ acquisition of words or comprehension (McGeehan et al., 2017).

I have added one additional criterion to this list, suggested by Dobler (2013):

  • Criterion 6: The story within the digital text has literary merit.

————————————————————————————————————————–

Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit, designed by Loud Crow Interactive Inc. (2017), is an award-winning eBook that is available as an app for mobile and tablet devices. It costs $5.99 AUD and is aimed at readers aged four and older. The eBook is a digital reconstruction of the beloved tale by Beatrix Potter and the story is unchanged (Walsh, 2013). It is one of several digital adaptations of classic Western children’s literature (Allan, 2017).

The word eBook, a contraction of ‘electronic books’, describes paper-based literature that has been digitised (Dobler, 2013; Sargeant, 2015). eBooks range in interactivity from traditional “paper-under-glass” texts, also known as direct digital replicas, to more recent digital texts that offer far more reader interaction (Allan, 2017, p. 22). This current trend is made possible by tablets and mobile devices with touch-screen technology. Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit is an example of an innovative eBook as it integrates digital elements such as navigational options, animated visuals, and interactive features (Sargeant, 2015; Serafini et al., 2015). The text is an immersive experience for young readers, incorporating sound effects (such as giggling bunnies and rustling cabbage leaves), audio narration of the text, animated illustrations, and classical piano background music (Lamb, 2011). These elements contribute to the cheerful mood of the story (Roskos et al., 2014). Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit retains the charm and whimsical nature of Potter’s original illustrated story with added digital features for a modern audience.

Evaluative criteria

Criterion Description Evaluation notes
1 The text is appropriately presented in digital format The opening scene looks like the top of a writer’s desk (imitating Beatrix Potter’s), with a fountain pen, ink pot, writing samples, a sepia-toned photograph of a rabbit and a hard copy of the original story.

The text is clearly laid out on each of the pages of the story, mimicking the format of the traditional storybook. For each double page spread, one side has text, and the other side has an illustration.
2 The text takes advantage of features the digital world allows, beyond what is possible in print Many of the interactive elements, both on the opening page and within the pages of the book, are indicated with a tag which has a pointing finger. This is a digital version of a pull tab in a pop out storybook.

A lot of the interactive elements are intuitive and not indicated with labels that have textual instructions. For example, if you drag the bookmark vertically down the screen, you open a navigation panel so that readers can skip to any page.

These interactive features support children exploring functionality through touch-screen technology. This is playful and encourages textual discovery. Some of the icons are hard to see, however, such as a small icon that is transparent and takes readers back to the start of the page.
3 Supplementary features align with the text The only supplementary feature is a link to the Loud Crow Interactive Inc. (2017) website.
4 Interactive features maintain the integrity of the main story Readers can interact with the illustrations by dragging pull tabs or tapping on visual elements to animate the scenes. Examples include when readers can tap on gooseberries that swell in size or leaves that start tumbling down the screen.

While visually appealing, this “eye candy” clutters the page and may distract from the story (Lamb, 2011, p.17). Young readers could have their attention diverted by the “play-based features” which interrupts their comprehension of the narrative (Sargeant, 2015). This is also a criticism noted by Yokota & Teale (2014), particularly when blackberries splash on the screen, which is not pertinent to the story.
5 Digital features support readers’ acquisition of words or comprehension There are numerous features that would help young readers, such as the audio narration. Before starting the story, children can select to “read myself” or “read to me” which launches an audio narration by a female, English narrator with a soft voice (Loud Crow Interactive Inc., 2017).

Text highlighting occurs as each word is read by the narrator (Segal-Drori et al., 2010). Even if the audio narration is disabled, by selecting “read myself”, readers can tap on individual words to hear them read aloud by the narrator (Walsh, 2013). This is helpful to “model oral fluency”, recognise words, and for vocabulary development (Dobler, 2013, p. 20; Yokota & Teale, 2014). Research suggests that these features may also assist readers who find reading independently challenging (Lamb, 2011).

Unfortunately, there are no built-in word definitions, and the eBook is only available in English (Dobler, 2013).
6 The story within the digital text has literary merit Beatrix Potter’s stories are part of the Western canon of renowned, high-quality children’s literature (Allan, 2017).

 

Reference List:

Allan, C. (2017). Digital fiction: ‘Unruly object’ or literary artefact? English in Australia, 52(2), 21-27.

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21.

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17.

Loud Crow Interactive Inc. (2017). Pop Out! The tale of Peter Rabbit (Version 1.8) [Mobile app]. App Store. https://apps.apple.com/au/app/popout-the-tale-of-peter-rabbit-potter/id397864713

McGeehan, C., Chambers, S., & Nowakowski, J. (2018). Just because it’s digital, doesn’t mean it’s good: Evaluating digital picture books. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(2), 58-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2017.1399488

Roskos, K., Burstein, K., Shang, Y., & Gray, E. (2014). Young children’s engagement with e-books at school: Does device matter? SAGE Open, 4(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013517244

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.

Segal-Drori, O., Korat, O., Shamir, A., & Klein, P. (2010). Reading electronic and printed books with and without adult instruction: effects on emergent reading. Read Writ 23(8), 913-930.

Serafini, F., Kachorsky, D., & Aguilera, E. (2015). Picture books 2.0: Transmedial features across narrative platforms. Journal of Children’s Literature, 41(2), 16-24.

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers (pp. 181-194). Primary English Teaching Association Australia.

Yokota, J., & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6), 577-585.

Header Image Source: Figure 1. Screenshot from the eBook (Loud Crow Interactive Inc., 2017).

The Future of Reading

ETL533: Literature in Digital Environments
Posted on

This week I read an article by Anna Burkey in Synergy (the School Library Association of Victoria’s publication), titled ‘Reading for the Future‘. In it, Burkey presents some research that validates what I’m sure many of suspected already – that 87% of Australian children and young people enjoy reading when at home (Burkey, 2014). However, there are also significant literacy challenges for young readers all around the country. Burkey calls for more detailed research that reveals “what young people are reading, why it appeals and how they choose to access it” (Burkey, 2014).

Since this article was published, some major research has already begun by a team of Deakin University academics who are working on a project titled ‘Teen Reading in the Digital Era’ (Deakin University, 2022). The research team are collecting data on reading preferences and behaviours, in terms of both physical and digital literature. Their snapshot report, released in March 2017, provides an overview of progress with data about how many minutes Australian kids and teens are spending reading for pleasure, gender differences, preferences for tablets and eBooks… the list goes on. This year they are surveying Aussie students from VIC, WA, NSW and QLD about how they find good books in the digital age. I can’t wait to see what the researchers find out!

Burkey (2014) expresses optimism about how digital technologies are transforming reading experiences. She mentions the ‘Lizzie Bennet Diaries‘ (vlogs) and ‘Nowhere Boys‘ (a ABC adaptation for TV of the popular book with a linked video game). Burkey also recommends the platform Storybird for young people wanting to create digital literature.

References: 

Burkey, A. (2014). Reading the Future. Synergy, 12(2). Retrieved from https://www.slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/V122144

Deakin University. (2022). Teen Reading in the Digital Era. https://teenreading.net/

Rutherford, L. & Johanson, K. (2017). Teen Reading in the Digital Era [Snapshot Report]. Deakin University. https://wordpress-ms.deakin.edu.au/teenreading/wp-content/uploads/sites/175/2017/04/teen-reading-folio-report_email.pdf

Image Credit:Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Understanding Digital Literature

ETL533: Literature in Digital Environments
Posted on

“The art of storytelling has remained unchanged and, for the most part, the stories are recycled. But the way that humans tell the stories has always evolved with pure, consistent novelty” (Sabia, 2011, 02:46)

The art of telling stories is innate to our very nature, and storytelling traditions span all cultures and time periods across human history. This quote by Joe Sabia, from his storytelling TED talk, powerfully encapsulates how stories are told has transformed due to technological advancements, but at its core, the essence of good storytelling has remained the same.

Digital technology is no doubt impacting the literature landscape, expanding opportunities for multimodal texts that increase user interactivity and redefine the scope of traditional paper-bound books (Lamb, 2011, p.13). Multimodality is defined by Walsh (2013) as “how communication occurs through different but synchronous modes: language, print, images, graphics, movement, gesture, texture, music, sound” (p. 181). Walsh distinguishes between traditional literature, which is represented in a digital format, “digital narratives” that are created digitally, and hybrid texts (2013, p. 183).

There are debates about the benefits of digital literature (e.g. eBooks) such as if it has a place in the classroom, if it threatens the publishing industry, whether the benefits are comparable to students reading paper books, and concern about additional access requirements (such as charged devices, different file types and specific literacy skills) compared to picking up a physical book, just to name a few (Sadokierski, 2013). Some people are resistant to digital literature due to nostalgia or preference for the tactile feeling of holding a book that they are reading (Jabr, 2013).

However, as Sadokierski (2013) states, “electronic books can do certain things that print books cannot, and therein lies their value.” Research suggests that “struggling readers” and students with specific learning requirements benefit from interactive texts that incorporate multimodal elements and enhanced navigation and usability options (Lamb, 2011).

How do we, as teachers, evaluate quality digital literature?

As Walsh (2013) states, “we need to consider whether the screen and audio effects enable students to understand and experience the characteristics of traditional narratives, for example, the development of plot with its climax and resolution, the struggle of good over evil, and the effect of setting” (p. 185). There are elements of quality literature, also proposed by Walsh, that can be used to evaluate all digital texts, such as: clear structure, authentic setting, developing reader empathy and imagination, exploration of ideas, age-appropriate language, and likelihood of motivating users to keep reading (2013, p. 185-187).

To this point Lamb (2011) advises, “when evaluating reading resources, consider the role of the audio, graphics, motion, and interactive elements and determine whether the navigation and support tools are easy to use and contribute to the reading experience” (p. 17). Dobler concurs, suggesting that evaluative criteria should include: “ease of use, the promotion of understanding and literary worthiness” (p. 21). In addition, it is important to remember that the content itself is key to evaluating text quality, not just the multimodal elements (Lamb, 2011, p. 17).

References

Dobler, E. (2013). Looking beyond the screen: Evaluating the quality of digital books. Reading Today, 30(5), 20-21. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=1b2a8f5e-8ca0-46aa-b202-52209b34b771%40redis

Jabr, F. (2013). The reading brain in the digital age: The science of paper versus screens. Scientific American, April 11. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

Kingwell, M. (2013, December 4). Why read literature in the digital age? Retrieved from http://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/why-read-literature-in-the-digital-age/

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

Sabia, J. (2011). The technology of storytelling [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/joe_sabia_the_technology_of_storytelling

Sadokierski, Z. (2013, November 12). What is a book in the digital age? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/what-is-a-book-in-the-digital-age-19071

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment (Ch. 13). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).

Image Credit: Photo by Perfecto Capucine on Unsplash

Copyright © 2025 Emma McDonald. All rights reserved.