As educators, we often assume that our students’ comfort with technology means they are naturally equipped to engage with digital texts. However, there’s a significant difference between using digital tools and critically interacting with digital literature as readers and creators. This realisation has challenged me to rethink how I approach digital content in the classroom. Digital literature provides opportunities for students to develop both literacy and digital fluency. It’s not just about reading on a screen; it’s about interpreting meaning from layered elements like sound, animation, hyperlinks, and visual design.
Technology is a fast paced and ever changing environment and whilst it is important to keep up with technological changes, there is more onus on equipping students with the skills to engage with the complex, multimodal texts they will increasingly encounter in the world.