October 6

Assessment 4 Part C

This subject instilled great fear in me and my abilities to understand digital environments, let alone create one. Whilst I feel like I have a sound grasp of the digital world I engage with on a daily basis, the thought of actually creating a digital story with programs I have never used, was terrifying. However, I understand as a teacher and teacher librarian (TL), harnessing the skills of information and communication technology (ICT) and being abreast of 21st century skills is absolutely vital, and are a requirement set out in the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, 2018).

Whilst I do use a range of digital platforms in my teaching, I never actually considered what constituted valuable digital literature until I began my readings in earnest and thought about it from the TL perspective. I valued the insight provided by Yakota and Teale (2014) in what constituted a good digital text, because it isn’t just about how it fits into the curriculum, its accessibility and whether it appeals to users in a way that fosters intrinsic motivation. It also needs to be classified as quality digital literature (Walsh, 2013). Taking these features into consideration gave me greater insight into how I was going to create a digital story, and ensure that I made use of the digital storytelling elements and considered the pedagogical implications for the user (Nokelainen, 2006). Nokelainen proposes key criteria to evaluate the use of the material, including learner control and activity, added value, motivation, flexibility and feedback and I tried to focus on these key criteria when I developed my digital storytelling (DST) project (Nokelainen, 2006). I desperately wanted my DST project to contain Nokelainen’s elements so I could create a valuable teaching resource for my students and be able to share this as an exemplar with my colleagues. I wanted to eliminate the fear of what I had previously held, about using software and digital tools that felt so foreign.

I used Microsoft Sway, Microsoft Forms, Powtoon and Vimeo to create my DST project, and I have never used any of these digital tools before. I originally thought about using powerpoint, but this is a program I have used for many years, and I really wanted to learn something new from this assessment and bring it to my teaching practice. Initially it was overwhelming, but I quickly learned how easy it was to access and create a digital publication. In less than 24 hours, I had a really clear grasp of Sway and found its usability incredibly simple. I actually felt excited. I noted in my Module 2.1 discussion forum how teachers feel great intimidation when implementing digital literature into the curriculum and feel great pressure to master skills they have had little formal training in. Teachers are already faced with a demanding workload, but I’ve realised if that if one teacher can create a digital narrative in Sway, for example, and share it with teaching colleagues that allows for contribution and collaboration, it lightens the load and the pressure to constantly create new and innovative digital resources. It also works as a guide to show teachers how to include digital stories with features that enhance the learning process, rather than detract from it. With digital narrative technology and the use of tools it encompasses, it helps to ensure the focus remains on learning (Hall, 2011). The creation of digital narratives as noted by Hall (2011) significantly enhances professional awareness and development, leading to teachers being much better equipped to meet the demands of new technologies when creating digital narratives (Hall, 2011). Walsh maintains that ‘students of today will need to adapt to new technologies and to those literary practices needed for each development’ (Walsh, 2010, p216), however, so too will teachers. Leadership, collaboration and support are key elements that a TL can offer to a teaching team when creating and implementing digital narratives.

It is so important to include digital resources in our teaching and to teach students how to access digital literacies across the learning continuum and David Leu clearly acknowledges why it is so important that we support and provide students with the skills needed when reading digital texts (Leu et al., 2011).

I was very conscious of my digital citizenship with regards to copyright and ensuring I used images that didn’t breach copyright in my DST project. This was one of the reasons why I chose to embed links to other online sources, as this does not breach copyright (Australian Copyright Council, 2020). I also relied on the images provided through Sway, so that I could select Creative Commons images only, limiting me to licensed material. Sway also allows for the upload of my own created content in Vimeo. I feel like I still have a great deal to learn about managing copyright effectively, especially as TLs are considered the voice of expertise in this field.

The idea of exploring digital literature for Assessment 2 necessitated a connection to social media and networking that has been established through CSU. Using Goodreads, Twitter and the Knowledge Networks Diigo group was something that I initially felt quite uncomfortable with. However, on reflection, I do see the value of connecting with these professional networks to inform my practice and widen my professional connections and indeed give me greater insight into the digital platforms and resources that exist, and remind myself that I am not alone and really, anything is possible.

 

References

Australian Copyright Council. (2020). https://www.copyright.org.au/ Australian Government. (2012). Copyright and the Digital Economy | Australian Law Reform Commission. https://www.alrc.gov.au/publication/copyright-and-the-digital-economy-alrc-report-122/

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018). Senior Secondary Curriculum. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website:  https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/senior-secondary-curriculum

Hall, T. (2011). Digital renaissance:The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100.

Leu, D. J, Forzani, E., Timbrell, N., & Maykel, C. (2015). Seeing the forest, not the trees: Essential technologies for literacy in the primary-grade and upper elementary-grade classroom. Reading Teacher, 69(2), 139-145. http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=109228758&site=ehost-live

Nokelainen, P. (2006). An empirical assessment of pedagogical usabipty criteria for digital learning material with elementary school students. Educational Technology & Society, 9(2), 178 – 197. https://www.j-ets.net/ETS/journals/9_2/12.pdf

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal pteracy:what does it mean for classroom practice? Austrapan Journal of Language and pteracy 33(3), 211 – 239. http://www.alea.edu.au/documents/item/63

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. (pp. 181-194). Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/863c5c8d-9f3f-439f-a7e3-2c2c67ddbfa8/1/ALiteratureCompanionforTeachers.pdf

Yokota, J. & Teale, W.H. (2014). Picture books and the Digital World: Educators Making Informed Choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). https://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_Making_Informed_Choices

 

October 6

Assessment 4 Part A

Part A

This digital storytelling (DST) project has been created for the Senior Secondary Curriculum for English in Unit 2, for a Year 11 English class using Sway in Microsoft 365, Microsoft Forms, Powtoon and Vimeo. It is a multimodal resource that does not meet all of the requirements of digital literature categories as stipulated by Walsh (2013) and Lamb (2011), however does exhibit characteristics of storytelling such as linearity, structure and digital features that provide and enhance learning opportunities for students.

This DST project has been developed for a secondary, independent school that excels in both NAPLAN and OP (ATAR in 2020) results. As such, students identified with learning needs is minimal, however with close to 28% from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB), this project is scaffolded with various digital features to support challenged readers (Alexander, 2011).

In Unit 2 students analyse the representation of ideas, attitudes and voices in texts in order to consider how texts represent the world and human experience (ACARA, 2018). This unit of work focuses on the study of Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife, and students will examine the effect of stylistic choices and how audiences are positioned to consider the prevailing attitudes, values and perspectives present in this text (ACARA, 2018). The unit incorporates a close study of the play, and this necessitates a deep understanding of the socio-cultural context of the both colonial and post-colonial texts. This DST project has been developed for the orientation phase of the unit of work, introducing students to colonial texts and the inherent ideologies and cultural assumptions that foregrounded this era of literature. This then provides a springboard for understanding how post-colonial texts subvert the predominant ideologies and represent a reimagined telling of a story with a post-colonial voice. The purpose of this DST project is to introduce students to traditional colonial texts and then further examine how language and structural choices shape perspectives. This unit of work culminates with an examination that responds to an unseen question, in the form of an analytical essay. This DST project meets the content descriptors for Senior English in ACEEN024, ACEEN021, ACEEN022, ACEEN025, ACEEN026, ACEEN028, ACEEN031, ACEEN033, ACEEN035, ACEEN038, ACEEN039 and ACEEN040 (ACARA, 2018).

The value of this DST project is multi-faceted. The author of a Sway resource is able to invite others to edit, enabling great collaboration amongst a teaching cohort. This DST project could be created by one teacher who then shares it with their teaching team, enabling other teachers to edit and contribute to the overall presentation. This allows for a greater collaboration of ideas, shared authorship, empowerment and pedagogical practice (Morra, 2013). This synergy amongst a teaching team would be incredibly valuable (Lamb, 2011) and promotes pedagogical methodology through the use of tools by teachers that enhance the teaching of their curriculum areas (Hall, 2011). Additionally, it allows teachers to engage creatively with their subject and explore the creative ways of communicating a topic in way that is engaging for their students (Hall, 2011).

After the experiences of online learning as a result of COVID, this DST project would be an excellent teaching resource for teachers and students to use. Students would have the luxury of self-pacing, and can enable the feature of ‘read aloud’ to assist in the comprehension and learning of content. A Stack (Microsoft, n.d) of key vocabulary needed for the unit of study is clearly explained for students, and hyperlinks have been embedded to audio and text files, allowing students to gain further understanding of key concepts. A Powtoon video (Powtoon, n.d) has also been embedded via Vimeo (Vimeo, n.d.) offering an audio-visual experience for students. This DST project provides students with great flexibility and control over their own learning and pace of learning, and it is this sense of autonomy that has the potential to enhance educational and learning outcomes, because it allows students to progress at their own pace (Cullen, 2015). Further engagement in the learning experience would be enhanced by completing activities in the inbuilt Forms, another feature of Microsoft 365 (Microsoft, n.d.). These activities provide opportunities for consolidation, comprehension, and higher order thinking skills of synthesis and evaluation (Kopka, 2014). Further, they allow students to engage in literary practices by demonstrating metacognition and using the metalanguage of the English curriculum (Walsh, 2010).

This DST project allows students the flexibility to self-pace, listen as opposed to (or in conjunction with) reading, levels of interactivity and cognitive engagement, comprehension and evaluative skills that students should be predominantly engaging in (Roskos et al., 2014). It is these features that also provides differentiation for students, making it a valuable teaching resource.

For a school that optimizes the features available in Microsoft Office 365, students would have unlimited access to this resource at school and remotely, provided internet access is available remotely. The added advantage of this DST project is that teachers can teach the content face to face as a presentation, and share the Sway so that for those students that need additional access or revision of taught content, they can watch, read, re-read and listen as many times as they need, without judgement or pressure. This added flexibility allows students greater autonomy over their learning and caters to the needs of students with diverse needs, highlighting the potential that digital narrative and media has in engaging disadvantaged learners in textual practices (Mills & Levido, 2011).

Essentially, this DST project is a traditional learning activity that has been redesigned with digital tools to engage learners in a deep and meaningful way, providing flexibility and an element of interactivity. It also allows for a blend of flexible learning and teaching approaches, whilst also providing students with the necessary ICT skills that are vital to 21st century skills of creating, communicating and collaborating. (Morra, 2013; Dzuiban, Hartman and Moskal, 2004).

References

Alexander, B. (2011). Storytelling: A tale of two generations. In The new digital storytelling: Creating narratives with new media (pp. 3-15). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=678297&ppg=20

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. 2018. Senior Secondary Curriculum. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website:  https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/senior-secondary-curriculum/english/

Bourne, H. (2020). The Drover’s Wife, Year 11 English Unit 2: Culture and Texts (Sway). Townsville Grammar School Teacher Resources. Townsville Grammar School PF Rowland Library. Townsville. Retrieved from https://sway.office.com/H7SiI7dD7ekK5KLr?ref=Link

Cullen, M. (2015). How is Interactive Media Changing the Way Children Learn? Education Technology Solutions. Retrieved from https://educationtechnologysolutions.com/2015/12/how-is-interactive-media-changing-the-way-children-learn/

Dziuban C, Hartman J. & Moskal, P. 2004. Blended Learning Educause. Vol 2004, issue 7. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/libary/pdf/ERB0407

Kopka, S. & Hobbs, R., (2014). Transmedia & Education: Using Transmedia in the Classroom with a Focus on Interactive Literature [Blog]. SeKopka. Retrieved from https://sekopka.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/transmedia-education-using-transmedia-in-the-classroom-with-a-focus-on-interactive-literature/

Hall, T. (2011). Digital renaissance: The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100.

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

Mills, K., & Levido, A. (2011). iPed:Pedagogy for digital text production. Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-9. Retrieved from http://exproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=73908381&site=ehost-pve

Morra, A. (2010). Eight steps to great storytelling. [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://edtechteacher.org/8-steps-to-great-storytelling-from-samantha-onedudemic/

Microsoft. (n.d.). Sway. Retrieved September 15, 2020 from https://sway.office.com/

Powtoon. (n.d.). Bring awesomeness to your classroom. Retrieved September 16, 2020 from https://www.powtoon.com/edu-home/

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

Vimeo. (n.d.). We’ve got a thing for video. Retrieved September 16, 2020 from https://vimeo.com/

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal pteracy:what does it mean for classroom practice? Austrapan Journal of Language and pteracy 33(3), 211 – 239. Retrieved from http://www.alea.edu.au/documents/item/63

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers (pp. 181-194). Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). Retrieved from https://primo.csu.edu.au/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma990022907270402357&context=L&vid=61CSU_INST:61CSU&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&lang=en

 

September 30

Digital environments

Think about your own journey as an educator – what has changed in your teaching practice over the course of your career with regards to technology use and literature? Is that change embedded at a core level, or is it a matter of changing tools?

I have been teaching for twenty years and so much has changed in how I use technology over the course of my career. After I returned to work after a few years on maternity leave in at the end of last decade, I remember so many of my resources were no longer relevant. The curriculum focus was the same, it was just how I had filed them and the formats they existed, were all of a sudden obsolete. I am incredibly fortunate to work in a school that embraces technology and ICTs and we are supported by an incredible IT department. Whilst I acknowledge that in the past teachers have shied away from utilising the digital platforms and tools we have available, now we really do not have a choice. We have a morning briefing every morning before school, where all teaching staff come together to discuss the day ahead. Every Tuesday is now dedicated to training in digital tools and we actually call it ‘Tech Tuesday’.

I can’t tell you when we became so digitally literate, although it feels like it happened through a natural transition. All of a sudden we had onedrive, google classroom, Microsoft Teams and Google suite. As a TL, I have had to adapt, review and implement ebooks, audiobooks and other interactive texts online and implement through our LMS.

As cited by our teachers, keeping students engaged and not distracted by other features afforded in the digital world, means that we have had to be vigilant in how we evaluate the resources we acquire and understand better how our students learn from screens, and the implications involved with literacy and technology. Teachers too, feel great intimidation when implementing digital literature into their curriculum and I know they feel, like me, pressured at times to be an expert on everything digital we encounter. This certainly isn’t the case, but I do understand how some teachers feel great pressure to gain – quite quickly – a range of skills and competencies in rather a short period of time, on top of the already demanding roles teachers face today.

 

September 30

Challenges of using digital literature in the classroom

I really think that to include technology and digital literature in our pedagogical practices, we need to ensure that they ultimately meet educational goals and are of literary worth. The implementation of such resources should enhance the learning process, not detract from it, so being able to ascertain the value of technology and digital literature and how they enhance the learning process is paramount. Morgan states that digital resources must be included in the curriculum because our students live in a digitally-driven world as such, their interaction with digital resources has changed how our students learn and see the world (Morgan, 2014).

To ensure that technology and digital literature is embedded in educational practices, this process should involve great collaboration with teaching staff and the teacher librarian (TL). The literature should be of high quality and meet curricula demands, but should only be included if it is going to enhance learning, rather than be the focus of learning (McKnight et al., 2016). Sometimes it’s a fine line to determine what is classed as quality literature, when one can become distracted by the additional features that are included that purport to enhance the learning process. Only teachers, in consultation with their colleagues and indeed the students themselves, can truly ascertain this. What is also important to remember, is that one cannot assume that students have the digital literacy skills, or the technological skills, to access digital texts. Whilst students may be an expert on their iPhone and Instagram, this doesn’t necessarily mean that students can effectively and critically navigate and engage with digital literature. Teachers will need to ensure that they provide learning opportunities to develop a range of reading and comprehension skills, as well as digital skills (Leu et al., 2015).

 

References

Leu, D.J, Forzani, E.,Timbrell, N., & Maykel., C. (2015). Seeing the forest, not the trees: Essential technologies for literacy in primary grade and upper elementary grade classroom. Reading Teacher 69: (2), p.139-145.  https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1073399.

McKnight, K., O’Malley, K., Ruzic, R., Horsley, M., Franey, J., & Bassett, K. (2016). Teaching in a digital age: How educators use technology to improve student learning. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education, 48(3), 194-211.

Morgan, H. (2014). Using digital story projects to help students improve in reading and writing. Reading Improvement, 1, 20-27.

September 30

Evaluating digitally reproduced stories

I was really grateful to read Annette Lamb’s definitions of five electronic reading environments. Whilst I think I have a pretty book grasp of (and exposure to) ebooks, reference databases and interactive storybooks, as a high school teacher, my experience with transmedia storytelling and hypertexts is limited. I have felt very much like a dinosaur for transitioning to kindles or ebooks, because I just can’t move past the joy I get from reading a physical book. My ineptitude of not being able to read from a screen for my studies, was reaffirmed in Jabr’s reading that acknowledges the differences when navigating a physical and digital landscape. If surveys and studies tell us that reading physical texts leads to better engagement and comprehension of texts, as opposed to digital texts, and our students are immersed, well and truly, in a digital landscape, we have to consider the skills that our students must have to engage on a deep and meaningful level with online texts. If we are becoming ‘mentally drained’ and approach learning from a screen as one less conducive to learning (Jabr, 2013), we need rethink our pedagogical frameworks. I think the suggestion of metacognitive learning regulation (Jabr, 2013) is one way we can assist our students with recalling, retaining and engaging in deeper comprehension with texts. This paper is also seven years old, so I am sure there is more recent research out there that provides more a definitive and prescriptive approach to assisting students acquire the skills to engage effectively in the digital age.

In terms of selection of digital resources, I think ultimately it comes down to the Teacher Librarian (TL) (in consultation with teachers) to evaluate the value of the digital literature and whether it meets the needs of the curriculum and the students, and one that is easy to both access and navigate. If we evaluate the digital features of literature in terms of both its literary qualities and its multimodal abilities, as Walsh suggests (2013), this allows us to be discriminating in our choice of texts. Teachers will then need to consider whether the screen/audio features of that text still enable students to understand the narrative and whether these digital features enhance students’ response to literature (Walsh, 2013). What is inevitable, I think, is that we need to support the shift in how students read.

Then it is up to us to ensure that our pedagogy as teachers (and TLs!) supports this shift in how students read.

 

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

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/

 

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).

 

 

August 24

Critical Reflection of Digital Literature Experience

Whether we like it or not, the digital landscape has impacted the work of educators and teacher librarians in a way we could never have fathomed. Adolescents today are saturated in a digital environment, whereby they have access to information at their fingertips. Teacher librarians (TLs) have had to reevaluate their collections and their collection process to ensure that their collections demonstrate a range of resources, in a variety of formats, that not only fulfil and align with curriculum standards, but have an understanding of what constitutes a good digital text and whether it supports student learning (Yakota & Teale, 2014). With the emergence of so many digital texts, TLs need to ascertain whether a digital resource is a quality resource. An evaluation process that considers the type of resource and how it fits into the curriculum, accessibility of the resource and its reusability, its appeal to users that fosters intrinsic motivation, good synergy that exists between the literature and the text’s digital features, and whether indeed the resource is classified as quality literature (Walsh, 2013), are all key considerations that should inform the evaluative process.

Not all digital resources are going to meet every criteria, but after the reading I have done in this subject, I do think that the text needs to meet quality literature goals if it is to be included in a library collection (Walsh, 2013). I also believe that access and usability are essential considerations if students are going to engage with the resource in a way that is conducive to learning, engages students in a deep, cognitive way and enhances learning or literacy skills. Above all else, giving students some control of the features that enhance their engagement is also critical if pedagogical demands are going to be met (Edwards, 2013). Students will quickly lose focus if usability is difficult or requires high cognitive demand. Accessibility is also crucial, and this is one thing that I need to be cognisant of. I work in a private, independent school, so issues of accessibility have never featured as a key concern for our students or how our collection is developed. However, I may not always work at my current school and will need to develop an awareness of accessibility in the future.

If I reflect on my own experience with digital literature, I hate to admit it, but I’m a hypocrite. I don’t like reading from a screen, and find it really difficult to engage in deep learning when I read from a screen. Jabr’s reading in module two allowed me understand why I have felt intrinsically resistant and challenged when reading and studying from a screen. Science tells us why we prefer to read from physical sources, and it has nothing to do with our age, but more to do with our experiences of reading and engaging with text (Jabr, 2013). But regardless of my own preferences of engaging with texts, my role will need to see me supportive of teachers as they embrace the challenges of incorporating digital texts into their pedagogy and curriculum (Jetnikoff, 2009) and working with them to discover new ways of incorporating digital literature into the classroom that harnesses good literacy practices (Jenkins, 2006). And whilst there is literature out there that suggests that not all students prefer to read from a screen, and instead prefer traditional printed formats, (Jabr, 2013), TLs and teachers will need to work together when considering the implementation of digital resources and how they can enhance learning and literacy outcomes.

The digital text I most enjoyed reviewing for this assessment was an interactive text found on Scootle. I see so much value in it as a learning resource because it allows for great interactivity, cognitive engagement, decision-making, comprehension and evaluative skills, all the skills that students should be predominantly engaging in (Roskos et al., 2014). I also think this resource, which allows users to self-pace, provides a sense of autonomy, which has great potential to enhance educational and learning outcomes because it provides content that allows students to progress at their own pace (Cullen, 2015).

The incorporation of this resource into a Humanities curriculum program, not only fulfils curriculum goals and engages students in 21st century skills, but provides students with an opportunity to develop digital learning and literacy skills that are so vital to students in their learning journey, because these are the skills they will need moving forward as digital citizens (Leu et al., 2015). Because this resource can be implemented in Year 7 across Humanities, English and History, it is a valuable and worthy resource, meeting curriculum outcomes across three different learning areas. An interactive text such as this introduced at the beginning of the high school experience, provides students with an excellent introduction to the necessary skills they will need to continue to develop digital literacy practices. My challenge as a TL will be how to show teachers its educational and literary value, and how to implement an interactive resource like this one and demonstrate to teachers its place within the classroom.

 

 

 

References

Cullen, M. (2015). How is Interactive Media Changing the Way Children Learn? Education Technology Solutions. Retrieved from https://educationtechnologysolutions.com/2015/12/how-is-interactive-media-changing-the-way-children-learn/

 

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

Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: media education for the 21st century. MacArthur Foundation. In Walker, S., Jameson, J. & Ryan, M. (2010). Skills and strategies for e-learning in a participatory culture (Ch. 15). In R. Sharpe, H. Beetham, & S. Freitas (Eds.), Rethinking learning for a digital age: How learners are shaping their own experiences (pp. 212-224). New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central.

Jetnikoff, Anita. (2009). Digital Storytelling Podcasts, Blogs and Vlogs: Exploring a Range of New Media Texts and Forms in English. English in Australia, Vol. 44, No. 2. 55-62. Retrieved from https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=200180678030997;res=IELAPA> ISSN: 0155-2147

 

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

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. (pp. 181-194). Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). Retrieved from https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/863c5c8d-9f3f-439f-a7e3-2c2c67ddbfa8/1/ALiteratureCompanionforTeachers.pdf

Yokota, J. & Teale, W.H. (2014). Picture books and the Digital World: Educators Making Informed Choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_Making_Informed_Choices

 

 

 

August 24

interactive ebook

Interactive literature review

Citation: Education Services Australia. (2014). Scootle: Discover Learning Resources. Retrieved from https://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/p/home

Scootle Education. Making a Difference: Oodgeroo Noonuccal. (2016)

Scootle resources – Oodgeroo Noonuccal TLF-ID R10907

Summary of digital resource

This resource is an excellent interactive digital resource that explores the life work of Indigenous activist, poet and artist, Oodgeroo Noonuccal. This resource contains 13 digital resources especially designed to cater for students in Years 7 – 10. The curriculum resources are organized into four subcategories that look at her life, her role as an activist, a poet and visual artist. The collection includes a variety of resources which includes photos, interviews, artwork and maps and levels of interactivity that engage students in a meaningful way.

This resource meets the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture Cross Curriculum Priority (OI.4, OI.5, OI.6, OI.7, OI.8, OI.9) and the following curriculum content indicators in Year 7 English (ACELT1619, ACELY1722), Year 8 English (ACELY1732), Year 9 English (ACELY1746), Year 10 English (ACELA1564), Year 10 English (ACELT1815) as well as Year 7 History (ACHHS208), Year 9 History (ACDSEH141, ACHHS172), Year 10 History (ACHHS188) and Year 7 Humanities (ACHASSK173) (ACARA, 2010). This collection of resources is a relevant and valuable teaching resource across English and the Humanities, and highlights great recognition of Indigenous identities in Australian society.

Format, features and suitability

Scootle is a national digital learning hub which provides Australian teachers with access to over 20, 000 digital learning resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Access to this Scootle resource is via Teacher accessibility. It is an excellent resource centre that teachers have access to via their educational email address. Teachers select learning paths and provide students with a PIN number, which they use to access the resource. Scootle has also released a free app for students to access teacher-directed resources on any device. Students would need to have access to the internet to access this resource.

Resource Learning, Language and Literacy

This interactive resource provides students with an interactive learning experience about Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s work, life and contributions to Australian society. Students click through the sequential screens, left to right, with an option of going back and forward, to reread information or check for understanding. Students begin at L5210 – Making a difference: Oodgeroo Noonuccal (‘view content’) and engage in a chronological journey of Noonuccal’s life. The appearance of the content is not dissimilar to a powerpoint presentation and students navigate at their own pace. According to Cullen (2015), interactive media has great potential to enhance educational and learning outcomes by providing content that allows students to progress at their own pace. On every ‘screen’ there is a notebook icon at the bottom right hand of page, which provides students with an opportunity to engage in analysis, comprehension activities, multiple choice and note-taking. Students can navigate independently, moving between screens, and can go back at any time to complete the notebook activities. Once the notebook activities have been completed, students have the option to print the page, or screen shot their responses. Once ‘print’ is selected, a new screen appears with a clear and organized summary of the students’ notes.

Students are required to make judgements about the information presented to them, allowing them to engage in higher order thinking skills such as synthesis and evaluation, to complete the activities in the interactive notebook (Kopka, 2014). This resource does not require a high cognitive demand, and because students can self-pace, they have an increased sense of control of the text and activities required of them (Edwards, 2013). This digital interactive text provides an opportunity for students who are otherwise disengaged in traditional print texts, to engage in a format that presents a variety of photos, interviews, artwork and text and thus provides students with the opportunity to then synthesize this information in a meaningful way. The notebook activity is incredibly effective as students are presented with multiple choice that they click to select, and then a writing activity, whereby students can leave the notebook at any time, and reread pertinent content. Student engagement with this interactive resource reinforces meaning-making strategies and influences how students develop literacy skills because decision-making, comprehension and evaluative skills are the skills that students will predominantly engage in (Roskos et al., 2014). Essentially, technologies and literacy practice that enables students to learn from their online environment, harnesses the skills necessary to navigate digital learning and literacy (Leu et al., 2015). According to Larsen (in Lamb, 2011) students want to be immersed in multimodal resources that combine a variety of digital media, whereby they can learn by what they see and hear, rather than simply reading about it.

This Scootle resource is user friendly and is easy for students to navigate (Parrott, 2011), making it an excellent teaching resource. The inclusion of this resource in a classroom setting provides opportunities for students to demonstrate 21st century skills including critical thinking and digital literacies (Leu et al., 2015) as well engagement in an online environment that is a highly suitable teaching resource.

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010). Cross curricula priorities. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/

Cullen, M. (2015). How is Interactive Media Changing the Way Children Learn? Education Technology Solutions. Retrieved from https://educationtechnologysolutions.com/2015/12/how-is-interactive-media-changing-the-way-children-learn/

Education Services Australia. (2014). Scootle: Discover Learning Resources. Retrieved from https://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/p/home

Kopka, S. & Hobbs, R., (2014). Transmedia & Education: Using Transmedia in the Classroom with a Focus on Interactive Literature [Blog]. SeKopka. Retrieved from https://sekopka.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/transmedia-education-using-transmedia-in-the-classroom-with-a-focus-on-interactive-literature/

Leu, D.J, Forzani, E.,Timbrell, N., & Maykel., C. (2015) . Seeing the forest, not the trees: Essential technologies for literacy in primary grade and upper elementary grade classroom. Reading Teacher 69: (2), p.139-145. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1073399.

Edwards, J. T. (2013). Reading beyond the borders: observations on digital ebook readers and adolescent reading practices (ch. 9). In J. Whittingham, & IGI Global (Eds.), Technological tools for the literacy classroom (pp. 135-158). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

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

Parrot, K. (2018) Five questions to ask when evaluating apps and ebooks. ALSC BLOG. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2011/07/5-questions-to-ask-when-evaluating-apps-and-ebooks/

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

August 24

enhanced ebook

Enhanced eBook review

Citation: Barrie, A., Cocks, M., Coleman, S., Corvan, S., Davies, G., Haywood, J., Hegerty, B., Hofmeister, R., Platt, D., Taraporwalla, R. (2019). Senior Ancient History for Queensland.

Cambridge University Press Australia and New Zealand.

Summary of resource:

This digitext is a good example of an enhanced ebook. Whilst the publishers refer to this text as an interactive text, its features are more synonymous with those of an enhanced ebook. This digitext is an excellent resource for Senior Ancient History and provides students with access to a range of additional digital features including videos, media texts, additional sources and activities, maps and images. The text is divided into a table of contents, similar to its print counterpart, however also includes a range of additional resources including a test hub, instruction on how best to use the resource, chapters divided into units of work and summaries at the end of each chapter. This text supports the teaching of Senior Ancient History in Queensland.

Format, features and suitability

Students automatically have access to the interactive digital textbook (digitext) if they purchase the physical textbook. However, the digitext can be purchased independently of the printed version and this provides digital access to the resources and interactive features for 24 months. Within the digitext tab ‘My Resources’, users can download the PDF and work off line, however access to the interactive media requires online access.

This text allows for easy integration of video and audio interactivity, with a range of short videos, primary sources, interviews and podcasts, and this brings more to the reading experience and learning process than that of just print text (Morris, 2016). Within each of the chapters, users also have the option of bookmarking pages, selecting text, highlighting text, and inserting weblinks and hyperlinks, which all contribute to richer annotation features that can be supplemented by additional content online (Morris, 2016). Dalton acknowledges that quality digital features need compelling literary attributes and usable enhancing digital features (Dalton, 2014). The features of this digitext enhance the engagement of the learning experience and promote digital literacy practices through the ability to bookmark pages and make annotations within the digitext (Lamb, 2011).

Whilst all of these features do bring more to the reading experience, it is important to ascertain whether this interactivity and enhanced features are central to the learning process (Morris, 2014) or merely an addition that does not support engagement on any greater level than its physical counterpart. As noted by Edwards (2013), students in a college study were surveyed regarding their preference for digital or print textbooks whereby the results were balanced – some preferred textbooks over ebooks for learning, whereas Rockinson-Szapkiw, Holder and Dunn’s study (Rockinson-Szapkiw et al., 2011) revealed that the functions of ebooks provided some advantages with regards to navigation, search features and overall usability. This digitext is easy to navigate, however the search features are slow and labored, and this ‘wait time’ could prove to be problematic in terms of student engagement.

The reader is presented with a linear, left-to-right reading experience with the embedded media, and content such as maps and images can be enlarged. A number of videos and maps allow the reader to interact with this media, by enlarging, pausing and replaying content. The sense of autonomy and manipulation of digital content provides students with an increased sense of control (Edwards, 2013). It is this supplementary addition of maps, charts and videos that enhance readers’ understanding with these affecting visuals (James & de Kock, 2013). The assistive features available in this text, particularly the annotation features, support students’ learning and improves readers’ fluency, comprehension and development of the metalanguage of Ancient History in the learning context (O’Connell et al., 2015).

This digitext is not available on handheld devices, and as the screen information is quite detailed, a laptop or desktop computer would be the best platform to access this text. This digitext is a valuable resource, and does expand and enhance the traditional reading experience. It is user friendly and is simplistic in its navigation (Parrott, 2011), which makes it an excellent teaching resource, and allows students the option of working offline, when the interactive features are not required. This resource allows for students to demonstrate 21st century skills, in particular digital literacies (Leu et al., 2015) and is a suitable teaching and learning resource for Senior Ancient History students. Its longevity with its digital access is renewed every two years, however this automatic renewal expires after six years, rendering the digital features obsolete, should the text be resold as a second-hand text.

 

 

 

References

Dalton, B. (2014). DIY E-Books. Reading Teacher, 67(7), 543–546. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/trtr.1246

Edwards, J. T. (2013). Reading beyond the borders: observations on digital ebook readers and adolescent reading practices (ch. 9). In J. Whittingham, & IGI Global (Eds.), Technological tools for the literacy classroom (pp. 135-158). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

James, R. & De Kock, L. (2013). The digital David and the Gutenberg oliath: the rise of the ‘enhanced’ e-book. English Academy Review, 30(1), pp. 107-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10131752.2013.783394

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

Morris, J. (2016). A Genre-Based Approach to Digital Reading. Pedagogy (2016) 16 (1): 125–136.

https://doi.org/10.1215/15314200-3158685

O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). Literature in digital environments: Changes and emerging trends in Australian school libraries. In L. Das, S. Brand-Gruwel, K. Kok, & J. Walhout (Eds.), IASL 2015 Conference Proceedings: The School Library Rocks: Living it, Learning it, Loving it (pp. 356-369). International Association of School Librarians

Leu, D.J, Forzani, E.,Timbrell, N., & Maykel., C. (2015) . Seeing the forest, not the trees: Essential technologies for literacy in primary grade and upper elementary grade classroom. Reading Teacher 69: (2), p.139-145. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1073399.

Parrot, K. (2018) Five questions to ask when evaluating apps and ebooks. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2011/07/5-questions-to-ask-when-evaluating-apps-and-ebooks/

Rockinson-Szapkiw, A.J., Courduff, J., Carter, K., Bennett, D. (2012). Electronic versus traditional print textbooks: A comparison study on the influence of university students’ learning. Liberty University. Elsevier: Computers and Education. Retrieved from Researchgate.net/profile/Jennifer_Courduff/publication/257171412_Electronic_versus_traditional_print_textbooks_A_comparison_study_on_the_influence_of_university_students%27_learning/links/5e27645ca6fdcc70a140b93e/Electronic-versus-traditional-print-textbooks-A-comparison-study-on-the-influence-of-university-students-learning.pdf

 

August 24

ebook review

Citation: Kent, H. (2013). Burial Rites. Pan McMillan.

Summary of LiteratureBurial Rites by Hannah Kent

This novel is a quality text that belongs to the genre of historical fiction. Burial Rites is based on a true story that recounts the last public execution that took place in Iceland 1829. This novel is highly acclaimed and won the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year, and the Victorian Premier’s People’s Choice Award. It has been included on the prescribed text list compiled by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) and is taught in Senior English in Queensland. The powerful concepts of the text include truth, women and violence, power, poverty, disempowerment and justice, and is a deeply moving and engaging text that allows students the opportunity to consider life in another time, place and culture and understand the significant historical and cultural context of the time, meeting syllabus objectives in Senior English (ACEEN060, ACEEN061, ACEEN062, ACEEN063, ACEEN065, ACEEN068, ACEEN076, ACEEN077) and History (ACHMH047, ACHMH048, ACHMH058) (ACARA, 2018).

Format, features and suitability

Originally published in 2013 in print text, the ebook of Burial Rites became available in 2015. This text will be reviewed via the Wheelers ePlatform Application, a program that integrates with all library management systems (LMS) (Wheelers, 2010). The free application, ePlatform App, is a free service available to users whose school subscribes to Wheelers and is available for free download on iOS, Android and Windows platforms with a single log on. Once the ebook is borrowed, it is available off-line. Burial Rites is a digital text and can be read on any device and as Edwards suggests, students are more comfortable reading digital devices (2013). This ebook provides a range of features that can accommodate readers with different reading preferences and abilities. Students can customise their reading experience by altering the font size and style, background colour and character line/spacing, allowing students to manipulate the text to suit their needs. Further, there are settings available for dyslexic readers, OpenDyslexic font (colour, font and background colour) that assists and enhances reading rate, accuracy and experience (Wery & Dilberto, 2016). As a text in Senior English, there are a range of features available that enhance the reading experience and demands of the curriculum. These include the ability to highlight text, create/add notes, access to a dictionary and thesaurus, and links to Google based on search results for selected words. These are all positive features that enhance the comprehension of unknown words (Ward et al., 2016) and assist English students in the task of unpacking and deconstructing a text. Additionally, it is these interactive features that allow immediate access to supplementary information, which affords greater engagement and has the propensity to encourage a renewed enthusiasm for reading (Edwards, 2013).

Burial Rites is an engaging novel that draws readers into a harsh world of injustice and humanity. As the text uses Icelandic names and several Icelandic references, the dictionary feature is incredibly beneficial and allows for an uninterrupted reading experience. This text may be considered a challenging text for some readers, in terms of some of the sophisticated vocabulary and powerful and confronting concepts it contains. As noted by Edwards, students learn language more effectively using devices that incorporate interactive components (Edwards, 2013), and the fact that students can read this text on any device, and with the additional features available makes this ebook a highly suitable digital text that meets both curriculum and leisure reading goals. Quality digital literature should consist of a well-written story with complementary digital features (Walsh, 2013; Yokota & Teale, 2013), and this ebook, Burial Rites, certainly delivers digital features that enhance and support the reading experience. Previous studies have confirmed that digital reading practices promote new literacy practices, such as digital note-taking, and students experience greater autonomy and control in how they engage with a text (Larsen, in Lamb 2011). The additional features of the ebook Burial Rites supports the reading experience, which only motivate students to engage in their reading practices in a meaningful way.

Resource Integration

Wheelers ePlatform App is an excellent addition to the LMS of any school, as its features allow users to experience and read the book in new ways (Parrot, 2018). Students can be immersed in the learning experience, and use the highlighting, notetaking and dictionary features without having to put the book down, allowing greater focus and less interruption to the learning experience (Edwards, 2013). As noted by Parrot, an effective app should offer customisable features within settings and accessibility options (Parrot, 2018), as this text does.

Burial Rites via the ePlatform App aligns seamlessly with technology infrastructure of any LMS, however an adequate budget would be required to support the Wheelers digital ebook collection (O’Connell et al., 2015). Burial Rites addresses curriculum needs across Senior English and History and student learning, but also meets recreational reading needs, which suggests that this is a valuable inclusion to any school’s digital collection.

Wheelers provide a linear platform access, which allows for single use at one time and supports the availability of the text for students’ personal reading choices (O’Connell et al., 2015). Should multiple use be needed, consideration would need to be given to the costs associated with this (O’Connell et al., 2015).

The digital affordances of the ebook Burial Rites supports students’ engagement with historical fiction and reading practices and would be a suitable text to be included in both a digital collection and as a featured text in the Senior curriculum. This ebook expands and enhances the traditional reading experience (Parrot, 2018), and is a valuable digital text for both teaching and leisure purposes.

 

 

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. 2010. Senior Secondary Curriculum. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website:  https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/senior-secondary-curriculum/english/

O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). Literature in digital environments: Changes and emerging trends in Australian school libraries. In L. Das, S. Brand-Gruwel, K. Kok, & J. Walhout (Eds.), IASL 2015 Conference Proceedings: The School Library Rocks: Living it, Learning it, Loving it (pp. 356-369). International Association of School Librarians

Edwards, J. T. (2013). Reading beyond the borders: observations on digital ebook readers and adolescent reading practices (ch. 9). In J. Whittingham, & IGI Global (Eds.), Technological tools for the literacy classroom (pp. 135-158). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

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

Parrot, K. (2018) Five questions to ask when evaluating apps and ebooks. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2011/07/5-questions-to-ask-when-evaluating-apps-and-ebooks/

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2010). Prescribed Text List. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/portal/snr_english_eal_prescribed_texts_list_2019-21.pdf

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. (pp. 181-194). Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). Retrieved from https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/863c5c8d-9f3f-439f-a7e3-2c2c67ddbfa8/1/ALiteratureCompanionforTeachers.pdf

Wery, J. J., & Diliberto, J. A. (2017). The effect of a specialized dyslexia font, OpenDyslexic, on reading rate and accuracy. Annals of Dyslexia, 67(2), 114-127. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1007/s11881-016-0127-1

Wheelers Books. (2020). The World of Books at your fingertips. Retrieved from https://www.wheelersbooks.com.au/info/ebooks

Yokota, J. & Teale, W.H. (2014). Picture books and the Digital World: Educators Making Informed Choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_Making_Informed_Choices