September 2023 – Jennifer's reflections 'through the looking glass'

Comics for the Digital Age

Webcomics and webtoons are the new kid on the block for comics. Incorporating the excitement of interactive digital learning and the popularity of graphic novels, this digital literature trend harnesses pop-culture themes and formats for literacy learning. The contemporary webcomic Breaking Cat News (Dunn, 2017) is an entertaining play on traditional news crews and report topics, and is based on the escapades of the author’s pet cats.

Significant trends in children’s literature have shown an increase in the influence of text design and form . Illustrations and visual images hold power over audience engagement, with the rise of graphic novels an example of reader influence on publishing decisions and form (Short, 2018). Webcomics and webtoons move this appeal to the digital environment, engaging all ages and language learners. This format may seem simplistic in nature, however, they can cover a range of topics and issues in differing detail and complexity.

Dunn writes and illustrates the webcomic strips in her platform Cat News. The watercolour illustrations in animated panels effectively represent a humorous view of the adventures of her cats. The webcomic follows the traditional format of print comics, allowing the reader to follow the storyline through left to right and top to bottom directionality. Speech and thought bubbles are contained within the panels and the gutter space is used efficiently to move the action along. The narrow format of Breaking Cat News allows convenient scrolling for readers accessing the webpage via smartphones. Chapters are created and uploaded bi-weekly, with easy navigational tabs and arrows to explore through the content.

Screenshot from webcomic Breaking Cat News, example report chapter titled 'The bi-monthly 2am running of the cats' (Dunn, 2014)

Webcomics and webtoons offer the opportunity to foster students’ imagination and build their literacy and digital competencies. Research has shown that digital storytelling can positively impact student achievement as well as promote active and independent learning (Towndrow & Kogut, 2020). Meaningful integration of technology in the classroom to support 21st century learning is a goal in education and is reflected in the Australian Curriculum through the Literacy (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2010 to present-b) and Digital Literacy capabilities (ACARA), 2010 to present-a). With many teachers identifying digital technologies as an area of concern in their professional development (Hyndman, 2018), the simple format and easy access to webcomics could be a practical means to integrate technology in authentic and enriching ways. Inspiring digital resources offer educators to connect literacy, multiliteracies and transliteracies, to engage with learning experiences across a range of platforms, tools and media (Ipri & Newman, 2017).

Breaking Cat News provides a digital literature platform for educators to utilise in their classrooms to enhance learner motivation as well as reading and digital literacy skills. By applying the DIG Checklist for inclusive high-quality children’s media (Kidmap, 2017), webcomics represent an equitable, accessible media option for study, design and creation. Students can relish the opportunity to digitalise their comics through sites such as Storyboard That. In addition, online art platforms including Piskel, Sketchpad and YouiDraw offer functional avenues for illustrating.

One detraction to note is the possibility that parents of students may raise concerns around the format and low density print, underestimating the educational benefits of the visually rich digital narratives and valuable tool for supporting reader motivations. Conversely to some viewpoints, webcomics and webtoons embrace textual concepts for deep understanding, including point of view, perspective, representation, imagery, context and symbolism (NSW Department of Education, 2022).

Screenshot from webcomic Breaking Cat News (Dunn, 2014, Meet our news crew)

Overall, the accessibility, engaging format and entertaining content in Breaking Cat News ensures it is a delightful and humorous read for all ages. Even this dog lover laughed out loud at the comical adventures of Dunn’s cats and will be sharing the page with animal loving friends. In a testament to the popularity of the theme and format, a Breaking Cat News adventure was written and published as a book… and you can even purchase a calendar!

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-a). Digital Literacy (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/digital-literacy

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-b). Literacy (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/literacy

Dunn, G. (2017). Breaking Cat News [webcomic]. WordPress. https://www.breakingcatnews.com/

Hyndman, B. (2018). Ten reasons why teachers can struggle to use technology in the classroom. Science Education News, 67(4), 41-42.

Ipri, T., & Newman, B. (2017). Beginner’s guide to transliteracy: Where did the term transliteracy come from? Libraries and Transliteracy. https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/beginners-guide-to-transliteracy/

Kidnap. (2017). The DIG Checklist for Inclusive, High-Quality Children’s Media. https://www.joinkidmap.org/digchecklist/

NSW Department of Education. (2022). Checklists for selecting quality texts for K-6. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/english/planning-programming-and-assessing-english-k-6/selecting-quality-texts

Short, K. G. (2018). What’s Trending in Children’s Literature and Why It Matters. Language Arts, 95(5), 287-298.

Towndrow, Phillip & Kogut, Galyna. (2020). Digital Storytelling for Educative Purposes: Providing an Evidence-Base for Classroom Practice. Springer.

Interact, Immerse and Innovate

Screenshot of Space Frog! website (npckc, n.d., homepage)

Welcome to the world and adventures of Space Frog! (npckc, n.d.) – a wholesome, interactive, non-linear narrative; a fun fusion between digital literature and gaming.

Students love to exercise some control over their learning and decisions. Recently in class while introducing democracy to year 6 students, one posed the question, “So if we are in a democracy in Australia, can we choose what we do next?”

The literary genre of gamebooks, commonly known as ‘choose your own adventure’, were a staple in school libraries during the 1980s and 90s. Montgomery’s original Choose Your Own Adventure series (1979-1998) and Stine’s Give Yourself Goosebumps collection (1995-2000) were the flagships of the popular genre. As a teacher librarian, bringing these texts out to highlight and share during book talks with students, always brings another wave of interest in the genre.

Interactive fiction takes this text-based adventure format and revamps it through digital platforms.

Comparably to the choose your own adventure print format, readers take control of the central character’s destiny by becoming the protagonist in the adventure. However, interactive fiction adds videos, sound, and mouse or keyboard inputs, allowing more audience autonomy and interactivity. Quality digital literature promotes multimedia comprehension and composition, language learning, personalisation and motivation (Yakota & Teale, 2014), and these characteristics are abundant in digital interactive fiction. Additionally, interactive fiction has an inherent link to gaming, with the reader/user taking on the fantasy character role and moving through a storyline or world, solving problems along their journey (Gee, 2003). Reading comprehension is supported through the genre, as interactivity and manipulation drive metacognition of content, strategies and problem-solving (Kozdras et. al., 2006). These features and the participatory environment ensure optimal engagement with interactive fiction, enriching both reading and writing motivations of students (Kucirkova, 2018).

In Space Frog!, it is the personalised aspect of choice, the autonomy, that draws the audience; providing the opportunity of personalising what they experience as they navigate through the story. The focus is on the narrative, with defined characters and settings manifested through simple sentences and clickable text on command to produce additional story details. Each page offers a short snippet of the storyline, with multi-variant options provided to the reader as they transverse through the text. Its pixel art and typography create a light-hearted and innocent atmosphere.

Screenshot of example options for the reader in Space Frog! (npckc, n.d.)

This is a fun, short model text to introduce students to the interactive fiction genre. In the Australian Curriculum, digital technologies focus on process and production skills in both Years 3-4 (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2010 to present-b) and Years 5-6 (ACARA, 2010 to present-c). By creating their own interactive fiction text, students are sequencing steps and designing and modifying simple algorithms. Using platforms such as Microsoft Slides, Sites or Scratch, students can plan, write and communicate their ideas within visual interfaces. The Digital Literacy (ACARA, 2010 to present-a) and Literacy (ACARA, 2010 to present-d) capabilities are also supported. Simple example resources are Spy Adventure (Campbell County Public Library, 2021) and Going to the Park (Digital Technologies Hub, n.d). However, these aids lack interactivity and are quite simplified, so are to be used as a springboard for teaching and learning.

Space Frog! is modest in complexity with a functionable design, which can be a positive and a drawback (McGeehan, et. al, 2018). It is not overwhelming, supports a diverse range of learners with the captions and simple ‘one-click’ design, and the fantasy character and setting adds engagement. The digital characteristics could be enhanced for building interconnections, such as the multimediality and further variability of the tangible items such as the animations and text, by adding three-dimensionality through AI tools or the inclusion of AR features that create a more diverse range of user commands or immersive experience.

Space Frog! appeals to a wide audience, from primary school aged students to the young at heart. It is a valuable and playful model text for introducing interactive fiction to the classroom. It allows readers to become a part of the action, actively thinking about the story and making choices for their characters as they engage in epic experiences.

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-b). Digital Technologies – Years 3 and 4 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/digital-technologies/year-3_year-4

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-c). Digital Technologies – Years 5 and 6 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/digital-technologies/year-5_year-6

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-d). Literacy (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/literacy

Campbell County Public Library. (2021). Spy Adventure. https://sites.google.com/view/ccplchooseyourownadventure/home/spy-adventure

Digital Technologies Hub. (n.d). Going to the Park. Education Services Australia. https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/media/fy4mrqns/acara-classroom-ideas-3-6-choose-your-own-adventure-story.pdf

Gee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. Palgrave Macmillan.

Kozdras, D., Haunstetter, D. M., & King, J. R. (2006). Interactive Fiction: ‘New Literacy’ Learning Opportunities for Children. E-Learning and Digital Media, 3(4), 519–533. https://doi.org/10.2304/elea.2006.3.4.519

Kucirkova, N. (2018). How and Why to Read and Create Children’s Digital Books: A Guide for Primary Practitioners. UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787353473

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

Montgomery, R. (1979-1998). Choose Your Own Adventure series. Bantam Books.

Npckc. (n.d). Space Frog! [Story game]. Itch.io. https://npckc.itch.io/space-frog

Stine, R. L. (1995-2000). Give Yourself Goosebumps. Scholastic Press.

Yokota, J., & Teale, H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 67(8), 577-585. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1262

Burning for answers

Everyone has been affected and altered from the numerous natural disasters that have befallen our great continent over the years. These devastating events have moulded, even metamorphosed, humanity through shared experiences, trauma and mateship. The aptly titled The bushfire that changed Canberra forever (Burnside et. al., 2023) delves into compassion and courage (and even blame) when faced with a life-changing event.

The digital age has changed the way stories are shared and consumed, and in the newsroom the evolving elements of journalism are in response to the profound impact of accessible information on a range of digital platforms. This vast array of information available online (even through less credible social media sites) has resulted in publishing and subscription changes for news platforms. Information and news articles are becoming more dynamic, visual and interactive, with the intention to captivate audiences who have access to an unprecedented array of content (Centre for Media Transition, 2018). Utilsing this style of news, ABC news recently presented an evocative visual journalism piece in memory of 20 years since the Canberra Bushfires. The producer and authors of The bushfire that changed Canberra forever are experienced and credible Canberra-based journalists, with a range of expertise including digital producing backgrounds and previous media coverage of other natural disasters.

The prominent visual and textual imagery used in the digital literature piece create an emotive, personal and confronting story. Its purpose is to educate, inform and convey a reflection on past events, however the audience is immersed deeply in feelings of devastation, survival and hope as the story unfolds. The reader experience is diversified with the inclusion of visual media including event photos, videos, a scrolling timeline and a digitally recreated map of the affected area. The latter is particularly engaging – as the reader scrolls through the article, the fire spreads across the Australian Capital Territory, revealing its prolific, profound power.

Screenshot of interactive Canberra fires map (Burnside et al., 2023)

The digital news article begins with the typical visual journalism scrolling boldface title and subhead. Scrollytelling is employed to enhance the written content of the story, which allows the reader to navigate fluently and easily through the expressive text and authentic visual images and digital inclusions. Imagery, descriptive language and literary devices such as alliteration and metaphors help portray the sensory and emotive experience of the text. The short sentences build tension as the recount of the day unfolds. A particular strength of note are the personal recounts shared from a range of local residents and industry professionals, which builds attention, connections and relevancy to the story (Zak, 2014). Numerous snapshots of survivors’ quotes are highlighted using a larger, bold typeface, emphasising authority and factuality, whilst memorialising the harrowing nature of the firsthand experiences. Furthermore, being an ACT based event and story, it demonstrates high applicability and correspondence to the ACT schooling context that I teach in.

The bushfire that changed Canberra forever is suitable for a range of audiences, including its intended use in an ACT upper primary school setting, supporting the Australian Curriculum in Year 5 Geography (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2010 to present-b) and Year 5 and 6 Design and Technologies (ACARA, 2010 to present-a) through study of the impact of extreme weather events and considered design solutions to help mitigate the effects. The exploration of systems, sustainable patterns and acting for a sustainable future is endorsed through the cross-curriculum priority area of Sustainability (ACARA, 2010 to present-c). Additional studies should include learning about First Nation land management practices through resources such as the educational videos by Bush Heritage Australia (2021) and ABC Australia (2018). An additional resource is the informative article History of Australian bushfires: interactive (The Guardian, 2013), which includes interactive graphs and timelines to compare disasters throughout time.

The article is somewhat minimalistic in animations and interactivity for the audience. The multi-sensory experience could be enhanced through the additions of a soundscape to dramatise elements of the story, audio interviews, or pop-ups and interactive illustrations to highlight essential data or add interest. Other artefacts on a similar topic are the interactive journalism articles Firestorm (Henley, 2013) and Black Summer (Day et. al., 2020). Both stories are hard-hitting, dramatised pieces with interviews, video, audio and personal recounts of families and industry leaders. Firestorm adds an extra layer of user functionality and experience by including chapters to navigate through. These articles, however, include language in audio not suitable for the primary school context.

“Preparedness, rather than prevention is now critical for future fires,” ACT Emergency Services Commissioner, Georgina Whelan (as cited in Burnside et. al., 2023).

The enduring feeling from The bushfire that changed Canberra forever is of trepidation and warning for the future of our continent. As the threat of another dry and hot summer comes, and with the experiences of the 2019-2020 Black Summer still raw for many, will foresight, technological developments, fuel management (and for what they are worth, the Royal Commission [Commonwealth of Australia, 2020] and numerous federal and state inquiry reports) provide any alleviation and leniency to the power of fire for our country? The visual journalism article, The bushfire that changed Canberra forever, contributes a stunning and emotive journey into the pressure cooker of mother nature, climate change and the political landscape in Australia.

Screenshot of quote by Georgeina Whelan, ACT Emergency Services Commissioner (Burnside et al., 2023)

References

ABC Australia. [ABC Australia]. (2018, November 3). Indigenous fire methods protect land before and after the Tathra bushfire [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM72NtXxyLs&t=4s. In Watarrka Foundation. (n.d.). Aboriginal fire management: what is cool burning? https://www.watarrkafoundation.org.au/blog/aboriginal-fire-management-what-is-cool-burning

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-a). Design and Technologies – Years 5 and 6 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/design-and-technologies/year-5_year-6

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-b). HASS F-6 – Year 5 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/hass-f-6/year-5

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-c). Sustainability (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/sustainability

Burnside, N. (Writer and Producer), Allen, C., Larkins, N. (Writers). (2023). The bushfire that changed Canberra forever. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-18/act-2003-canberra-fires-20-year-anniversary/101865824

Bush Heritage Australia. [Bush Heritage Australia]. (2021, May 11). Burning the right way [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZHDItzrTQc

Centre for Media Transition. (2018). The Impact of Digital Platforms on News and Journalistic Content. University of Technology Sydney. https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/ACCC+commissioned+report+-+The+impact+of+digital+platforms+on+news+and+journalistic+content,+Centre+for+Media+Transition+(2).pdf

Commonwealth of Australia. (2020, October 28). Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/html-report

Day, L., & Nicholls, S. (2020). Black Summer. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-03/inside-the-australian-bushfires-crisis/11890458

Henley, J. (2013). Firestorm. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/may/26/firestorm-bushfire-dunalley-holmes-family

The Guardian. (2013, December 1). History of Australian bushfires: interactive. https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2013/dec/01/history-bushfires-australia-interactive

Zak, P. J. (2014, November 5). Why your brain loves good storytelling. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling

Digital Storytelling Topic Proposal: Eco Warriors

School library cushions. Author’s own photo.

Topic

Whole School Environmental Education

Platform

Book Creator

Rationale

Environmental education is an important global issue. Research has shown that broadening citizenship and awareness of our world involves environmental education from childhood (Ricoy et al., 2022).

The focus of this resource is the cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability, with the aim of incorporating quality eco-focused learning opportunities on local and world levels (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2010 to present-b). Alongside Sustainability, this resource specifically incorporates the general capability of Ethical Understanding, allowing students to develop their knowledge and skills to build awareness and empathy for our world as well as a sense of values and active citizenship (ACARA, 2010 to present-a). There will be a rich task differentiated for the student cohorts using digital technologies, with a call to action on how we can all take part in reducing our waste and proposing action for the future.

In my school context, environmental education is a priority with responsibility placed with the whole school community. It involves managing our resources and waste in a way that reduces damage to the environment and considers future implications.

This learning resource will be created using the platform, Book Creator. It was chosen as it suits the primary school context and allows for a variety of tools to be embedded to create a multimodal text that enhances student immersion and engagement in the topic. It will be shared within our school, with the purpose to assist in facilitating and supporting our whole school environment program and associated initiatives. Some additional learning and gamification tools I aim to utilise are Flip, Padlet, Scratch. Blooket and Class Dojo.

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. UN Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-a). Ethical Understanding (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/ethical-understanding

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-b). Sustainability (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum

https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/sustainability

Book Creator (2011 to present). Homepage. https://bookcreator.com/

Ricoy, M. C., & Sánchez-Martínez, C. (2022). Raising ecological awareness and digital literacy in primary school children through gamification. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(3), 1149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031149