digital literature – Jennifer's reflections 'through the looking glass'

Digital Storytelling: Critical Reflection (Part D)

Bing. (2023). Bing Chat [Gremlin with rubbish]. https://www.bing.com

From evaluating information from modules, readings and additional literature during research, it has been clear that digital literature use in the education environment provides many benefits for both teachers and students. Expressing understanding of learning content, formulating points of view, creative thinking skills, and digital technology capabilities, are a few of the advantages of incorporating digital storytelling into the classroom. By engaging in digital storytelling and tools, students are able to become active information literacy consumers and media creators, rather than passively observing it (Shelby-Caffey et al., 2014, p199, as cited in Robin, 2016, p. 20). Studies have shown that students who participate in digital storytelling opportunities are more confident writers, even influencing their development in other learning areas during the creation process (Foley, 2013, as cited in Robin, 2016, p.20).

During this subject my knowledge has transformed and grown significantly. When reflecting on my initial understanding of digital literature (Holland, 2023-b), it is clear that I was just beginning my journey when I cited the use of e-books in my school. From readings and subject modules, I now understand that this format is not classified as digital literature due to the absence of enhanced features or interactivity (Wiesen, 2023, para. 2 & Rowland, 2021, para. 4). I noted a goal of investigating the learning versus health implications of digital literature (Holland, 2023-b, para. 9). Examination of professional literature on possible health issues has been debated and less distinct (Mataftsi et al., 2023, pp. 4-5, & Coombes, 2019, p. 3), leading me to formulate my own opinion based on my personal experiences and teaching observations – that the positive benefits that digital literature provides from authentic and meaningful learning opportunities, outweigh any apparent health constraints. Moreover, restricting the use of digital literature tools in our digital world will develop adverse effects and a reduction in 21st century skills and student motivation (O’Connell et al., 2015, p. 195).

The practicality of the second assignment provided a major learning opportunity. From the beginning adjustments were required, as I was thinking too broad and big picture when proposing a whole school learning activity with digital tools (Holland, 2023-c). Upon receiving feedback from our lecturer and my peers (Croft, 2023, September 7), I restructured my project to create a digital story aimed at year 3 and 4 students with an overarching environmental message relevant to our school (Holland, 2023-e). While writing the interactive story, I modified the story tone and characterisation of the central character, Garbage Gremlin, from an antagonist causing havoc around the school, to one of positive learning and growth, to suit the audience and theme. Additionally, I reduced the number of digital tools I would incorporate into the story, simplifying and enriching the learner’s adventure.

[Screenshot of Eco Warriors example story path]. (2023). Author’s own photo.

The platform choice to suit the interactive format and non-linear structure of my digital story required a vast amount of critical analysis and trial and error. After researching possible tools and considering the connection they provide students in achieving the learning outcomes using the digital artefact, I trialled three possible platforms. I settled on using Twine, with my reasoning outlined in a discussion on digital creation tools (Holland, 2023-d). It is the go-to-tool for creating interactive digital narrative experiences (Berge et al., 2022, p. 500). Twine proved to be suitable for embedding interactive features, such as hyperlinked text, reveals, and font animations. However, I discovered it requires a high level of knowledge of coding and web tools for adding additional media. Referencing was a challenge, with limited formatting capabilities available. Upon completion, I had an uploading issue, with WordPress unable to upload the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) file. A major drawback of Twine for classroom application is accessibility. It appears that Twine has limited accessibility features, relying on those built into web browsers such as Read&Write for Google Chrome. Additionally, usability for students would be a steep learning curve, as even though the platform has a clear note style interface which displays visually connected links, the background coding for interactivity is difficult to grasp. For use in the classroom and ease of student access to support a range of abilities, I would consider using Sway, PowerPoint or Slides. To enhance my story further, I would add soundscapes and a readability option.

[Screenshot of Eco Warriors Twine coding]. (2023). Author’s own photo.

The creation of my digital storytelling artefact has been a profound learning transformation and has provided the opportunity to become more confident in digital storytelling platforms and digital literacy tools. As this subject concludes, I feel optimistic and content for my own lifelong learning and future teaching applications, as digital literature was an identified personal goal early in in my studies (Holland, 2023-a, para. 5). There is a long journey of learning and discovery ahead, however I am more equipped to incorporate digital storytelling tools for the benefit of our students.

References

Berge, P., Cox, D., Murray, J., & Salter, A. (n.d.). Adventures in TwineSpace: An augmented reality story format for Twine. In Interactive Storytelling (pp. 499–512). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22298-6_32

Combes, B. (2019). Digital Literacy: A new flavour of literacy or something different?. Synergy, 14(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v14120163

Holland, J. [jennifer.holland] (2023-a, January 18). ETL402 assessment 2: Reflective practice. Jennifer’s reflections ‘through the looking glass’. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennifersjournal/2023/01/18/etl402-assessment-2-reflective-practice/

Holland, J. [jennifer.holland] (2023-b, July 23). A journey into digital literature. Jennifer’s reflections ‘through the looking glass’. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennifersjournal/2023/07/26/a-journey-into-digital-literature/

Holland, J. [jennifer.holland] (2023-c, September 1). Digital storytelling topic proposal: Eco warriors. Jennifer’s reflections ‘through the looking glass’. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennifersjournal/2023/09/01/165/

Holland, J. [jennifer.holland] (2023-d, September 29). Digital creation tools [Online discussion comment]. Interact 2. https://bit.ly/45gSfKO

Holland, J. [jennifer.holland] (2023-e, October 3). Digital storytelling: Eco warriors context (Part A). Jennifer’s reflections ‘through the looking glass’. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennifersjournal/2023/10/03/digital-storytelling-eco-warriors-context-part-a/

Interactive Fiction Foundation. (2023). Twine: An open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories. (Version 2.7.1) [Computer software]. http://twinery.org/

Mataftsi, A., Seliniotaki, A. K., Moutzouri, S., Prousali, E., Darusman, K. R., Adio, A. O., Haidich, A.-B., & Nischal, K. K. (2023). Digital eye strain in young screen users: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine, 170, 107493–107493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107493

O’Connell, J., Bales, J., & Mitchell, P. (2015). [R]Evolution in reading cultures: 2020 vision for school libraries. The Australian Library Journal, 64(3), 194-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2015.1048043

Robin, B. (2016). The power of digital storytelling to support teaching and learning. Digital Education Review. 30(30). 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2016.30.17-29

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

tcroft. (2023, September 7). This sounds like an worthy idea, Jennifer, and your proposal demonstrates a clear purpose for the proposed digital product created. [Comment on blog post “Digital storytelling: Eco warriors context (Part A)”]. Jennifer’s reflections ‘through the looking glass’. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jennifersjournal/2023/09/01/165/#comment-8

Wiesen, G. (2022). What is electronic literature? Language Humanities. https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-electronic-literature.htm

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.

A Journey into Digital Literature

Current knowledge and understanding

Teacher Librarians are an integral part of maintaining accurate, engaging and appropriate resources and technologies in a school environment, with libraries promoting opportunities for a range of learning experiences as well as their value for student wellbeing. Early on in this Teacher Librarianship course we learnt about today’s information environment and the impact on teaching and learning. I reflected on this landscape in a blog post, stating that as teacher librarians, we are a source of information, guidance and support, as students and teachers navigate the digital information world in which we live. This includes the need to teach digital literacy and critical analysis skills.

Digital literature is a medium that is constantly evolving, with what we experience today, might become dated or unpopular tomorrow with the emergence of new platforms. A format I remember exposing students to initially was online stories such as Storyline Online on an interactive board, where existing stories are retold in fun, visual ways. Then came the rise of ebooks, and with it student self-selection, which ensured they were excited and engaged in their reading (and quite possibly mainly for the novel opportunity to use a device).

COVID-19 and online learning really evolved teaching and learning practices quickly, including digital communication formats. Students at a younger age were exposed to learning through devices and there were a plethora of apps, tools and content available to utilise and explore (including authors and illustrators creating their own content and sharing of literature). Storytelling on a digital platform was extremely popular and this trend continued as we moved back into the classrooms.

I recently completed the elective ETL402 Literature Across the Curriculum, which touched on digitised literature. This subject introduced me to interactive fiction, transmedia and storytelling through gamification, as well as expanded my knowledge of enhanced ebooks. I discuss our school context in regards to digital texts in my reflective post, including setting my own goal for future pedagogical development.

Tablet showing a word cloud of school related terms — Curriculum by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images https://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/tablet/c/curriculum.html

Concepts to think about: challenges and potential opportunities

Practices

Technology is constantly changing, with new emergent developments occurring and with yesterday’s tools and platforms becoming obsolete. In addition, in an information-driven environment, users expect immediacy and high engagement. This has been evident even more so in the return from online learning, with students in my school context observed to have less resilience and reduced attention to tasks. Innovative digital literature supports student engagement and incorporates new ways of participating in learning experiences (Izati et. al., 2021).

Tools and uses

Some areas that have arisen for me as I begin this subject include the challenges of accessibility and the digital divide in schools, as well as the opportunities for learning support and tools for students. In my blog post on resource selection, I reflected on the premise of 21st century learning and the impact on libraries and resources, to move from the traditional physical holding of books to dynamic environments linking literature, information and digital technology. An area I have thought about when beginning the ETL533 subject is student accessibility to other platforms or sites and remaining engaged in their learning while using digital technology. A school library contains resources that are carefully curated to suit the school context, the learning needs and interests of the community, including print and digital formats. Generally to date in my school context, students have access to subscription services such as SORA, OverDrive and StoryBox Library for digital literature experiences. A question I have beginning this subject is does the use of digital literature open up potential for students to access other online material that may be off task or inappropriate? Is this thinking a form of filtering or censorship?

All school resources are not equal and the digital divide can pose real issues for access to digital literature. Accessibility is a positive at our school, with students from year 2 to 6 being ‘allocated’ a 1:1 chromebook for learning needs throughout the year.

Additionally, learning support using digital platforms, aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and accessibility tools are fabulous, with a range of functions and benefits for students. Our school subscribed to the PM ecollection during the pandemic (and have continued this subscription) for K-2 students in home reading and reading programs, as well as those older students who require reading support or intervention. This platform uses interactive features for questioning, decoding and comprehension. Digital practices and tools are a current and continued feature in student learning support services, with the inclusion of expansion of digital literature genres and formats in the school an enriching opportunity.

The learning and health impacts of digital use for sustained periods are concepts I would like to further examine and collate professional literature on. This includes blue light eye strain, and the differing comprehension and digital literacy skills required for users. Personally, a few years ago I was religiously reading ebooks at night before bed on my Kindle, however at the endorsement of the optometrist, I have ceased this practice due to the deterioration of my eyesight.

Charlie the dog during online learning "using" the laptop — Author’s own photo

So what is the future of literature and reading?

The big picture is currently weighing on me as I complete my studies and return from maternity leave. Sometimes school libraries seem to have a bright future due to the well documented literacy and wellbeing benefits (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011; Merga, 2022; Merga, 2021), and at other times I read, hear and experience the negative impacts on libraries by budgetary decision makers and through staffing and school climates (Heffernan, 2023). This reflection of our school context exposes our reliance on ebooks and subscriptions services to date, and reinforces my aim to discover more about interactivity and connectivity within the differing digital text formats, in which Assessment 1 should support my exploration. I look forward to finding out more about current and future digital trends to implement into the school library for the learning and enjoyment of all.

Commonwealth of Australia. (2011). Potential of school libraries and teacher librarians to contribute to improved educational and community outcomes. School libraries and teacher librarians in 21st century Australia.
https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=ee/schoollibraries/report.htm

Heffernan, M. (2023, July 15). School libraries in Victoria suffer from shortage of resources, qualifications. The Age.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/school-libraries-in-victoria-suffer-from-lack-of-resources-qualifications-20230612-p5dfxo.html

Izati, R. A., Lestari, L. A., & Setiawan, S. (2021). Digital Reading Engagement of Junior High School Students during the Online Learning. Jo-ELT (Journal of English Language Teaching) Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa & Seni Prodi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris IKIP, 8(2), 181–.
https://doi.org/10.33394/jo-elt.v8i2.3876

Merga, M. K. (2022). School libraries supporting literacy and wellbeing. Facet Publishing.

Merga, M. K. (2021). Why are teacher librarians an excellent investment in contemporary schools? Scan, 40(2).