What makes a good digital text, what counts as one, and what purpose do digital texts serve?
As new technologies are changing how we read, write, publish, interact, and create, literacy’s social and physical aspects are also changing (Albrechtslund, 2019, p. 553). Before Web 2.0, digital texts were mainly of print-born origin, digitised for convenience and academic purposes. However, post-Web 2.0 has seen a shift toward creating digitally born texts, with the appearance of e-books, e-stories, linear and non-linear e-narratives, interactive stories, hyper-textual and -media narratives, and electronic games (Walsh, 2013, p. 182). These digital texts incorporate multimedia, transmedia and hypertext functionalities, meaning that standard text can now be supplemented or complemented by features such as maps, hyperlinks, animations, moving images, sounds, text augmentation, videos, and music (Yokota & Teale, 2014, pp. 579-580). It can be said that an excellent digital text enhances narrative components with the digital affordances offered by each platform, and thus create an immerse reading experience that print-born texts cannot (McGeenan et al., 2008, p.58). However, there are a plethora of digital texts of varying quality available for consumers. Therefore, when seeking suitable digital texts, a criterion must be utilised to ascertain their quality (Walsh, 2013, p. 186). Hence, the texts chosen for Part A were reviewed on their accessibility, implementation of digital affordances, narratological devices, and educational compatibility (Yokota & Teale, 2014, p, 585).
Compare your experience of reading digital texts with reading print.
Like print-born texts, digital texts are now part of our daily reading practices (Sadokierski, 2013); as they provide more opportunities than print-born texts in interaction, collaboration, and creation, and tend to be more easily accessible and affordable (Bowler et al., 2012, p. 35). However, when choosing between digital and print-born texts, it all comes down to reader preference. I prefer to read print-based texts when studying, as I struggle with eyestrain and concentration when reading on screens. Researchers have found that these are common issues when reading digitally, along with higher levels of stress and tiredness (Jabr, 2013). Additionally, I have found that the process of sifting through digital texts can be overwhelming due to information overload. Comparatively, when studying with print-based texts, I can absorb information more efficiently and navigate collections with minimal stress. Jabr (2013) concurs, stating that many people find that print-based texts clarify understanding and are more tactile than their digital counterparts. Nevertheless, when it comes to consuming literature for leisure, I alternate between digital and print-born texts. As I prefer the aesthetic nature of a physical book, the smell and feel, I tend to steer towards print-born texts when reading novels (Jabr, 2013). In contrast, I use digital texts for consuming artistic forms such as poetry, fan-fiction, blogs, and Wikis; social feeds, and news and current affairs, as the digital affordances, community aspects and discussion opportunities extend my reading experience in ways that print-born reading cannot.
Choose the digital text you most enjoyed and discuss how you might incorporate it into a program at your institution.
Out of the three digital texts reviewed, The Boat by Nam Le (2008) and Matt Huynh (2015) was the most enjoyed. I was fascinated by this adaptation and the digital affordances implemented within it, creating a reading experience that was artistic, sensual, and narratively sound. I also believe The Boat extends itself well into the realm of education.
Due to students growing up in a digital world, as a Teacher Librarian (TL), I must adapt my pedagogy to reflect the mediasphere in which students live and learn (Moorefield-Lang & Gavigan, 2012, p.31); additionally, it is my job as an instructional leader to encourage and support classroom teachers to do the same. As our Stage 5 students are having difficulties engaging with print-born texts and generally lack enthusiasm when learning, The Boat could be used to encourage new reading paths and exploration across mediums (James & De Kock, 2013, p. 119). Graphic novels and comic books have proved popular for our students with lower literacy skills, thus The Boat would be the perfect text to begin transitioning these students to richer kinds of literature in familiar digital modes. As a TL, The Boat could be sourced to support classroom teachers in the disciplines of English, Art, and History, providing them with more pedagogical options than standard print (Pan et al., 2021, p. 1; ACARA). Students could compare the original text with the digital adaption through English and how medium changes the reading experience (ACELA1565, ACELY1754). For Art, students could explore the different artistic techniques utilised in The Boat and how they either support or distract from the narrative (ACAVAR130, ACAMAR078). Furthermore, The Boat provides a fictional account of actual events and could be utilised to teach about the Vietnamese war and Australia’s refugee community within History (ACOKFH023, ACDSEH146).
Word count – 771
Reference List
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). N.D. Australian Curriculum: Learning Areas. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/
Albrechtslund, A-M. B. (2019). Amazon, Kindle, and Goodreads: Implications for literary consumption in the digital age. Consumption Markets & Culture, 23(6), 553-568. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2019.1640216
Bowler, L., Morris, R., Cheng, I-L., Al-Issa, R., Romine, B., & Leiberling, L. (2012). Multimodal stories: LIS students explore reading, literacy, and library service through the lens of “The 39 Clues”. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 53(1), pp. 32-48. https://primo.csu.edu.au/permalink/61CSU_INST/15aovd3/cdi_proquest_journals_1239092155
Jabr, F. (2013, April 11). The reading brain in the digital age: The science of paper versus screens. Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/
James, R. & De Kock, L. (2013). The digital David and the Gutenberg goliath: the rise of the ‘enhanced’ e-book. English Academy Review, 30(1), 107-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/10131752.2013.783394
Le, N. (2008). The Boat. Penguin Group Australia: Melbourne.
Le, N., & Hugnh, M. (2015). The Boat. SBS Australia. https://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/
McGeehan, C., Chambers, S., & Nowakowski, J. (2018). Just because it’s digital, doesn’t mean it’s good: Evaluation digital picture books. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(2), pp. 58-70 https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2017.1399488
Moorefield-Lang, H., & Gavigan, K. (2012). These aren’t your father’s funny papers: The new world of digital graphic novels. Knowledge Quest, 40(3), pp. 30-35. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=82563984&site=ehost-live
Pan, Z., Lopez, M. F., Li, C., & Liu, M. (2021). Introducing augmented reality in early childhood literacy learning. Research in Learning Technology, p. 29. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v29.2539
Sadokierski, Z. (2013, November 12). What is a book in the digital age? The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/what-is-a-book-in-the-digital-age-19071
Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment (Ch. 13). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. 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://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1262