Tag: participation

Module 2 Digital Games, Narrative and gameplay

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Video games are a new medium that is highly engaging, immersive and participatory for users. Many video games are extensions of a narrative story or film. Video games expand the possibilities and move users from spectators to participates. Moreover, video games are fun, engaging, immersive and interactive. (Tyner, 2009) The question becomes how do we use video games effectively to integrate instruction into the classroom?

Video games are narratives, but much different than a linear text story. I hadn’t considered it before, but video games are stories that can be in part authored by the player and their gameplay. The player has agency in the game, a sense of control and valued participation. According to Tikka, Kankaanranta, Nousiainen & Hankala (2009) reading a computer game is similar to reading traditional text, the skillsets overlap – interpreting images, animations, understanding the rules and decoding the narrative story.

Creating games takes participation in games one step further. Providing students with the opportunity to create a video game supports literacy instruction. Students will develop character, illustrate the setting and describe the plot to the players. The medium of the video game is an engagement piece that supports students’ understanding and immersion into narrative writing.

Today’s games allow the user to use kinesthetic movements to interact with a game or device. Augmented reality provides users with experiences that are literally out of this world, but yet still realistic. For example, using technology to allow children to engage with wildlife. Applications are moving standard two-dimensional images to interactive, three-dimensional videos and information that expands beyond images. According to Tyner (2009), the media literacy curriculum is outdated and does not meet the interest of students.

References

Telling Stories with Digital Board Games: Tikka, S., Kankaanranta, M., Nousiainen, T., & Hankala, M. (2009).

The Fun Theory Case http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTqOn9zng_M

Tyner, K. (2009). Media Literacy: New agendas in communication. Chapter 8 Media Literacy 2.0  http://CSUAU.eblib.com/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=465586

 

Module 2 Learning and Teaching

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Digital literacy, ebooks, interactive books and enhanced books afford classroom teachers new opportunities for instruction that were not available with traditional print books. The different types of digital literature often include huge easy to read font, beautiful graphics and illustrations, engaging narrator, word tagging, music and animation. Students are engaged with technology tools and the kinesthetic opportunities of touch screens to read. Programs, software and online platforms are now available to support these different types of books. Tumble books, Sora, Bookflix, Story Online and Raz Kids are a few that I have used to support instruction in the classroom. Additionally, digital literacy allows for students to discuss a book online outside of the walls of the classroom with students and educators from around the world. This opportunity fosters empathy and supports students awareness of various viewpoints and perspectives.

Digital literacy supports the newest learning theory connectivisim, whereby students are learning by connecting knowledge with others through active participation in Web 2.0. Teachers can support students through the following learning opportunities:

  • social networking through social media platforms
  • uploading students created videos
  • blogging
  • participate in a wiki
  • primary source documents for digital storytelling

Students in our classrooms today are digital natives. Digital media is a vital component of students lives, as they have been reading off screens since their born. It is important for educators to meet students where they are at, teach in a way that meets students learning style and interest. Technology is a tool that supports students learning and should be modelled effectively in the classroom.

 

Module 1 Trends and Developments

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Literature has been changing as technology and Web 2.0 evolve. Students have access to literature online as well as print. The way youth are reading today, is very different than in the past. Youth will do more reading on a screen than paper and ink. Technology affords a different experience over printed materials. Readers have the ability to store and read multiple books, stories and multimodal text quickly and easily on a single device with an internet connection.

Storytelling in itself has evolved from oral stories to written tablets and scrolls, to books printed on the printing press and now the digital literacy and stories including audio and video features. Digital literacy allows the reader to construct meaning from words in a non-linear format. Traditional books have a front and back cover and the content is generally read in order and page number sequence. Online reading allows the reader to search for keywords, click a hyperlink to find a definition or learn more about a specific idea.

It is not only important for educators to teach students how to consume information online but also share and participate in Web 2.0. Students need to have opportunities to be creators of knowledge by sharing. As educators, we need to be life long learners to keep up with changes in technology to best support our students.

Here are some ideas to support digital literacy acquisition in the classroom:

  • implement internet research workshop
  • research with both online and offline sources
  • engage students in shared or guided online reading
  • model critical evaluation of sources
  • create an electronic portfolio
  • opportunities to code
  • write using video editing software to create a digital story

Students in classrooms today are accessing both print and digital literacy. How are we as educators supporting students utilizing both print and online content? Do students inherently know and understand the features of print within a textbook that will aid in their study. How do we model to students how to search and find information to support learning on Web 2.0.cDo students know how to critically analyze a website or validate the information being shared? How are we supporting students participation and creation of digital literacy? As educators, we need to be instructing students in these literacy skills to support learning.