The Explorer magazine is a collection of non-fiction articles that focus on current global issues. The purpose of this digital collection is to “encourage passion and wonder” (National Geographic Society, 1996-2023, para.1) about the world around us whilst attaining the national reading and science standards. The National Geographic site offers magazines to suit reading age from Kindergarten to Year 5.

Focusing in on Volume 20, Issue 4 (National Geographic Society, 2021), the strong links to the Australian Curriculum and the NSW K-10 Science, Geography and English syllabuses are evident. Each article presents an exemplary example of an informative text with language to suit the reading age. Of concern (and perhaps an area for further development) is the lack of technical language that is used – being an interactive text, jargon or technical vocabulary could be easily integrated as a hyperlink to provide a definition for students or to connect to further information. Evidence of an attempt to integrate this feature can be seen on page 9 of the text (National Geographic, 2021); however, there is more opportunities for vocabulary development that could be provided.

There are numerous points of interactivity within this digital text, although, as mentioned above, there is space for further improvements. The option to listen to the text is included and is easily found on the right-hand side of the screen which is of benefit to students with reading difficulties. As the text is read, each sentence is highlighted to encourage the students to follow along. Perhaps more beneficial would be the highlighting of each word as it is read rather than whole sentences. Also included within the text are animations of lines which draw the reader’s attention to the beginning of the reading path. Transitions and movement of the text further assist in directing the viewer’s gaze to the most salient elements of the composition. Page navigation is simple with arrows on the bottom right-hand side of the screen, page numbers visible and clear links back to the front cover and contents page on the bottom left-hand side.

Aiding the importance of this as a digital text is the inclusion of short video clips which enable students to clearly see what is being discussed within the text. This is a feature that could not possibly be added to a print version. For example, in an article such as ‘Mishmash Mammal’ (National Geographic, 2021), there is a clip of a platypus using its webbed feet for swimming. A print version of the same article would only be able to feature an image of the webbed feet (which is also included in the digital text). The video clip clearly complements the information from the text and provides a visual element to further assist students in their understanding of platypuses.

In addition to the informative articles, images and videos, this issue of the Explorer magazine also includes activities specifically aimed at school students. Prior to each article, there is a ‘Before You Read’ activity which encourages students to use the comprehension skill of ‘Activating’ (McEwan, 2009, p.116) to draw on their prior knowledge. Following the first article in this issue, ‘Newfoundland Wildlife’, a writing task has also been included which supports McEwan’s strategy of ‘Visualising and Organising’ (McEwan, 2009, p.116). The writing task takes the form of a digital workspace where students are able to type their answer and save or print their response. This assists students in building their computer literacy skills. The addition of these tasks supports the notion that this digital literature piece complements the primary school curriculum.

The noticeable issue with the Explorer magazine is its currency. Printing of hard copy magazines was superseded by the all-digital mode but that has now also ceased production. Whilst some of the articles may still be relevant and the structure of the magazine still vitally important, the information contained within may quickly become inaccurate or obsolete. This is an important consideration when using this piece of digital literature in schools.

The Explorer magazine is a well-structured example of digital literature. Its ease of navigation, read-to-user features and included video clips and images are well-suited to the primary school target audience. The main challenge with this work, however, is that the information within is ageing, with no new resources in production. Despite this, the Explorer magazine would still be beneficial to support the teaching of the primary syllabuses in English, Science and Geography.

Reference List

McEwan, E. K. (2009) Teach Them ALL to Read. United States: SAGE Publications.

National Geographic Society. (1996-2023). Explorer magazine.

National Geographic Society. (2021, March). Mishmash mammal. Explorer Magazine, 20(4), 7-10.

National Geographic Society. (2021, March). Newfoundland wildlife. Explorer Magazine, 20(4), 3-6.