Digital Literature Environments as an English Teacher and Future Teacher Librarian

My understanding of concepts and practices, tools, and uses of Digital Literature through my learning to date.

In my previous previous post, I define Digital Literature as any form of literature that is produced, reproduced and/or enhanced through digital means such as the use of ICT tools and the internet (Bales, 2020, para. 1).

The technological foundation of ‘digital environments’ would lead many, including myself, to assume that digital literature is a recent innovation. However, the history of digital literature is older than one might think, with the first instance being ‘Love Letters’ created by computer scientist, Christopher Strachey in 1952 who used algorithms to produce formulaic love letters (Wardrip-Fruin, 2005). ‘Love Letters’ opened an endless world of opportunities in Digital Literature.

Since ‘Love Letters’, continuous computing developments led to the 80s hypertext fiction boom in the US. The movement’s popularity led to the establishment of The Electronic Literature Organisation (ELO) in 1999 solidifying the genre and institutionalising the term ‘electronic literature’ or eLit (Rettberg, 2012; ELO, n.d.). The ELO refers to eLit as ‘works with important literary aspects that take advantage of the capabilities and contexts provided by the stand-alone or networked computer’ (Hayles, 2007, “A context”, para. 4).

Nowadays, digital literature encompasses more than hypertext fiction and digitised replications of print works. For many, ‘digital literature’ now refers to works created for and on digital devices using a range of semiotic systems and media (Di Rosario, 2018, 1:23-1:38).

Common digital environments used within teaching contexts include enhanced eBooks, Interactive Storybooks and Reference Databases. Exciting new digital environments within the educational sphere include hypertexts, interactive fiction, and transmedia storytelling. These texts utilise multiple modes and medias to deliver non-linear stories and may include print and digital materials (Lamb, 2011).

The question of Digital Literature’s place in the classroom is moot. The future is digital. This is pertinent in my role as an Australian high school English Teacher in the NSW system. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) specifies ICT skills as a feature of the general capabilities taught across the curriculum (ACARA, n.d.). The New South Wales English syllabus mandates the studying of ‘media, multimedia and digital texts’ (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2012, pp. 22-24). It is essential to include Digital Literature within education because today’s readers expect to be surrounded by multimedia resources with which they can see, hear, read, touch, and interact (Lamb, 2011).

The benefits of digital literature in the classroom are numerous. Digital Environments facilitate accessibility for diverse learning needs, increased engagement and understanding. Information can be accessed immediately, regardless of location, for lower costs whilst benefiting the environment. Access to and collaboration with publishers, authors and text communities is also advantageous. (INF533 cohort, personal communication, July 21, 2021).

Assessing quality digital literature is necessary both in my current teaching and future Teacher Librarian roles. Knowledge of Literature in Digital Environments is essential to Teacher Librarian’s three-pronged role (Australian School Library Association, n.d.). Librarians are curriculum leaders, advocating for quality education for all staff around Digital Literature. Teacher librarians are information specialists, curating appropriate digital literature across the curriculum. Finally, Teacher Librarians are service managers, providing access to digital literature suited to curriculum requirements, school contexts and student needs.

Teacher Librarians must equip students with the skills necessary to access these Digital Environments.

 

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability. Australian Curriculum. Retrieved July 25, 2021. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/information-and-communication-technology-ict-capability/

Australian School Library Association (n.d.) What is a Teacher Librarian. ASLA. Retrieved July 23, 2021 from  https://asla.org.au/what-is-a-teacher-librarian

Bales, J. (2020). 4.1 Literature in the Digital Environment. [Learning Modules]. ETL402, Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/blankPage?cmd=view&content_id=_3365251_1&course_id=_49764_1&mode=reset

Di Rosario, G. [TEDx Talks]. (2018, July 12). Are pixels the future of literature? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CAaoWcknvM

Hayles, K. N. [N. Katherine Hayles] (2007, January 2). Electronic Literature: What is it? The Electronic Literature Organisation. https://eliterature.org/pad/elp.html

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17.

NSW Education Standards Authority. (2012). English K-10 Syllabus. file:///C:/Users/allis/Downloads/english-k-10-syllabus-2012%20(4).pdf

Rettberg, J. W. (2012). Electronic literature seen from a distance: the beginnings of a field. Dichtung Digital. https://www.dichtung-digital.org/2012/41/walker-rettberg/walker-rettberg.htm

The Electronic Literature Organisation (n.d.a). History. Retrieved July 24, 2021 from https://eliterature.org/elo-history/

Wardrip-Fruin, N. [Noah Wardrip-Fruin] (2005, August 1). Christopher Strachey: The first digital artist? Grand Text Auto. https://grandtextauto.soe.ucsc.edu/2005/08/01/christopher-strachey-first-digital-artist/