Throughout my participation with the course content, group discussion and readings over the session from INF533, I have been repeatedly challenged on my understandings of what Digital Literacies actually are. When reflecting on Blog Task 1, I saw that my ideas of what digital literacy was, had been questioned, I understood that it was the transformation of simple literature, and that these texts immerse the reader in a sensory experience that is not the same as purely print literature (Jabr, 2013).
At that stage, I simply believed that it was the re-emergence of text into a digital format that included enhancing features and as stated by Burgess ‘digital storytelling techniques allow for creating compelling narratives with a relatively low technical effort. Digital media provides tools to blend different languages for the same story’ (Burgess, 2006). I have since discovered that digital literacies are a complex yet powerful tool and that digital storytelling can be widely used in the curriculum to deepen understandings and to create critical and creative thinkers.
I believe in the benefits of incorporating digital stories into the curriculum as discussed by (Dockter 2010) where he stated that the Digital Storytelling Process;
allows students to build their own understandings
allows students to collaborate in meaningful ways.
includes authentic audiences and consequences.
encourages critical and creative thinking through a high degree of rigor.
In response to new ideas that were encountered through Module 1 course readings and stated in Blog Task 1 reflections, I now feel more equipped to answer some of the questions raised by Lamb. ‘First, let’s tackle the definition of reading. What’s involved with the activity? Must it involve only text, or can it include graphics, sounds, motion, and other kinds of symbols in addition to or instead of the text? Does a book need to have a traditional start and finish? Or could the content emerge or even be created as the reader moves through the experience?’ (Lamb, A. 2001)
With the introduction of digital literacies, reading has now developed far beyond simply just the text, a good digital text should include suitable interactive features such as audio, graphics, motion, video and interactivity, with the intent to enhance the user experience when working with the text. Written text can be replaced with other mediums and can provide engagement for a wider variety of learning needs. A digital story does not necessarily need to follow a traditional Beginning, Middle and End of a book and can have multiple entry and exit points as the reader can now determine their pathway through a digital story.
As I made my way through the modules I discovered the notion that narratives are dialogues between people, cultures and different times. These stories pass on human experiences, these dialogues that engage people, are now told through many different forms of media. Each medium oral, print, radio, movies, television and video has added its own flair to storytelling as it has evolved. It is an exciting space where an educator must think outside of what has always been done in order to create rich multiliterate learning experiences.
As a digital learning coach in a primary school setting, it is important to note that some digital texts and technologies can detract from the intended purpose rather than enhance it (Yokota & Teale, 2014; Flewitt, Messer, & Kucirkova, 2015). It can also present as a daunting ‘extra’ task for less ‘tech savvy’ educators to engage with and for them to see the potential value of such a medium. Care must be taken, when implementing digital storytelling into planners that it is incorporated in appropriate places within the curriculum and in a supported and relevant manner.
I have learned that in order to demonstrate the value of digital storytelling, it is important to model how it can be used to enhance learning and cater for a much wider range of learner interests and capabilities. Another consideration for educators is the assessment of digital stories. They can be difficult to assess because the digital stories may integrate skills from a range of disciplines, particularly those that relate to creativity components. Use of appropriate instruments such as assessment rubrics has been recommended. (Schuck 2004)
Despite potential hurdles that I may encounter when encouraging the implementation of digital storytelling into the curriculum as a mode of delivery, I have developed a firm belief of the value of such a form of literature. The ability for one to navigate their way through a digital story, by far outweighs potential implementation problems not to mention the development of important 21st century navigation skills that our students of today require to be successful in their futures.
References
Burgess, J. (2006). Hearing ordinary voices: Cultural studies, vernacular creativity and digital storytelling. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 20(2), 201-214.
Apply for a job as an Assistant Producer for a Blockbuster Movie!
You are interested in applying for the advertised job of becoming an assistant producer for one of the most amazing Blockbuster movies that is currently being filmed! The only problem is that you aren’t too sure how to create a movie that’s suitable for Hollywood, but don’t worry, we are here to help you along the way!
Watch the video below to hear from the producer of the movie to find out what she is looking for in order for you to be employed as the Assistant Director!
Let’s get started!
Each lesson you will need to make your way through the following Prezi to help you to achieve your learning goals! You only need to finish one step each session in order to stay on track towards completing your project. Your teacher will let you know where they want you to get up to for each session. Have fun exploring the world of movie producing!
Check It!
Make sure you take a look at the producer’s checklist before completing and uploading your movie to the school’s YouTube account. You can do this by scrolling over each of the icons around the producer’s chair and sometimes by clicking on these, you can get some extra handy hints!
Remember the producer is looking for the most creatively filmed and best edited video. This is the person what will get the job to come and work alongside the cast and crew in Hollywood! Wow, you could be famous!
Click on the GREEN icons for Tips and the NUMBERED icons to double check that you have included everything
Submit your work
Your teacher will help you to upload your work to the school’s YouTube account where the movie director can watch your movie entry.
You might want to watch all of the wonderful movies made by your class as well to celebrate everyone’s achievements. Well done on a becoming a movie producer!
Throughout my 12 years of professional experience as a ‘Digital Technologies Teaching and Learning Coach’ the presence of movie making and digital storytelling has worked its way into the current Victorian Curriculum (VCAA). For classroom teachers in a primary setting this means moving away from a simple narrative, digital story telling can be an explanation and told at any time and on any day and can take many forms such as podcast, video, audio and software (Burgess 2006).
For many, this is a daunting task as non-digital native teachers move away from being the ‘bearer of all knowledge’ to being the facilitators for learning and responsible for providing their students with multiple exposures of a variety of formats of literacies. Ensuring that students develop multimodal skills (Walsh, 2010) is an important component for 21st century learners (Dockter 2010), therefore, teachers are required to up level their digital capabilities in order to successfully deliver an up to date, engaging and outcome rich program.
This notion encouraged me to seek clarity on my role as a coach and how I could best support primary educators to deliver a unit of work on movie making through the use of digital story telling.
Intended Purpose
The intention of this resource is to scaffold teacher directions and encourage creativity and self-guided exploration for learners in Years 3-4. Students will receive a challenge brief by a ‘Movie Director’ to become the producer of their own movie. The digital story will support them to consider different aspects of moviemaking and encourage further thoughts and ideas through reading through strategically guided but self-directed online exploration.
Through digital storytelling, students can engage with the content of the narrative or explanation in a far richer format that through a traditional text. The story can come to life with a ‘soul’, a story that outlines experiences, the challenges faced, the solutions found, and the helping hands along the way… creates a moment in the digital noise and forms a story to “make me care”( Bubenheim 2018)
This digital story was created specifically as a resource to support educators to feel more confident in delivering the ‘DigiProducer’ unit where the technology and programs are considered daunting for some. Using digital storytelling takes the fear factor out of presentations for less confident teachers where there is less need for teacher led instructions when introducing new concepts and ideas whilst maintaining the rich learning experience for teachers and students alike.
Victorian Curriculum Links
The curriculum links for this unit can fit diversely into different subject areas particularly in the areas of English and Digital Technologies. For the purpose of the ‘DigiProducer’ Unit the following content descriptions are the focus.
Level 3-4 Digital Systems – Explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data (VCDTDS019)
Level 3-4 Data and Information – Individually and with others, plan, create and communicate ideas safely, applying agreed ethical and social protocols (VCDTDI022)
Specific Learning Intentions for the ‘DigiProducer’ Unit of work
I can use and explore different online sources of data
I can engage an audience with a digital presentation
I can design a digital presentation for a purpose
Audience
This digital story is designed for two target audiences; the Victorian Curriculum Level 4 student and the digital classroom teacher. Through using platforms such as Powtoon, Prezi, Thinglink, YouTube and Microsoft Sway the intention is to model how these digital platforms can be integrated into a teaching experience to support instruction and enrich the learning experience for students.
Value of the Digital Story
For any curriculum area that entails writing, digital storytelling could transform students’ perceptions of and their actual abilities to express themselves beyond simply using the written word. Digital storytelling encourages the reader to engage with the topic in a far deeper manner than simply through the reading of a text.
A consideration for the inclusion of learning through digital immersion is the need to justify its value to more traditional educators and the community. The use of technologies can easily be mistaken for simply ‘putting students on a laptop’ and as Bjorgen (2010), Walsh (2010) and Tackvic (2012) all agree, digital storytelling can positively contribute to learning, but only when thoughtfully integrated in the curriculum. Using tools such as the SAMR model can assist to determine the value of such a platform for educators.
Student Needs
21st Century learning opportunities assists to provide for diverse learning needs found in a classroom. This can range from academic needs through to developmental as well as cater for learning styles and preferences. Mastering storytelling means two different skill sets: (a) understanding narrative structures, and (b) being able to give them shape, verbally, visually or aurally, and with the aid of different media. (Botturi 2012) using digital storytelling as a form of digital explanation, the immersive nature of the experience can lead to individual buy in and ownership whilst exposing them to necessary skills needed to navigate today’s online environment.
References
Bjørgen, A. (2010). Boundary crossing and learning identities: Digital storytelling in primary schools. Media, Technology & Life-Long Learning, 6(2), 161-178.
Botturi, L., Bramani, C., & Corbino, S. (2012). Finding your voice through digital storytelling. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 56(3), 10-11. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0569-1
Bubenheim, J. (2018) What is Digital Storytelling? https://www.cyberclick.net/numericalblogen/what-is-digital-storytelling
Burgess, J. (2006). Hearing ordinary voices: Cultural studies, vernacular creativity and digital storytelling. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 20(2), 201-214.
The proposed Digital Story ‘Becoming a DigiProducer’ will be a text designed to support the Year 5/6 students at the school in which I work to move through their digital movie making unit.
The resource will aim to scaffold teacher directions and encourage creativity and self-exploration. Students will receive a challenge brief by a ‘Movie Master’ to become a producer of their own movie. The digital story will support them to consider aspects of moviemaking and encourage further thought and idea provoking reading through strategically guided but self-directed exploration.
Proposed digital tools and/or spaces to be used –
The story will be multi layered and presented on a website platform such as WordPress
Research and Histories of Movie Making will take place through the use of Prezi
Collaborative tools such as Answer Garden and Cloud Based Collaborative Documents will be used for brainstorming
Task checklist will be through Thinglink
Audio/Animations for guidance and engagement will take place through Powtoon Videos
Youtube for embedded videos for potential tutorials and guides
Adobe Spark will be the platform that the text will suggest for video creation for students
Rationale –
Working in a primary school setting as a Digital Technologies Leading Teacher, my role is to assist and scaffold classroom teachers to deliver digital technologies curriculum in order to compliment core curriculum subjects in a forward thinking and engaging manner.
Through INF533 readings and course content, it has become evident to me that digital storytelling provides students with the development of skills necessary to be effective in the 21st Century (Malita 2010). The very idea that texts and books have grown and developed into an ever changing digital format, challenges what we do, what we have always done and how we should move forward as practitioners in a primary school setting.
The digital story I am proposing is intended to provide necessary scaffolding for an otherwise daunting unit of work for less digital native teachers. My vision is that students can make their way through the story that interacts with them and sets them small challenges and tasks (using a multimodal approach) that they need to complete, while learning about the necessary aspects to consider when creating a movie.
Each of the set tasks will utilise other digital platforms that the students have been exposed to in prior digital technologies curriculum at the school. The story tasks will address the digital technologies movie making learning outcomes in the Victorian Curriculum.
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) notes that “people are using media to tell their own stories” and by providing students with the opportunity to actively read and engage in their learning, and then apply their knew knowledge will hopefully be the ‘hook’ that good literature provides, in order for them to successfully reach learning outcomes in a up to date and engaging manner.
The intrinsic need for mankind to document thoughts, experiences and information dates way back to prehistoric times. These have developed over time, from primitive cave drawings through to hieroglyphics and then to forms of written text. With the introduction of technology, the potential to store and present text has grown exponentially. It makes sense then that literature and how we view it, has transitioned into the digital world and therefore transformed the way in which we access and experience information.
Defining Digital Texts
The Australian Curriculum Glossary defines digital texts as audio, visual or multimodal texts produced through digital or electronic technology. They may be interactive and include animations or hyperlinks. A good digital text enhances traditional print text and provides digital affordances in order to provide users with a fully immersive experience that cannot occur between the pages of a book. These texts immerse the reader in a sensory experience that is not the same as purely print literature (Jabr, 2013).
Through exploring a variety of digital texts throughout INF533 course readings and other exploratory research it is evident that there are different levels of immersive experiences, Sadokierski (2013) discusses the digital text as one that allows the reader to encounter audio visual and interactive elements that can’t be experienced through a print text. A good digital text experience encourages readers to enrich their reading experience in order to gain meaning and deepen understandings that may otherwise not be possible in print.
Benefits and Purposes of Digital Literature
The development of digital immersive texts have created opportunities to engage in literature in a manner that, if cleverly presented by an educator, can deepen understanding with opportunities to expand the scope of learning as seen in Blooms Digital Taxonomy. Other benefits are reported in recent literature, ranging from the development of academic skills such as critical thinking, report writing and research skills to digital, oral and written literacies (Ohler 2006).
With technology being embedded in everyday life it seems logical for educators to utilise these intrinsic skills and bring enhanced books into the classroom setting. As stated by Valenza and
Stephens (2012, p. 75) rather than expecting a movement away from books, the reading experience will continue to evolve and advancing technology will become a routine aspect of engaging with literature (Unsworth, 2006, p. 29). It is how this is done that requires careful targeted planning and consideration in line with curriculum outcomes that is important.
Experiencing Reading Digital Texts
It is important for educators to explore alternatives to traditional print text in order to offer students with targeted, immersive experiences for as stated by Pappas (2019) educators have full control to make sure learners actually learn, remember and engage. All you need is a platform which is designed to do so. However, when exploring a selection of three forms of digital texts it became evident that not all electronic literature offers the same features, therefore external factors need to be considered for use in education settings. These can include cost, compatible devices and user technological abilities. Table 1.1 demonstrates the vast differences experienced through the review process of three forms of ebooks.
Table 1.1
Digital Texts Incorporated into School Environments
Digital storytelling pushes students to create content rather than simply just being a consumer of a text. Hall’s (2102, p.97) statement that even though today’s students are considered to be digital natives they are more so passive consumers rather than literary creators proved to be an important realisation. The ability to immerse, experience, think and question encourages them to demonstrate a higher level of thinking and understanding resulting in outcomes not previously possible with print. Digital storytelling is a powerful tool to incorporate required learning outcomes including technology skills, develop literary skills, build confidence and establish a sense of community and collaboration (Sukovic, 2014, p. 206)
Digital texts in a school environment provides opportunities for educators to rethink learning for a digital age however with new potential and the necessary release of teacher control there is always considerations for why there is a need for change. The SAMR model for technology change provides a scaffolding for educators to determine the benefits for selecting a technology based approach.
Whilst rethinking learning for a digital age can be a daunting concept, it allows us to explore the diversity of possible e-learning experiences today and provides opportunities to analyse learners’ experiences holistically, across the many technologies, an integrated curriculum and through the learning opportunities in which they encounter.
To manage assessment of outcomes in a unit of work with such a divergent and open‐ended nature, it is helpful if digital storytelling activities are framed carefully and explicitly tied to the core content and process goals encompassed in the curriculum (Hofer and Swan 2006). Despite the challenges of change, using digital storytelling in schools is an exciting space as students who display an aptitude for networking, creativity and using digital applications can be uncovered.
Hall, T. (2012). Digital renaissance: The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100. Retrieved from http://file.scirp.org/Html/17301.html
Hofer, M. and Swan, K.O. Digital storytelling: Moving from promise to practice. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2006. Edited by: Crawford, C. pp.679–84. Chesapeake, VA: AACE. [Google Scholar]).
Sukovic, S. (2014). iTell: Transliteracy and digital storytelling. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 45(3), 205–229. doi: 10.1080/00048623.2014.951114
Unsworth, L. (2006). Learning through web contexts of book-based literary narratives (Ch. 3). In E-literature for children: Enhancing digital literacy learning. Oxford, UK: Routledge.
Valenza, J. K., & Stephens, W. (2012). Reading Remixed. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 75-78. Retrieved from http://www. ebscohost.com
The Witches, written for young adult readers by the popular children’s author Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake is one of ‘phizzwhizzing’ and witchery. Cleverly written with a masterful command of made up adjectives, this story is about witches who live among us in our every day world. Centred around the Grand High Witch and her gang, Roald Dahl hooks his readers in with humour, shock and interesting storylines. ‘Dahl is a master of keeping-your-attention – not only within his stories but with regard to the flow of his prose – and lo, it is good.’ (French 2010) So well is it written, that this text has been reproduced in several formats such as audiobooks, eBooks and movie versions of the book with the first one released in 1990 starring Angelica Huston and a remake is planned for 2021 starring Anne Hathaway.
The colour eBook edition enhances the typical electronic reading experience by cleverly replicating the colour paper book version of the same story. Whilst you pay a little more for this version it is definitely worth the extra few dollars as Quentin Blake’s signature illustrations help to bring the wacky story to life. The eBook version is recommended due to its portability and cleverly designed features that almost replicates a physical book. Electronic books can do certain things that print books cannot, and therein lies their value. Enhanced electronic books are changing our definition and expectations of books. (Sadokierski 2013)
“Normal” eBooks are essentially digital versions of regular books that are usually read on devices like the Kindle, iPad and Nook. For most of their history, eBooks have been quite similar to their paper-based counterparts in terms of content. (Leelefever 2012) The benefits of an eBook is that it allows the user to carry several titles in one device and is simple to use with most eReaders navigable simply by pressing the screen to turn the page, it incorporates a library and home screen to select titles and has WIFI access to the store to easily purchase other eBook files as required.
With no significant differences to the paperback version of The Witches, one might wonder what the benefits are of purchasing an eBook. Whilst the immersive experience of this text is not in its digital features and rather in the masterful writing, it makes sense for young readers to transition to digital formats. This allows readers to continue to use 21st Century navigational skills of digital devices and one that many young readers will feel familiar with and even expect. Take for instance, the young child who couldn’t understand why her magazine page couldn’t be pinched or tapped for interactivity (UserExperiencesWorks, 2011). There is now an expectation from a young age that everything can be touched, swiped and zoomed.
Specifically using this text on an eReader will provide cost and storage space savings for schools. The question to ask for this particular book is what affordances the digital version offers that enhance and extend the print book (Yokota and Teale, 2014). Young adult readers will already have well developed skills to navigate the device required to access the eBook. Yokota and Teale discuss this and other questions around the use of apps in literacy education, and provide educators with some particularly insightful criteria to evaluate quality digital texts. It is therefore important for educators to select the mode in which texts are presented to learners and ensure that there are direct benefits to this mode of presentation whilst considering current and future trends in technological advancements.
In this instance, it is the text itself that can provide strong Victorian Curriculum links specifically in English and links to the other formats in which this text is presented can lend itself to reading and viewing and responding to texts. Some of these could include;
Recognise and analyse the ways that characterisation, events and settings are combined in narratives, and discuss the purposes and appeal of different approaches (VCELT374)
Synthesise information from multiple sources and use lateral thinking techniques to draw parallels between known and new solutions and ideas when creating original proposals and artefacts (VCCCTQ034)
Comparing and contrasting the text in a variety of formats can invoke critical thinking and encourage higher order questioning that a Middle Years student is required to demonstrate in order to meet curriculum learning outcomes. The Witches is an exemplary model of engaging literature suitable for such a learning purpose.
Even Monsters Get Sick is an interactive story for early years learners that was developed by Busy Bee Studios in 2012 and can be purchased via iTunes or the App store for 99 cents. Busy Bee studios is also responsible for the development and publishing of other educational children’s enhanced eBooks by a variety of authors.
Written and designed especially for preschool and early primary students, this digital story provides young digital natives with a well-illustrated and colourfully animated story that addresses some real life issues that they may encounter in a school setting.
Even Monsters Get Sick is a story about a boy named Harry who traded some items with a friend in the playground for her monster named Zub. The monster seems unhappy which is why she traded him, after visiting the doctor Harry discovers that Zub is unwell with a cold. Harry nurses Zub back to full health. When he is well again, Harry’s friend tries to trade back for Zub however Harry decides that caring for Zub in sickness has resulted in a close friendship with his monster.
Developing further from the basic ebook technology, a more curious breed are “enhanced eBooks”, which include audio-visual and interactive elements such as short videos and animations. (Sadokierski 2013) Even Monsters Get Sick, provides all of the necessary features to appeal to young audiences, whilst still maintaining the familiarity of a physical book, these include arrows to ‘turn the page’, text and images just like you would find in a regular printed children’s book. The enhanced eBook then moves away from a regular eBook with features such as an upbeat soundtrack, songs and sound effects targeted to keep readers engaged and interacting with the story. It includes animations and short clips where questions are posed to the reader for them to think of potential answers, readers can then respond through game scenarios and feel like they are part of the story for as stated by (Pappas 2019) Involving learners is key to engaging them and making sure that the information actually sticks.
This book has been well received by reviewers and educators with several awards and accolades, some of these for Bruza’s Even Monsters Get Sick include:
Featured in USA Today
Featured in the For Dummies book “iPad Apps for Kids: For Dummies”
Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner
Kirkus Reviews “Best of”
Best Apps for Kids “Best of the Best”
com “Top Apps For Kids”
The design of this interactive eBook lends itself well for use in education settings and can be used to compliment a variety of Victorian Curriculum learning outcomes developed by the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA). When utilising eBooks in early years, priority should be given firstly to the content quality of the digital narrative, including the supportive features and literary merits (Dobler, 2013, p.20). This eBook provides features that young 21st Century learners will be familiar with such as touch, press, listen and swipe however, in this instance the storyline, accompanying animations and games are targeted towards specific learning outcomes. For example, Even Monsters Get Sick includes 6 different games embedded into the story line designed to encourage reader engagement with the characters and encourages problem solving skills. Some of these games include mazes, shape matching and a treasure hunt.
The VCAA Foundation to Year 2 continuum provides links that educators can draw upon in the areas of Personal Learning Capabilities, Digital Technologies, English, Mathematics and Thinking Capabilities. Simple navigation tools such as arrows, a home button and contents page can encourage little learners to navigate simple texts and their features meeting Digital Technologies Outcomes. The story line includes a message and teaching for students teaching concepts such as health considerations, friendships and caring for others. These topics can prompt Personal and Social Capabilities lessons. Read aloud or self-read options also account for different reading abilities and model pace and flow by a young child narrator. It provides further opportunities for the child to read the text on their own therefore complimenting English developmental outcomes.
Whilst interactive eBooks are bright and engaging, Dobler (2013, p.20) warns of the risk on interactive texts being more distracting than motivating, in particular, when using texts with multimedia elements, educators need to choose texts that deepen the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the story. Therefore, strategic use of such eBooks should be carefully considered by educators with a clear intent and success criteria in mind. Another drawback of this text is that it was made specifically for Apple touch screen devices in 2012 and with the competitive nature of available android devices now readily available on the market, this eliminates a large proportion of the potential market based on device choice. Never the less, Bruza’s Even Monsters Get Sick is highly recommended for those little readers learning in a digital age.
Dobler, E. (2013, April/May). Looking Beyong the Screen: Evaluating the quality of Digital Books. Reading Today, 30(5), p. 20. Retrieved from www.reading.org.
Language – English (available in multiple languages)
Platform – iPad only
Cost – $9.99 AUD
Virtual Histories Roma, produced by Mondadori, is an enhanced book where readers are transported back in time through a guided exploration of ancient Rome which was the capital of the largest empire in the ancient world. The app takes readers through a fully immersive virtual experience of reconstructed city streets, ancient buildings and even allows you to manipulate and explore models of the gladiators, war engines and legionaries. The interactivity and flexibility provides astonishing experiences that no print book could ever replicate (Sadokierski, 2013) and Virtual Histories Roma boasts 3D models of ancient Roman buildings such as the Colosseum and Hadrian’s Museum.
Whilst navigating your way through the app, the user feels like they have been transported to another time whilst learning the secrets and stories of this ancient civilisation. As stated by (Pappas 2019) Telling a story is one of the oldest and most traditional human skills around. People like stories because they evoke emotions. What is great about an engaging story is that it often includes a lesson which can be learned.
Designed for confident readers and digital users, who can confidently navigate menus, hyperlinks, clickable endnotes and accessing links outside resources which are basic features of every enhanced book (Dube 2019) Virtual Histories Roma allows them to not just read but to engage, interact and experience. The interactive element of the story appeals to the contestant or learner because of the acknowledgment of their presence. The work by itself is re-affirming and a positive association follows. (Pappas 2019). In an educational setting this is particularly important for young adult learners as they achieve immediate feedback from their interaction whilst still within the text.
Not all interactivity is initially made obvious to the reader. It can take some investigation around the screen to find out where all of the features and capabilities are hidden, interactive books such as Virtual Histories Roma do require the reader to understand how the interactive elements work with the story (Lamb, 2011, p.13) to be successful with reaching its full potential. The digital manipulability of texts is transformative for teaching, learning and assessment practices. Virtual Histories is considered among the first applications to use ‘bubble viewer’ technology, which was conceived in Italy and patented in the USA. The system uses sensors built into the moving books (accelerometer and compass) to create a new generation of illustrations in digital bubble form. (Educational App Store)
The educational opportunities for using this enhanced eBook aligns well with the Victorian Curriculum in several learning outcome areas, and in particular Ancient History and English. Some of these outcomes include:
Explore the ways that ideas and viewpoints in literary texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts may reflect or challenge the values of individuals and groups (VCELT403)
Recognise and explain differing viewpoints about the world, cultures, individual people and concerns represented in texts (VCELT406)
How physical features influenced the development of the civilisation (VCHHK109)
Causes and effects of contacts and conflicts with other societies and/or peoples, resulting in developments such as expansion of trade, colonisation and war, and spread of beliefs (VCHHK112)
It is dependent on educators to strategically select how this text will be used and which curriculum areas to link. The use of the immersive 3D enhanced book allows students to utilise technology to enhance their learning as Robin (2009) suggests that teachers need to encourage the correct use of the technology, offering support throughout the reading experience in order to integrate the technology for instruction.
Developers have considered several safety aspects around exposure to young readers and have included privacy and security settings and blocked in app purchases. For such a multilayered and multi modal text, regular updates are required, and there have been several, to ensure the continued function of the enhanced eBook. Educators must account for this as these updates need to be managed within the class to ensure all students can access the working app. It is also important to consider the purchase cost of $9.99 per iPad as a factor for viability in a school setting, as the app is Apple specific and each device requires a different paid account. This can be expensive option for a school setting and one that needs to be taken into consideration if it was to be utilised as a tool for learning in schools.
The ability to participate in such an immersive experience is imperative for modern day students and as stated by Malita, Digital storytelling provides students with the development of skills necessary to be effective in the 21st Century (Malita 2010), therefore despite costs and other set up considerations, Virtual Histories Roma is highly recommended for an educational and realistic trip down the laneways of ancient Rome.
Robin, B. R. (2009, October 14). Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom. Theory Into Practice, 47(3), 220-228.
Using your readings and interaction with the subject to date, develop a statement about your current knowledge and understanding of concepts and practices in digital literature environments, tools and uses, within the context of your work or professional circumstances.
Defining Digital Literacies –
When enrolling in INF533, I considered what it was that I thought Digital Literacies were, for what I assumed would be a really easy answer to a simple question, I found myself questioning the very definition of digital literacies.
Making my way through the Module 1 course readings, I concluded that my previous definition of digital literacies has moved and changed over time as we have now entered a ‘Transmedia Universe’ (Lamb, A. 2001). For what was once a clear-cut answer, the development of new technologies along with its ever-changing technological capabilities, the definition of digital literacies has moved rapidly and fluidly. An interesting notion is the youth of such literacies, “e-literature as a field did not exist until the founding of the Electronic Literature Organization in 1999” (Coover 1992) this demonstrated just how new digital and electronic media is to the modern world.
As a Digital Technologies Leading Teacher in a government primary school setting, I worked through the course readings with the lens of a teacher educator responsible for the staff and curriculum development across the school. Lamb posed some interesting questions around the definition of reading ‘First, let’s tackle the definition of reading. What’s involved with the activity? Must it involve only text, or can it include graphics, sounds, motion, and other kinds of symbols in addition to or instead of the text? Does a book need to have a traditional start and finish? Or could the content emerge or even be created as the reader moves through the experience?’ (Lamb, A. 2001)
With these questions, one can challenge what literacy is, what reading is and even the value and purpose of a physical hard copy text. As an avid traveller and reader, I have reluctantly transitioned over the years to a kindle and to audiobooks as when ‘packing for a vacation, a single device the width of a novella that contains hundreds of books is incredibly convenient and offers a previously unimagined variety of instantaneous choice.’ (Sadokierski, Z. 2013). It just made sense to do away with the novels that I would travel with, in order to save precious carry on space and allow for choice at my fingertips.
Emerging Literary Experiences
With Amazon reporting eBook sales outstripping print for the first time in 2011 (Rapaport, 2011), authors and publishers are seeking to move beyond the traditional print-style format of eBooks. It is timely that schools and educators review what is already in use, what is outdated, what still retains value and what our responsibilities are for provision and exposure for our young learners.
Moving forwards through this course I hope to develop some firmer research-based opinions around digital literacies and exposure that our young learners require in order to prepare them with the tools for lifelong learning in a digital environment. Irrespective of my own beliefs and experiences for literacies, times continue to move and change and I strongly feel that it is my responsibility as a digital technologies educator to prepare the next generation for success in a changing and developing future. Furthermore, the possibilities and opportunities are endless so I hope to take away new ideas and learning around the digital literacy space that can be directly implement back into my school environment.
Word Count – 543
References Coover, Robert. “The End of Books.” The New York Times Book Review 21 June 1992.
Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live
