The ancients got a face lift
NB: The following post will compare the similarities and differences that digital books have with older incarnations of itself from the past.It is written in a somewhat fractured manner as I attempt to make the design of this blog mimic the nature of hypertexts as I bounce from one somewhat related paragraph to another. My style of writing also reflects the feeling of entering the hypertext labyrinth where the reader feels a bit like someone who enters and exits mid conversation.
The hybridization of the book as we know it has happened in our life time. Digital books are the new incarnation of hieroglyphs, ancient papyrus scrolls, codex and the printing press. They embody characteristics of each of these major movements in literacy.
Just as ancient poetics and historical texts (via hieroglyphs or papyrus scroll) had no ending, neither does the internet. And while one can argue there was a real interaction between audience and performers in later times, today there is also an interaction between text and reader. Ancient prose and poetics were about public performance, and so too is the internet. People live their lives publically through social media in a way that was never envisioned by the ancients.
Codex saw itself as one verbal unit that could hold vast amounts of information. The internet (via hypertext) sees itself as multiple units to be shared from one text to the other, however, it too can hold vast amounts of information. Later, bound books, often included unrelated content, much like computers today. One could literally enter a labyrinth of information and get lost within the world of hypertext. And although it may at first appear to be related, it soon loses any relevance to the original idea. However, both the internet and printed books are about private study. The difference being that the internet allows for the audience to choose to leave a private space and become public, and for them also to move seamlessly from the role of reader to the role of the author.
When we talk of teaching youth multi- literacies all these influences come in to play as we speak of audience literacy, production literacy and text literacy. In previous times, it was enough to just come to the text and expect that the text would act upon you, but with the interactive nature of the internet and electronic texts, audiences must not only interpret the information but be able to understand the production components used in order to manipulate the audience. Students are required to analyze, interpret and recognize techniques being used upon them. They need to understand different forms, styles and language and the impact that has on the audience. They need to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationship between audience and content. Also, there is a need to understand the roles and responsibility of the media industry in the creation of these materials.
One of the biggest problems educators have is copyright infringement. Teaching students how to site information properly and where to find reliable sources are a big part of digital literacies. Educators need to teach them how to critically analyze, search for accurate information and evaluate that information using strategies. Ultimately educators need to advocate for and take part in sound practice, while all the while navigating this complex world ourselves.
Resources
Bolter, Chapters 4 and 5
Englebart, D., A conceptual framework for the augmentation of man’s intellect
Bush, V., As we may think