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(RIGHT) ST IVES NORTH PUBLIC SCHOOL IN SYDNEY; (LEFT) MACICT
macicttransmedia2013.wordpress.com storyweb-sinps.macict.webfactional.com storyweb-nsps.macict.webfactional.com henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_ storytelling_101.html thestorytrader.org lls.edu.au
“Their contribution demonstrated how well they understood the story and showed their depth of insight into the characters and how they relate to each other,” she says. Transmedia creates a world around a story, says Daniel Donahoo, director of digital consultants Project Synthesis. Donahoo, who creates transmedia learning environments for students, developed The Story Trader, a narrativedriven learning experience steeped in performance, in conjunction with the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). It was trialled recently in a number of NSW schools. In The Story Trader scenario, students arrive at class and find an old canvas bag full of wool, textiles and fabrics with a note that says: “Build a nook and the story can begin”. The next day there’s a package with maps and a USB with audio files giving students more instructions. On another day, a colourfully caped person, the Story Trader, enters the classroom, looking for the package. “And the story world begins,” says Donahoo. “The idea is that, over six weeks, students participate in scenes played out in the classroom. They have tasks to do, such as writing and telling stories, making videos and engaging with characters in the story [played by NIDA actors]. “All the students’ activities become part of the story, and through this they help write the story themselves. Students are both experiencing and creating the story.”
Media strengths In transmedia storytelling, different media forms suit different aspects of the story, says Dr Donna Hancox, senior lecturer in creative arts at Queensland University of Technology,
Teachers need a good understanding of the technology if they are to be able to create the flexibility that transmedia storytelling requires.
Storypoints to ponder Storypoints are entry points that connect students to a story and allow them to explore the larger world in which it exists. Types of storypoints include:
Laetitia Cross Deputy principal, North Sydney Demonstration School
which has had a postgraduate unit in transmedia storytelling since 2010. “Each type of media brings a different aesthetic and strength to the story. Each does something that no other media can do as well,” says Hancox. “For example, one part of the main story could be told through a blog, in first-person, with a confidential tone, making the most of what blogs have to offer. “Students start to think about the process of storytelling and what each media tool brings to it. In transmedia storytelling, they need to think about what will engage the audience at different points. Will it be Facebook, a game, Twitter, photos?” ● Cynthia Karena is a freelance writer.
Mining Students dig more deeply into the story by seeing what points they expand on. To stay consistent with the story, they need to understand its themes, and the interests and motivations of the characters, says Dr Nerida McCredie. “For example, in Cinderella, students could create the list of chores Cinderella had to complete each day. ” Partnering Introducing new elements such as events, perspectives or reactions. “In Cinderella, this might involve writing a gossip article, including paparazzi photos, for ‘The Palace Weekly’, about the latest royal news. Dreaming In re-imagining the story, characters and events are altered or removed. They must, however, still connect to the original story, says McCredie. “This might lead to a retelling of the story where Cinderella is a young man.” AU STRAL IA N ED U CATO R 89 AU T U M N 2 01 6 33
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