Dear Janet,
The statement was made by Carlos Scolari, in a presentation that he placed on slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/cscolari/transmedia-storytelling-narrative-strategies-fictional-worlds-and-branding-in-contemporary-media-production
I think most of his descriptions are pretty straight forward. For example, transmedia story telling (or distributed narrative) has become increasingly common and is by nature intertextual and networked. This has become common in modern media. Classic examples are The Matrix franchise and the TV show, "24." Web links are clearly interactive and cause the reader to shift between interfaces. It is generally accepted in the motion picture industry that modern viewers are able to recognize and accept new frames of reference faster than even those of a few decades ago. Compare this with the silent movie, Intolerance, where the action shifts back and forth among four different narratives. The director tried to clarify this by showing a transition image of Lillian Gish rocking the cradle of the ages for a minute or so. The audience still didn't understand. Now jump cuts have become common and most viewers don't even seem to notice them, and it is not unusual to see multiple images on screen simultaneously in movies and TV. All you have to do is look on the desk of most faculty and you will see that they are using multiple screens to connect with a single computer. Screen fragmentation is harder to get a handle on, but I think it follows from the multiple screen comment.
I haven't been able to find as much research as I would like on screen reading vs. paper reading, but what I have seen indicates that there is clearly a difference. There are several very interesting articles about this in a book called Cyberlines 2.0: Languages and Culture of the Internet, but we don't have this in the library (I got it through interlibrary loan). One study found that if middle school students studied on a screen and then were tested on paper, the grades were significantly lower than for students who both studied and were tested on the paper. I am hoping that some of the readers of this list will suggest further references that apply to this question.
Cordially,
Harry
Harry E. Pence
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus
SUNY Oneonta
________________________________
From: Teaching Breakfast List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nepkie, Janet ([log in to unmask])
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 12:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Reading Online vs. Paper
Harry,
I am always interested to read broad, comprehensive assertions such as those you’ve reported to have been made by University Pomopeu Fabri. Was there any indication of the extent of research that produced the conclusion that digital interactive media has created a new kind of "reader?”
Thanks,
Janet
Dr. J. Nepkie
SUNY Distinguished Service Professor
Professor of Music and Music Industry
Fine Arts 145
State University College
Oneonta, NY 13820
tele: (607) 436 3425
fax: 607 436 2718
[log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>
________________________________
From: <[log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>>
Reply-To: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:46:44 -0500
To: <[log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>>
Subject: Re: Reading Online vs. Paper
Dear TBers,
Carlo Scolari (University Pomopeu Fabri, Barcelona, Spain) says that digital interactive media has created a new kind of "reader" who is accustomed to interactivity, networked information, screen fragmentation, more rapid pace of presentation, intertextuality, multiple screens, and rapid shifting between interfaces.
Based on my reading, it appears that many students have not bought into screen reading. Those that have, however, may be a different kind of reader than we are accustomed to.
Cordially,
Harry
Harry E. Pence
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus
SUNY Oneonta
________________________________
From: Teaching Breakfast List [[log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>] On Behalf Of Greenberg, James ([log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>)
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 8:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx>
Subject: Reading Online vs. Paper
TBers,
Reminder that the last TB of the year will be Dec. 1, 8 am, Starbucks in the Hunt College Union.
I just finish reading Nicolas Carr’s new book The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains?. In it, he makes a compelling case that the fragmented media of today’s Internet is fundamentally changing our brains. He covers the topic pretty well (from my uneducated perspective), moving from working memory/long term memory issues, to how we react to different formats. Faculty that study reading tell me there may be something to this. They point out the numerous studies suggesting that reading from paper is a cognitive process, while reading from the screen is more a visual process. Of course generalizing this complex process is always risky. I’m curious....
Do you expect your students to read “from the screen” ?
Do you suggest to them, they print things out before reading them, and if so why? If not, why not?
Do you have an anecdotal information that suggests one approach might be better than another?
Hope to see you all Dec. 1. Until then, don’t each too much.
Mr. James B. Greenberg
Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center
Milne Library
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, New York 13820
blog: The 32nd Square at http://32ndsquare.blogspot.com
wiki: The 32nd Square at http://32ndsquare.wikidot.com
email: [log in to unmask]<UrlBlockedError.aspx> <UrlBlockedError.aspx>
phone: 607-436-2701
fax: 607-436-3677
IM: oneontatltc
Twitter: greenbjb
"Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever"
P Think before you print! Please consider the environment before printing this email