Following my unsuccessful first coursework, I took a new direction towards something I was personally interested in and could explore in depth. My ideas began with the technology of literature: from the oral tradition to the printing press to today’s e-readers. Through investigation of such technology I was able to gain a better understanding of the pros and cons of books vs. the Internet.
I looked at the way literary works have found their way online through Twitter and Facebook. I took this a step further, translating book extracts into texts and email, comparing the effects. These ideas helped my attempt to overcome my bias towards real books, which found focus in the online study guide phenomena. This is something that interested me as a way the Internet can help rather than hinder literacy. Eager to become part of this, I immediately noticed what these sites lacked: images. Noting the success of visual study guides in book form (Horrible Histories) I wondered why sites such as Sparknotes had not utilized the potential of visual aids. I showed through experimentation that just a few images and colour could be effective in combating boredom and being memorable.
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| Sarah Maple (source) more detailed post |
Not content with simply supplementing my images into the websites, contemporary artist Sarah Maple inspired me to take more guerilla-style approach. I experimented with pop up windows, attacking the reader of the study site with the images they were lacking, to compliment and aid their learning. I found this led me to ask further questions about springing information on a larger group than just students; why not the whole world. With this in mind I aimed to target gossip and social networking sites and I found the outcome both humorous and thought-provoking. All day we stare at a screen with the potential to teach us so much, yet we waste it looking at rubbish. Would my proposal ever change this? To find out I could have made the website itself to see what response I received. However, I think my investigation has effectively identified a problem and offered a solution.
Links to final animations:
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