Abstract:

Transmedia is a narrative strategy used in filmmaking and other creative industries such as videogames. These strategies are linked to the new possibilities brought by the digital revolution, such as interactive content, asynchronous and on-demand consumption, and multi-platform storytelling. Their main defining characteristic is that the narrative is shared through different media, although the relationship between the contents shown therein can be one of redundancy, expansion, or modification of the canonical or base story. Multimedia teaching has been present in the classroom for decades. It can be understood as the usage of different communicative codes in a single product, such as video and text. Transmedia, on the other hand, takes a step forward and integrates different platforms together with user interactivity.

The aim of this paper is to review transmedia strategies for online learning in higher education settings and how they can be applied to specific settings. In this case, the example chosen is the Multimedia Audiovisual Projects course that is part of the Multimedia Design and Production Master’s Degree of Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR). This course presents the students with three projects: podcast creation, live streaming and video optimization for social media distribution. Given the number of platforms required for the proposed projects, the subject is ideal for transmedia application.

The first problem identified with this adaptation is transmedia literacy. In other systems, students only need to be literate with a single platform such as a specific LMS. These strategies require a degree of digital literacy that is not always present and that needs to be nurtured for the students to profit from these proposals. The second problem is that of participation. Part of transmedia narratives is interaction with the public and improved engagement, which is sought for in students with these strategies. Used to being passive subjects in many instances, achieving this change is a challenge. Online learning also implied that many students interact asynchronously with course contents. This can be seen as both a risk and an advantage as the interaction can happen at any given time and over different screens.

The resulting course design is expected to improve the students’ media literacy and improve their digital competency through different platforms while improving their engagement with the course contents. A strategy to determine the appropriateness of this method will be presented, based on quantitative and qualitative methods. These include student feedback, evaluation of the acquisition of the expected learning outcomes and engagement, measured through forum, project and class participation.

Keywords:

Transmedia, education, digital literacy, digital course design.