Tangible Storytelling

+ Play + Learning…blending the digital and physical worlds to

expand children’s transmedia experiences

Erin Reilly

Creative Director + Research Fellow

USC Annenberg Innovation Lab

ereilly@usc.edu

I. Beginning with Transmedia Storytelling

I. The Flotsam Experiment

– expanding to Transmedia Play + Learning

III. Bridging the Physical and Digital Spaces

– Adding “tangibility” to Transmedia Play + Learning

IV. The Winklebeans Experiment

– Tangible Storytelling + Play + Learning

V. What’s Next…

I. Beginning with Transmedia Storytelling

Transmedia Stories…• Expand the World

• Extend the Timeline

• Deepen the Characters

• Increase Engagement

II. The Flotsam Experiment

– expanding to Transmedia Play + Learning

Partners

A Wordless Children’s Picture Book

Flotsam is about boy at the beach, who finds a camera that washes up on shore.

He has the film developed and follows the stories that the pictures reveal.

Expands the World

Extends Timeline

Deepens Characters

Increases Engagement

What shape do play

and storytelling take

in the 21st Century?

Characteristics of Transmedia Play

1. Foster co-learning among children, peers, parents, and other adults through joint media engagement

2. Promote new approaches to reading across media

3. Support constructivist learning goals.

Joint Media Engagement

involves mutual engagement—

meaning something in the

experience appeals to the diverse

partners involved.

1. Joint Media

Engagement

2. New Approaches

to Reading

3. Constructivist

Learning

New Approaches to Reading

learn to read both written and

multimedia texts broadly (across

multiple media) and deeply (digging

into details of the narrative).

1. Joint Media

Engagement

2. New

Approaches to

Reading

3. Constructivist

Learning

Game Rules

1. Your piece of Flotsam must

cross the equator 3x to win the

game

2. You can use your Dare card (one

in the middle) if you get stuck in

an “Eddy”

3. If your opponent doesn’t accept

the Dare, then you have to do it

in order to get unstuck from the

“Eddy” …so choose Dares that

you’re willing to do too!

1. Joint Media

Engagement

2. New Approaches

to Reading

3. Constructivist

Learning

Constructivist Learning

emphasizes the active role of the

learner in creating knowledge by

working to make connections among

information in a specific context.

III. Bridging the Physical and Digital Spaces

– Exploring “tangibility” in Transmedia Play + Learning

tan·gi·ble [tan-juh-buhl]. adj.

Capable of being touched; discernible by the

touch; material or substantial.

1. Manipulability

2. Physical Connectivity

3. Performativity

Affordances of Tangibility

1. Manipulability

2. Physical

Connectivity

3. Performativity

Manipulability

Objects can be directly

moved, changed or

otherwise altered using

one’s hands or other

methods of physical

interaction.

1. Manipulability

2. Physical

Connectivity

3. Performativity

Physical Connectivity

Objects or the child’s

physical body can directly

connect to, or otherwise

interact with, the story, other

objects or location.

1. Manipulability

2. Physical

Connectivity

3. Performativity

Performativity

Objects can literally become

storytellers by using visual,

auditory, or kinetic methods

for the object to

communicate with the play

partner.

IV. The Winklebeans

Experiment

– Tangible Storytelling

+ Play + Learning

Team: Erin Reilly, Alisa Katz, Geoffrey Long, Aninoy Mahapatra, Daniel Burwen, Mitch Thompson, Shane Reilly

Meet the Winklebeans!

Toag – Neas – Caitir – Onchu – Aodh – Barrahttp://www.winklebean.com

Tangibility

Manipulability

Physical

Connectivity

Performativity

Transmedia Play

Joint media engagement

New approaches to

reading

Constructivist learning

V. What’s next …

What role do hyper-personalization and customization play

in connecting Tangibility to Transmedia Play?

Hyper-personalization & Customization

Print at Home Print at Service Provider

Now Imagine...

Flotsam Experiment Winklebeans Experiment

For More Information

Erin Reilly

207-251-1617

ereilly@usc.edu

@ebreilly