Capitalizing on the Craze of Fortnite: Toward a Conceptual Framework for Understanding How Gamers Construct Communities of Practice

Abstract

This article conceptualizes a framework for understanding the discourse and literacy practices generated by players of the video game, Fortnite. As a teacher educator interested in studying how multiliteracies cultivated in social settings can be leveraged toward academic success, my two objectives for this theoretical article are to examine how Fortnite players operate within their digital community and to explore what relationships may be established between the game’s social literacy contexts and formal literacy learning. In light of Fortnite’s connections to reading comprehension, discourse systems, and social learning environments, recommendations are made for future research, including considerations of school-based implementation.