Digital Picture Books Research Articles

Effects of Digital Picture Books on Young Children Undergoing Cardiac Catheterisation and Their Family Caregivers: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

To assess the impact of digital picture books on preoperative anxiety, pain and sleep quality in young children undergoing cardiac catheterisation and the anxiety of their family caregivers. A randomised, single-blinded, two-arm, parallel-group controlled trial. Participants are young children aged 2-7 years with congenital heart disease scheduled for cardiac catheterisation and their family caregivers. They were enrolled at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between September 2022 and July 2023. They were randomised to either a control group receiving usual care or an intervention group receiving digital picture book sessions. Anxiety and pain levels were assessed using standardised scales, and sleep quality was measured using actigraphy. The study included 64 pairs of young children and family caregivers. Digital picture books significantly reduced preoperative anxiety and bandage removal pain in children and anxiety in family caregivers. However, there was no statistical difference in sleep quality between the intervention group and the control group. Digital picture books prove to be an effective intervention for reducing anxiety and pain in paediatric cardiac catheterisation patients and anxiety of their family caregivers. The intervention did not affect sleep quality, suggesting the need for additional strategies to address this aspect of the hospital experience. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of digitally illustrated books in reducing preoperative anxiety and pain in young children and anxiety in family caregivers. Digital picture books offer a creative and engaging way to help children and their families cope with the stress and anxiety associated with medical procedures. Further research in this area may lead to the development of more innovative and effective interventions for paediatric patients and their family caregivers. The study's impact lies in its innovative approach to addressing the psychological and emotional challenges faced by young children and their family caregivers during the stressful experience of cardiac catheterisation. By demonstrating the efficacy of digital picture books in significantly reducing preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain, the research presents a non-pharmacological, accessible and engaging intervention that can be seamlessly integrated into existing healthcare practices. The findings have the potential to transform paediatric care by offering a safe, developmentally appropriate and cost-effective method to support the emotional well-being of children and their families, thereby enhancing the overall patient experience and clinical outcomes. Moreover, the study's emphasis on family caregiver involvement underscores the importance of a holistic approach to care that considers the needs of both the patient and their support system. Children and their family caregivers were invited to provide valuable input which has been critical to the development of the intervention. The participant information sheet and consent form, as well as the consent/recruitment process, were reviewed by a consumer advisor advocate from the pilot study. CONSORT. Chinese clinical trial registry: ChiCTR2200063973. Registered on 22 September 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=132833.

A Study on Interactive Storytelling for Digital Picturebooks - Focusing on Connection with Story-Based Game Apps -

A Study on Interactive Storytelling for Digital Picturebooks - Focusing on Connection with Story-Based Game Apps -

A Study on the Impact of Digital Picture Book Reading on Children's Reading Literacy

With the advent of the Internet era, digital picture books, as a booming reading resource for children, have gradually become the starting point for most children to read. However, digital reading also faces issues such as information overload and distraction, and further attention should be paid to children's reading literacy in the digital reading environment. Therefore, this article selects 26 students from a kindergarten in Shangqiu City, Henan Province, China as the research subjects. The subjects are divided into an experimental group and a control group for a one-month comparative study. The experimental group uses the "Companion Fish Picture Book" iPad App to achieve digital picture book reading, while the control group uses traditional paper picture books for reading. Two groups of students were evaluated by the teacher and their grades were analyzed. The results showed that children who read digital picture books had a good research impact on vocabulary, reading comprehension, and reading interest. The conclusion was drawn that digital picture book reading can significantly improve children's reading literacy.

Analysis of the current state of evidence regarding the relationship between reading, writing, and digital literacy skills in K-12 education: A systematic review

This paper aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of studies on the relationship between reading and writing skills and digital literacy at the K-12 level, following the PRISMA statement. The analysis included examining subjects, aims, digital materials, methodologies, and learning outcomes of relevant studies. Data were collected from the Web of Science database based on specified inclusion criteria. In total, 23 empirical studies were analyzed: 6 articles exploring the relationship between writing and digital literacy skills, and 17 articles examining the relationship between reading and digital literacy skills. The relationship between reading skills and digital literacy was explored in several contexts: the impact of digital texts on reading processes, comprehension and interpretation skills, effects of digital technologies on traditional reading methods, the influence of digital graphic novels on reading processes, and early literacy education. Findings indicated a relationship between writing skills and digital literacy, covering topics such as digital technologies in traditional writing, critical discourse analysis, writing skills in new media, and writing practices. Various digital tools were employed to enhance reading, writing, and digital literacy skills, including digital tablets, computer software, comics, educational videos, e-books, picture books, digital novels, voice recorders, and mobile devices. The majority of studies utilized qualitative and mixed methods; no studies employed quantitative methods. Overall, these findings highlight the interplay between reading, writing, and digital literacy skills at the K-12 level, providing a foundation for future research.

An Open World of Stories: A Critical Examination of Open-Access Global Digital Picturebook Platforms

Abstract: This article presents a critical examination of four open-access global digital picturebook platforms to determine the messages the books could convey to readers about specific cultural groups, and what opportunities are provided for young readers to make important cross-cultural connections to strengthen their socioemotional development and prepare them to engage with diverse individuals in a global society. The sample included five books from each of the open-access platforms. Using both visual content analysis and semiotics, researchers examine how cultures are illustrated—in character demographics, themes, color choices, use of cultural symbols, and any notable differences or similarities between the books in each platform. Each platform was evaluated for its ability to provide opportunities for readers to make important connections with characters in the books, as well as for its potential to support the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of preserving and providing access to the world's culture and heritage. The study provides insight into how children's books in open-access platforms represent different cultures and how this in turn influences the potential for readers to make cross-cultural connections.

The Practice of Interactive Digital Picture Book Design in the Context of Media Convergence

The rapid development of media technology has enabled new media and traditional media to realize a good integration, and people's entertainment is richer in the era of media convergence. Reading is the main way for people to learn independently and enrich their daily life. Under the influence of media convergence, there has been a shift from traditional paper books to e-books and cell phones and other in people's reading carriers. At the same time, people's reading methods have also changed, and interactive reading has gradually broken the limitations of traditional reading way. Nowadays, interactive digital picture books are developing rapidly, and designers can realize the reasonable design of interactive digital picture books and improve people's reading through language sound, contextual stories, digital vision, image interaction, mobile augmented reality design, etc..

Effect of Digital Wordless Picture Books to Improve Students Ability in Writing Narrative Text at SMP Islam As-Shofa Pekanbaru


 
 
 
 This research aims to introduce teaching media based on technology using digital wordless picture books to improve students’ narrative writing abilities. This teaching media is presented in the form of PDF and e-books. The research design in this research used quasi-experimental. The instrument in this research used writing test. The subject in this research are the eighth-grade students of SMP Islam As-Shofa Pekanbaru. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select the sample. The result of normality test indicate the data is normal distribution and the homogeneity test is homogeneous. The calculation of the Independent Sample T-test shows that the p-value for the posttest data of the experimental group and the control group is p = 0,002 < 0,05. The result of the Independent Sample T-test indicate a that the Digital Wordless Picture Books media is effectively used in improving students’ ability in writing narrative text to the eighth-grade students of SMP Islam As-Shofa Pekanbaru.
 
 
 
 

Free access to multilingual digital books: a tool to increase book reading?

The objective of the study was to examine how providing access to multilingual digital picture books affected the reading habits and language development of children from bilingual families. The study included 41 children aged 4–5 from two schools whose parents spoke a heritage language distinct from the environmental language (Dutch), and had a low level of education. The children were randomly assigned to two groups - one with access to digital books solely in the environmental language (Dutch) and the other with a choice between the environmental language and their heritage language. A general vocabulary test was administered before and after a six-week intervention period. The findings indicated that access to digital books motivated reading, with roughly one-third of the children reading a substantial number of books during the intervention. The availability of books in the heritage language did not lead to an increase in book reading. Given a choice, only a minority (33%) preferred to read in their heritage language. The conditions exhibited similar growth in vocabulary, but the study uncovered positive associations between the number of books and vocabulary development.

Efficacy of digital picture book enhancements grounded in multimedia learning principles: Dependent on age?

We designed an experiment with stratified randomization to investigate the effects of visual and auditory enhancements in digital picture books on comprehension and incidental word learning. Participants were 183 children aged 3, 4, and 5 years (81 girls and 102 boys) from childcare centers and schools in the Southwest USA. We contrasted the still-image condition (an onscreen picture book with a voice-over reading the narrative aloud) with three enhanced conditions: a digital book that included auditory and visual enhancements, only auditory enhancement, or only visual enhancement. All participants watched and listened thrice to the researcher-assigned digital picture book version within three weeks. The posttests assessed children's story comprehension and book-based vocabulary. The visual and auditory enhancements benefited children's story comprehension and book-based vocabulary. However, a version with auditory and visual enhancements was less beneficial for comprehension than versions with single (auditory or visual) enhancements, particularly in the youngest group.

Quality in children’s digital picture books: seven key strands for educational reflections for shared dialogue-based reading in early childhood settings

ABSTRACT The scope of digital children’s books is increasing rapidly; however, the quality of these books needs consideration in view of the educational context in which they are to be read. In this article, we present seven key strands to support early childhood teachers in selecting high quality for shared dialogue-based reading with groups of children. The purpose of the key strands is two-sided: first to provide a tool for assessing the aptness of a digital book for use in shared dialogue-based reading in an early education setting. Second, the purpose is to strengthen the educational competence of professional teachers. The key strands are based on 48 video-filmed reading sessions and educational reflections by participating early childhood teachers after each reading session. This research is part of the project books and apps: evaluating e-books for use in dialogue-based reading in kindergarten (VEBB). The seven key strands identified are 1) Theme, 2) Duration, 3) Verbal text and illustrations, 4) Play with language, 5) Conversation and dialogue, 6) Medium flexibility and 7) Interactivity. The first five strands are also relevant for educational reflections on print books.

PENGEMBANGAN BUKU DIGITAL CERITA BERGAMBAR BERBENTUK FLIPBOOK DALAM PEMBELAJARAN TEMATIK SISWA KELAS V

This study aims to describe the steps of developing a digital picture book in the form of a flipbook that is valid and practical in thematic learning for fifth grade students at 39 Pontianak City Elementary School. This study uses the Research and Development (R&D) method based on the ADDIE model which consists of five development steps, namely Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation. The data sources of this research are design experts, material experts and students validators. The results of the validation of design experts and materials experts obtained an average of 5 "very valid". The results of design and material validation for students by small groups obtained an average of 4.45 "very valid". The results of design and material validation for students by large groups obtained an average of 4.51 "very valid". The results of practicality by small groups obtained an average of 4.54 "very practical". The results of practicality by large groups obtained an average of 4.46 "very practical". Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the digital illustrated story book in the form of a flipbook in thematic learning is very practical to use in the learning process. Keywords: Digital book, Flipbook, Thematic

To explore the impact of augmented reality digital picture books in environmental education courses on environmental attitudes and environmental behaviors of children from different cultures.

Environmental education has long been closely related to sustainable development. In this study, in response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an augmented reality (AR) digital picture book was created using the unique natural ecosystem of Taiwan's Orchid Island as a source of self-efficacy for science learning. Interactive environmental education learning through AR drawing was used to determine whether students' science learning self-efficacy and environmental attitudes significantly influenced the environmental behavioral skills of culturally diverse children. In this study, 26 elementary sixth-grade Taiwanese students and 26 elementary sixth-grade Japanese students were invited to participate in an extended reality drawing activity as an environmental education curriculum. Based on the sample size of 52, the survey results were accurate with a sampling error of 3.8% with a confidence level of 95%. A questionnaire survey was administered to the 52 students after the event. After the valid questionnaire samples were collected, a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was conducted with Smart PLS 3.0 on the small sample. The results of the study showed that students who had a better self-efficacy in science learning were more likely to engage in conservation actions related to the natural environment in their daily lives. In this study, the constructs of environmental behavior were further discussed and the hypothesis model was validated using the quantitative empirical method. The results of the study revealed good reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the constructs in the hypothesis model, and the hypothesis model itself was validated. In the validated model, students' science learning self-efficacy affects the sustainability of their environmental behaviors, but only through the role of environmental attitudes. However, the environmental attitudes construct plays a fully mediating role in the model.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION TO HELP STUDENT’S COMPREHENSION IN READING NARRATIVE TEXT: A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

This study aims to know the lecturer’s and student’s perspectives on the use of digital illustrations or digital storybooks, this study also aims to develop a digital picture book for learning to read narrative text. This study is about research and development or also known as R&D, which produces products that help students’ comprehension in reading narrative text. The data was taken from the questionnaire and open-ended interviews that have been shared by the respondents. According to Borg and Gall (1983), R&D is “The process used to develop and validate educational products”. The results of this research not only develop existing products but also on finding knowledge, middle ground, or answers to existing problems. This study found that the respondents like story books with pictures and colors, they also assume that illustration can help their understanding of reading narrative text, and they think that the use of the visual learning method is a good method and not monotonous to teach and learn especially in English learning, they also said that this product can be developed further, and for the last, they think that learning media via easy-to-access link is a good medium for learning.
 Keywords: Digital illustration, Narrative text, Research and development, Visual, Learning, Media

Pengembangan Media Digital Book Bergambar Seri Berbasis Examples Non Examples untuk Meningkatkan Keterampilan Menulis Karangan Narasi Siswa

This research is motivated by the low skills of writing narrative essays for fifth grade students of SDN Sidalang 01 based on observations and interviews with classroom teachers. This research aims to produce digital media illustrated book series based on examples non examples to improve the skills of writing narrative essays. The type of research used is Thiagarajan Semmel and Semmel 4-D (Four-D) development research. The data collection method used is the method of observation, questionnaires and tests. The results of the research at the definition and design stages produced a digital media design for a series of picture books which in its presentation used the examples non examples syntax. Then the development stage was carried out, namely by expert validation, practicality testing and effectiveness testing on digital media based on examples-non-examples-based picture books. The results of the media expert validity test got an average score of 89.37% with very good criteria and 89.5% according to material experts with very good criteria. The results of the practicality test based on student responses got an average score of 92% and 90.7% based on the teacher's response with very good criteria. The effectiveness of digital media illustrated book series based on examples non examples tested valid based on the t test got a sig (2-tailed) of 0.000 so that Ho was rejected, while the average N-Gain result was 0.57 in the moderate improvement category. It can be concluded that the digital media picture book series based on examples and non-examples is proven to be valid and feasible to use in learning.

Digital Picture Books for Young Dual Language Learners: Effects of Reading in the Second Language

Reading picture books in the first language (L1) before rereading them in the second language (L2) is assumed to be beneficial for young dual language learners (DLLs). This pilot study examined how sharing digital picture books in L1 or L2 at home before reading them in L2 in kindergarten affected L2 book-specific vocabulary learning and story comprehension. Participants were 14 three- and four-year-old children who spoke Polish at home and learned Norwegian as their second language. Even when DLLs were less advanced in L2, reading first in L1 was not advantageous for L2 vocabulary learning. Characteristics of caregiver–child interactions during the reading of digital picture books in L2 may explain why home reading in L2 was more beneficial than reading in L1 for less proficient young L2 learners.

Preschoolers’ electrodermal activity and story comprehension during print and digital shared reading

Digital picture books are increasingly available for shared reading but reports on how children engage with them differ depending on the type of measurement used. The purpose of this study was to compare pre-readers’ engagement during print and digital shared reading and test whether engagement mediated the relation between children's preference, familiarity with the stories, and media experience and their comprehension of the story. Using a within-subjects design with order and book title randomly assigned, we captured electrodermal activity from 83 children aged 3–5 years during shared print and digital reading with a researcher. We also asked children which medium they preferred and surveyed their parents about their child's familiarity with the picture books and weekly digital media experience. Children's baseline-adjusted electrodermal level was higher at the midpoint of print than digital reading. The level diverged across the course of the story, increasing during the print story and decreasing during the digital story. Preference, familiarity, and digital media experience did not predict electrodermal level, and electrodermal level did not predict story comprehension. However, the duration of weekly digital media exposure positively predicted comprehension of the digital story. The results are consistent with reports that pre-readers, like adults, process digital and print reading differently, even when digital books offer no interactive features. Children do not consistently prefer the medium in which they will be most engaged or learn best. Future research is needed to determine how interactive digital features and interactive co-readers impact this pattern of results.

Learning through digital technologies among pre-primary school children

Abstract In response to the growing global demand for teaching additional language(s) to very young children (ages 2–6), an increasing supply of digital technologies purports to assist pre-primary school children with their language learning. Focusing on TV/videos, digital picture books, and social robots, this paper examined the small body of empirical research on the effect of these digital technologies on very young second or foreign language learners and bolstered this research with similar studies conducted among very young children learning a first language. The paper identifies possibilities and limitations of using such technologies and documents how they can be used effectively with young language learners. Two key elements for effective use of digital technologies emerged from the examination of the relevant studies: (a) digital devices and applications must have developmentally appropriate content and functions; and (b) children need to have meaningful interaction with adults or digital agents while using digital technology. The paper concludes with two implications for future research: (a) the need to have critical discussions when designing digital technologies for and using digital technologies with young children; and (b) the need to pay greater attention to individual differences in children’s attitudes and preferences concerning different digital technologies.

Technical Supports and Emotional Design in Digital Picture Books for Children: A Review

In recent years, the digital picture book has been an increasingly important reading and writing medium for children. Research on the effects of digital picture books on learning has produced mixed results. As a potential tool, some researchers found that such books could foster and scaffold for developing emergent literacy in the early childhood education. However, some still have the skeptical attitude toward integrating the technology in picture books. This survey reviews techniques and emotional design that have been applied in picture books. We also compared and discussed different types of picture books.

A Case Study on Picture Book Application for Children as Semiotic Technology in Representing Asian Identities

Digital book applications have emerged as new formats of picture books, with an integration of digitally mediated resources to construct meaning. These picture book apps are written artefacts that contain cultural messages and values about the world that children live in. Dually, as semiotic artefacts, they consist of meaning potentials through the concept of interactivity along with other technologically created multimodal resources. These resources form the semiotic surfaces of picture book apps and thus the picture book app is classified as Semiotic Technology. Picture book apps as semiotic technology are instrumental in changing the way in which current young readers engage with stories. The multimodal aspect is amplified in this digital text by the concept of interactivity. In recognition of the impact of these semiotic artefacts on users, this case study proposes a model based on a semiotic technology approach (media dimension) and the concept of interactivity, to interpret meaning making in digital picture book apps for children. Through a qualitative approach that has employed purposeful sampling, a digital picture book app, Green Riding Hood, has been selected as a case study for this article to illustrate how Asian identities are represented through interactive features. It is found that, through semiotic meaning-making captured in interactivity defining features, South Asian (Indian) identity markers like ethnicity, religion, age, and gender have been represented as multicultural or diversity awareness conduits to users. Through main values like unity (friendship) and health and fitness (including environmentalism), this digitized children’s literature thus is an ideal mirror, window, and door to society. This approach on digitized picture books is deemed important to be understood and recognized because types of messages from children’s literatures that get across through lenses of children can impact their path of identity realization and understanding

Bilingual children’s visual attention while reading digital picture books and story retelling

This study examined Mandarin–English bilingual children’s visual attention over repetitive readings of Mandarin enhanced digital books and static books as well as the effects visual attention has on story retelling. We assigned 89 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers in Singapore to one of three reading conditions: (a) digital books with visual and auditory enhancements, (b) digital books with only auditory enhancements, and (c) static digital books with neither visual nor auditory enhancements. We presented three stories to the children in four sessions over 2 weeks, traced their visual attention with an eye tracker, and examined their story retelling after the first and fourth readings. The results demonstrated that the digital books with visual and auditory enhancements maintained greater visual attention from children compared with that from children in the other two conditions across the four repetitive readings. Moreover, children’s bilingual language proficiency significantly modulates the conditional effects of attention. Children with higher bilingual proficiency in the visual and auditory enhancements condition outperformed their peers in the other two conditions in terms of visual attention across most readings. However, for the children with lower bilingual proficiency, the digital books with auditory and visual enhancements only outperformed the static condition but not the auditory enhanced condition. Children with lower language proficiency maintained their attention at a relatively high level across the repetitive readings in the enhanced digital book conditions but demonstrated significantly decreased visual attention in the static digital book condition. Because children with better visual attention and higher bilingual proficiency retold the stories significantly better, the results indicate that influencing visual attention helps to improve story comprehension.