Multiple Literacies, Transmedia Narratives, and Interactivity in Digital Culture: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This article reviews the current state of research in the Latin American field of Communication–Education in Culture, with particular attention to its second generation: educommunication (education and communication), school culture, and media education. The review aims to identify, organise, and critically analyze academic work on multiple literacies, transmedia narratives, and interactivity. It also seeks to identify current lines of research on children’s and young people’s use of digital environments inside and outside of school, as well as perceptions of the role of information and communication technologies in everyday, professional, and academic life. The study followed a scoping review methodology, which involved locating, classifying, and describing relevant documents in order to examine the data and present the findings. The review considered Spanish-language publications from 2011 to 2023, prioritizing case studies involving Ibero-American populations in formal and non-formal educational contexts. The inclusion criteria focused on studies addressing the use of digital technologies in the classroom, media education, and educational proposals and practices related to transmedia narratives and interactivity. The findings identified three major areas of research: the development of digital literacies, transmedia narratives and interactivity, and students learning and participation in digital environments. While there has been an increase in using transmedia narratives to develop media and communication skills, it was clear that additional research is needed to understand successful pedagogical strategies to promote media/digital competence from a critical/reflexive perspective. It is also important to examine student participation and communication practices as they relate to their own interests.