A Multicase Study to Explore Ways to Integrate Locative Technologies in Electronic Stories for Children

Abstract

In recent years, mobile devices have become popular as recreational and educational media in the daily family lives, and it is increasingly common for children to have their first contact with literature through electronic books. In a context wherein locative stories are pointed out as an emerging scenario for children’s digital literature, this research explores ways, opportunities and concerns to integrate location-based technologies into electronic stories for children. For this purpose, we have conducted a multicase study on pioneering apps that exemplify different ways of combining stories and locative technologies in mobile devices. Drawing on these cases, we identify a group of aspects to be considered to the design process when developing such artifacts. It includes main goals for the project, recommendations and concerns related to the meaningful impact on children, the urban space and the narrative, recommendations for setting up the project team, for the data collection process, as well as ways to integrate locative technologies into children’s electronic stories.