MEKIDS Media Education with Kids through Interactive Digital Storytelling

New digital technologies give rise to many concerns and debates in primary education, as educational institutions and practitioners are challenged by multiple developments, ranging from the transformation of media environments to calls for transversal media education from early on. Educational research can expand the available repertoire of teachers to design learning arrangements, contribute in the user-centred design and development of tools in authentic educational settings and explore new applications of established educational theories. To assess potentials and challenges for learning based on narrative thinking and interactive storytelling, "MEKIDS" (Media Education with Kids through Interactive Digital Storytelling) explores the use of interactive narratives as a way for teachers to introduce thematically complex subjects in learning settings with young children (8-11 years). In specific, a hypertextual interactive tool ('Fantastinomio') is developed to facilitate creative storytelling with young children about subjects that can be curated by educators. The study follows a design-based research approach, also known as educational design research [12] and is carried out with various research methods in field studies across the stages of exploration, design and evaluation. Preliminary findings show that the ability to customize educational technology to didactic needs has multiple benefits, for example through the establishment of connections between intended learning outcomes and the life worlds of children through the use of children-made story elements.