Presented at the Africa Media and Broadcasting Congress, J'burg 5 November 2009 m-Novels for Africa: A South African Case Study Steve Vosloo, Shuttleworth Foundation

Steve Vosloo, Shuttleworth Foundation

Agenda Rationale for m4Lit project Kontax : the story, the mobisite and the MXit connection Pros and cons of m-novels

Agenda

Rationale for m4Lit project

Kontax : the story, the mobisite and the MXit connection

Pros and cons of m-novels

Lack of printed books in SA 51% of South African households own no leisure books Just 6% of households have more than 40 titles on their bookshelves National Survey into the Reading and Book Reading Behaviour of Adult South Africans (PICC, 2006)

51% of South African households own no leisure books

Just 6% of households have more than 40 titles on their bookshelves

National Survey into the Reading and Book Reading Behaviour of Adult South Africans (PICC, 2006)

The (mobile) time is right Good infrastructure Good coverage (better than Silicon valley) High uptake of phones Cheap data MXit: mobile IM service (13m users in SA) Mobile web access on the rise in the townships (Donner and Gitau, 2009; Kreutzer, 2009)

Good infrastructure

Good coverage (better than Silicon valley)

High uptake of phones

Cheap data

MXit: mobile IM service (13m users in SA)

Mobile web access on the rise in the townships (Donner and Gitau, 2009; Kreutzer, 2009)

Mobile literacies The rise of txtspk In SA, popular language and literacies are adapting to mobile use (Deumert and Masinyana, 2008; Deumert, Klein and Masinyana, 2008) m-Novels in Japan

The rise of txtspk

In SA, popular language and literacies are adapting to mobile use (Deumert and Masinyana, 2008; Deumert, Klein and Masinyana, 2008)

m-Novels in Japan

Participatory culture: Don't just consume, but also create, share and remix content (Jenkins et al., 2006 ) Digital and social media are enabling this Not much known about this in SA

Participatory culture:

Don't just consume, but also create, share and remix content (Jenkins et al., 2006 )

Digital and social media are enabling this

Not much known about this in SA

“They just don't read” Teens don't read enough Teens don't write enough Teens love their cellphones What can we do with this? Lack of printed books in SA (Mobile) time is right Participatory culture Mobile literacies ?

Teens don't read enough

Teens don't write enough

Teens love their cellphones

What can we do with this?

m4Lit is born “Mobiles for literacy” project goals: To explore whether teens are interested in reading stories on their cellphones Whether and how they write using their cellphones Whether cellphones might be used to change their attitudes towards reading and writing Explore m-novels as a compliment and alternative to printed literature

“Mobiles for literacy” project goals:

To explore whether teens are interested in reading stories on their cellphones

Whether and how they write using their cellphones

Whether cellphones might be used to change their attitudes towards reading and writing

Explore m-novels as a compliment and alternative to printed literature

Research design Working with Assoc Prof Ana Deumert, Dr Marion Walton (co-authors of paper) and Assoc Prof Mastin Prinsloo (all UCT): 50 teens from Langa and Guguletu (low-income urban “townships”) 14-17 year olds who own/have daily access to GPRS-enabled mobile phones Pre-story survey Technology use observation Post-story survey Post-story focus group Mobisite usage data

Working with Assoc Prof Ana Deumert, Dr Marion Walton (co-authors of paper) and Assoc Prof Mastin Prinsloo (all UCT):

50 teens from Langa and Guguletu (low-income urban “townships”)

14-17 year olds who own/have daily access to GPRS-enabled mobile phones

Pre-story survey

Technology use observation

Post-story survey

Post-story focus group

Mobisite usage data

Kontax: a teen m-novel www.kontax.mobi (GPRS-enabled phones or computer browser) Aimed at 14-17 year olds Written in English and isiXhosa (world first) 21 days, 21 chapters Embedded in a lite social network Prizes for comments and sequel ideas Cross-media

www.kontax.mobi (GPRS-enabled phones or computer browser)

Aimed at 14-17 year olds

Written in English and isiXhosa (world first)

21 days, 21 chapters

Embedded in a lite social network

Prizes for comments and sequel ideas

Cross-media

Kontax.mobi: Demographics n=113

Kontax.mobi: Location

Kontax.mobi: Home language

Page view trend (by chapter)

WARNING! Raw data to follow – do not quote!

WARNING!

Raw data to follow – do not quote!

Kontax.mobi: Time per visit 1-10 seconds 42,900 10 – 60 seconds 159 1 – 3 minutes 145 3 - 10 minutes 173 10 - 30 minutes 114 > 30 minutes 53

1-10 seconds 42,900

10 – 60 seconds 159

1 – 3 minutes 145

3 - 10 minutes 173

10 - 30 minutes 114

> 30 minutes 53

Kontax.mobi: Comments by user

Comments per chapter

*What i like* Kontax is the most exciting thing that i've ever experianced i mean im not holding heavy book anymore its me and my phone *Gr8 idea* I think this is the nxt best thng since sliced bread,cnt wait 4 the next chapter.its rly interestn,i cnt stand readn a novel bt this is diffrnt coz its jst lyk facebook

*What i like*

Kontax is the most exciting thing that i've ever experianced i mean im not holding heavy book anymore its me and my phone

*Gr8 idea*

I think this is the nxt best thng since sliced bread,cnt wait 4 the next chapter.its rly interestn,i cnt stand readn a novel bt this is diffrnt coz its jst lyk facebook

*The best thng* kontax ths is the best thng that keping the youth connected on their phones doing sumthng very positiv nd very informative tacling the issues that we are dealing with as a youth *Already kontax biggest fan !* I must admit that i wake up extra early t0 read the chapters (blushing)i never use to go to the library but with kontax i feel like i have a library on my phone and its great , YAY !

*The best thng*

kontax ths is the best thng that keping the youth connected on their phones doing sumthng very positiv nd very informative tacling the issues that we are dealing with as a youth

*Already kontax biggest fan !*

I must admit that i wake up extra early t0 read the chapters (blushing)i never use to go to the library but with kontax i feel like i have a library on my phone and its great , YAY !

*Obrigado* Congrats guys dt ws a gr8 story thnx 4 d infortainment i lrnt a lot 4rm u till we mt again. L8r! (On Song's Wall) Hey grl...curently im sitn wita br0ken ankl so i fl ur pain...lets gt thr0ugh ths 2gtha;-)

*Obrigado*

Congrats guys dt ws a gr8 story thnx 4 d infortainment i lrnt a lot 4rm u till we mt again. L8r!

(On Song's Wall)

Hey grl...curently im sitn wita br0ken ankl so i fl ur pain...lets gt thr0ugh ths 2gtha;-)

Kontax on MXit Simpler experience: No registration, comments or Kontax social network All 21 chapters at once Went live 23 October Marketing: Splash screen: 11-14 and 15-18 age groups Tradepost message In 10 days: 4,000 readers of whole story!

Simpler experience:

No registration, comments or Kontax social network

All 21 chapters at once

Went live 23 October

Marketing:

Splash screen: 11-14 and 15-18 age groups

Tradepost message

In 10 days: 4,000 readers of whole story!

FAQ Read the story later? Yes, it'll stay up till next year Cost? Content is free. Pay for mobile data (6c /chapter) Project report due date? December 2009 Licensing? CC-BY-SA. You can share, remix & sell it Can I use the mobisite? Yes, it will be released as open-source in Dec/Jan What's next? Maybe a sequel, maybe some curriculum-aligned titles

Read the story later? Yes, it'll stay up till next year

Cost? Content is free. Pay for mobile data (6c /chapter)

Project report due date? December 2009

Licensing? CC-BY-SA. You can share, remix & sell it

Can I use the mobisite? Yes, it will be released as open-source in Dec/Jan

What's next? Maybe a sequel, maybe some curriculum-aligned titles

Lessons so far Make registration very easy They read anytime, anywhere “m” Is different At hand: 91% of people keep the cellphone literally within arm's reach 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year (Morgan Stanley, 2007) Interactive Communicative Social

Make registration very easy

They read anytime, anywhere

“m” Is different

At hand: 91% of people keep the cellphone literally within arm's reach 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year (Morgan Stanley, 2007)

Interactive

Communicative

Social

Pros of m-books Cheap to publish Cheap to buy/read Quick to publish (Earliest supplier contracts signed off 3 August!) Eco-friendly Built-in payment channel – especially for micro-payments Can capture usage data

Cheap to publish

Cheap to buy/read

Quick to publish (Earliest supplier contracts signed off 3 August!)

Eco-friendly

Built-in payment channel – especially for micro-payments

Can capture usage data

Cons of m-books Not as simple as a book Limited interface Need the right phone with right settings Lack of standards of formats Non-tactile Non-persistent

Not as simple as a book

Limited interface

Need the right phone with right settings

Lack of standards of formats

Non-tactile

Non-persistent

Business models Sell stories/chapters Advertising / Product placement Sponsorship

Sell stories/chapters

Advertising / Product placement

Sponsorship

Future Story writing portals, e.g. Mobamingle (www.mbmgl.com) Fan fiction m-Novels that interplay with printed versions of the same story, or a story from the same story universe Choose your own adventure

Story writing portals, e.g. Mobamingle (www.mbmgl.com)

Fan fiction

m-Novels that interplay with printed versions of the same story, or a story from the same story universe

Choose your own adventure

Thank you m4Lit: m4lit.wordpress.com email: [email_address] blog: innovatingeducation.wordpress.com slides: slideshare.net/stevevosloo twitter: twitter.com/stevevosloo web: vosloo.net

m4Lit: m4lit.wordpress.com

email: [email_address]

blog: innovatingeducation.wordpress.com

slides: slideshare.net/stevevosloo

twitter: twitter.com/stevevosloo

web: vosloo.net