Designing a transmedia educational process in non-formal education - Considerations from families, children, adolescents, and practitioners

Oct 15, 2026

Transmedia storytelling supports effective non-formal education and may relate to how non-formal learners engage, yet structured guidance for designing transmedia educational process (TEP) in these settings remains limited. This study uses qualitative multiformat focus groups to identify stakeholder-informed components for TEP proposals involving families, children, and adolescents. Seven instructional design levels are proposed: intentions, facilitator indications, participant needs, narrative integrations, elaboration/production, technological support, and sharing willingness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Transmedia Education

Transmedia storytelling and learning concepts

OPEN ACCESS Research Article Contemporary Educational Technology, 2023, 15(3), ep442 ISSN: 1309-517X (Online) Designing a transmedia educational process in non-formal education: Considerations from families, children, adolescents, and practitioners Arnau Erta-Majó 1* 0000-0002-2678-2763 Eduard Vaquero 1 0000-0002-6479-7712 1 Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Catalonia, SPAIN * Corresponding author: [arnau.erta@udl.cat](arnau.erta@udl.cat) Citation: Erta-Majó, A., & Vaquero, E. (2023) . Designing a transmedia educational process in non-formal education: Considerations from families, children, adolescents, and practitioners. Contemporary Educational Technology, 15(3), ep442 . [https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13338](https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13338) ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT | Received: 17 Mar 2023
Accepted: 15 May 2023 | Transmedia storytelling has the potential to be an effective approach for non-formal education. Previous research has suggested that there may be a reciprocal relationship between transmedia storytelling and the characteristics of non-formal learners. However, there is limited literature on how to structure and design educational processes using this approach in nonformal settings, and even less literature that integrates the perspectives of stakeholders on the necessary components for instructional design. To address this gap, a qualitative analysis of multiformat focus groups was conducted to describe the necessary items to be considered when developing transmedia educational process (TEP) in non-formal educational proposals when these are designed to families, children, and/or adolescents. Based on the findings, seven important levels were identified for instructional designing of TEPs: level of intentions (1), level of facilitators’ indications (2), level of participants’ needs (3), level of narrative integrations (4), level of elaboration and production (5), level of means and technological/physical support (6), and level of sharing willingness (7) . The study discusses the importance to consider multiple perspectives, including those of facilitators, children and adolescents, and parents, when designing TEPs. Additionally, it is important to use a variety of media platforms, formats, and channels to engage diverse and heterogeneous groups of participants in non-formal educational settings. Further research could focus on developing and validating tools and strategies to guide instructional design in these types of educational processes.
Keywords: transmedia education, non-formal education, educative design, transmedia educational process | | --- | --- | | INTRODUCTION | | The concept of transmedia as an effect of the current convergence culture (Jenkins, 2001, 2006), is a mix of the concepts of media convergence, participatory culture and collective intelligence (Freire, 2020) . Media convergence is a cultural, economic, and social phenomenon fueled by digital technologies that refers to the seamless flow of a story through multiple media platforms (Jenkins, 2001) . This had allowed to develop aparticipative culture among consumers who interact in collaborative communities, and where feel that their contributions are valued (Jenkins et al., 2015), transforming its role of media consumers into users and finally into produsers (Bruns, 2008) . Produsers expand the story by creating and sharing their own content and consequently leading to more open and collaborative media universes. This is linked with the notion of collective intelligence, which concerns the phenomenon of large groups of people working together to generate and refine knowledge and understanding, often virtually stored, shaped, and improved through the contribution of thousands of individuals (Jenkins, 2008) . In this context, transmedia storytelling emerged defined as content in multiple media being part of an integrated communication system, where several stories explore a common theme through multip

FAQs

What is the study’s main goal regarding transmedia education?

To describe the necessary items to consider when developing transmedia educational process (TEP) in non-formal educational proposals informed by stakeholder perspectives.

Which stakeholders perspectives are emphasized in the design of TEPs?

The study highlights the importance of considering multiple perspectives, including facilitators, children/adolescents, and parents, during TEP design.

What seven levels are identified for instructional designing of TEPs?

The levels are intentions, facilitators’ indications, participants’ needs, narrative integrations, elaboration and production, means and technological/physical support, and sharing willingness.

Oct 15, 2026

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