Clashing cultures?

Linking literature and hypertext at post-16

Abstract

This paper argues that new digital genres clash with notions of a ‘traditional’ version of English, as represented in post-16 Advanced Level Literature exam courses in England. This argument is set within the context of an ongoing political imperative to integrate ICT into the school curriculum together with general optimism amongst many English teachers regarding the potential of particular uses of ICT to enhance teaching and learning in aspects of English (Andrews, 2001; Stevens & McGuinn, 2004). The paper focuses on hypertext which has been the subject of some exciting theoretical claims about its value for literary study, ranging from access to searchable databases, texts and research, to democratising the publishing process and changing the relationship between reader, writer and text (Delany & Landow, 1991; Landow, 1994; Joyce, 1996). The paper draws on a case study of an Advanced Level Literature classroom ‘design’ within the ESRC InterActive Education Project. The class experimented with the use of hypertext as a tool for researching and writing about literature. This revealed the dissonance between the subject culture of English Literature and the subject culture of ICT. Students attempted to negotiate altered reading and writing practices which were not readily compatible with the assessment demands and classroom practices of Advanced Level English Literature. This negotiation involved different levels of student resistance and compliance with the project of integrating technology into English literature study. The paper ends with some speculations about which aspects of ‘traditional’ English should be retained and valued in an age of information saturation and multimedia hype.