Dora the Explorer is a perfect example of how NickJr. uses the resources of television as a potential participatory media to enhance a child's learning experience. In order for this media to be an interactive learning experience, the audience members need to be fully engaged with the program; even then the elements of learning and retention are questionable. However, this essay argues that the connection between character and audience is artificial, as is the act of participation. Due to the restrictions of the interface, participation and the call for participation is pre-calculated, resulting in a predetermined answer and a programmed interaction that simply simulates a hyper-interplay.
This study will analyze the framework of Dora the Explorer with specific interest in participation and communication between the audiences and the characters. Through this analysis of the program, it is argued that the predetermined traits of the series, which defines itself as a didactic too...
Journal
The Looking Glass : New Perspectives on Children's LiteratureISSN
1551-5680Volume
14Issue
2Publisher
La Trobe UniversitySection Title
Emerging VoicesAuthor Biography
Rebecca Lennon recently graduated from Brandeis University's Cultural Production Master's program with a focus on educational and cultural theory and a concentration on children's literature. She is a kindergarten after-school teacher in Cambridge, MA, and is continuing her research on various topics regarding children's literature and media.Date Created
2010-07-27Rights Statement
Essays and articles published in The Looking Glass may be reproduced for non-profit use by any educational or public institution; letters to the editor and on-site comments made by our readers may not be used without the expressed permission of that individual. Any commercial use of this journal, in whole or in part, by any means, is prohibited. Authors of accepted articles assign to The Looking Glass the right to publish and distribute their text electronically and to archive and make it permanently available electronically. They retain the copyright and, 90 days after initial publication, may republish it in any form they wish as long as The Looking Glass is acknowledged as the original source.Data source
OJS data migration 2025: https://ojs.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/228
