[论文解读] INDCOR White Paper 0: Interactive Digital Narratives (IDNs) -- A Solution to the Challenge of Representing Complex Issues

Hartmut Koenitz, Jonathan Barbara+4 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 30, 2023

Digital Storytelling and Education被引用 5

一句话总结

本白皮书提出互动数字叙事（IDNs）作为一种动态的、以决策为核心的内容格式，用于通过个性化互动选择，从多个视角探索气候变化和移民等复杂社会议题。通过整合实时数据与可重复播放机制，IDNs使受众能够理解系统性复杂性与不确定性，将该格式定位为21世纪促进知情公民参与的民主化媒介。

ABSTRACT

Citizens everywhere have the right to be well-informed. Yet, with the high complexity of many contemporary issues, such as global warming and migration, our means of information need to mutually adapt. Narrative has always been at the core of information exchange - regardless of whether our ancestors sat around a fire and exchanged stories, or whether we read an article in a newspaper, or watched a TV news broadcast. Yet, the narrative formats of the newspaper article, the news broadcast, the documentary, and the textbook are severely limited when it comes to representing highly complex topics which may include several competing - and sometimes equally valid - perspectives. Such complexity contributes to a high level of uncertainty due to a multitude of factors affecting an outcome. Fortunately, with Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN), there is a novel media format which can address these challenges. IDNs can present several different perspectives in the same work, and give audiences the ability to explore them at will through decision-making. After experiencing the consequences of their decisions, the audience can replay to revisit and change these decisions in order to consider their alternatives. IDN works enable deep personalization and the inclusion of live data. These capabilities make IDN a 21st century democratic medium, empowering citizens through the understanding of complex issues. In this white paper, we discuss the challenge of representing complexity, describe the advantages offered by IDNs, and point out opportunities and strategies for deployment.

研究动机与目标

• 解决传统叙事格式在传达气候变化和移民等高度复杂、多重视角议题时的局限性。
• 展示IDNs如何通过允许用户通过互动决策探索相互竞争的视角，提升公众理解。
• 将IDNs定位为一种民主化媒介，通过系统性复杂性的体验式学习，支持知情的公民参与。
• 概述IDNs在教育、新闻报道和公共政策传播中战略部署的机遇。

提出的方法

• 本文提出IDNs作为一种叙事格式，整合分支式剧情、用户自主权以及基于决策的动态内容生成。
• IDNs允许受众通过选择影响不同叙事结果，同时具备重播与探索其他路径的能力。
• 该格式通过根据用户输入和上下文数据调整叙事内容，实现深度个性化。
• 实时数据集成使IDNs能够反映全球变暖或移民模式等复杂议题的最新发展。
• 叙事结构被设计为体现不确定性，并呈现多种有效视角，而不偏袒任何单一立场。
• 该方法借鉴多媒体、互动叙事与以用户为中心的设计原则，以增强理解力与参与度。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 互动数字叙事如何有效呈现气候变化和移民等复杂、多重视角的社会议题？
• RQ2 决策制定与可重播性在提升用户对系统性复杂性与不确定性的理解方面发挥何种作用？
• RQ3 IDNs在何种方式下可作为民主化媒介，通过体验式学习赋能公民？
• RQ4 如何在新闻报道、教育和公共政策领域战略性部署IDNs，以提升信息素养与公民参与？

主要发现

• IDNs通过互动决策使受众能够探索复杂议题的多个相互竞争的视角，其理解深度超过线性叙事。
• 能够重播并更改决策的能力使用户得以体验后果并重新考虑替代路径，从而增强对复杂系统中因果关系的理解。
• IDNs支持深度个性化与实时数据整合，使叙事能够反映最新发展，提升相关性与参与度。
• 通过将叙事结构与互动性相结合，IDNs为高不确定性的议题提供了可扩展的民主化公共教育媒介。
• 该格式弥补了传统媒体（如报纸、纪录片和新闻广播）在呈现系统性复杂性与多种有效观点方面的局限。
• IDNs被定位为一种变革性工具，可提升公民素养，通过沉浸式、体验式理解复杂社会挑战，赋能公民。