Quadrinhos e hipermídia: construção colaborativa de webcomics sob a perspectiva dos multiletramentos no ensino superior

Abstract

Comics can be defined as a type of narrative language in which the harmonious association between image and text generates meaning for the reader. In digital environments, comics, classified as webcomics, present significant potential as a hypermedia communication medium, combining far more than pictorial and written elements and expanding expressive possibilities for the development of artifacts that simultaneously incorporate audio, video, interactivity, gesture, and other modes. In this regard, this type of media stands out when applied to educational contexts from the perspective of multiliteracies. Within this context, the present study investigated the collaborative production of hypermedia webcomics as an educational device for promoting creative digital authorship practices among students enrolled in the Digital Systems and Media undergraduate program, specifically in the Visual Communication II course, through the lens of multiliteracies. The methodology adopted was explanatory qualitative research, supported by content analysis and multimodal analysis techniques. The study followed a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach, conducted through two iterative cycles. Regarding the specific objectives, the research sought to relate the meaning-making modes of multiliteracies to the elements of digital comics, identify how different modes of meaning-making are applied in the hypermedia webcomics produced by students, and evaluate how the process of creating interactive webcomics contributes to students’ digital authorship throughout the course. As results, the study analyzed six hypermedia webcomics produced by students during the intervention, as well as student self-assessment questionnaires. The findings revealed the exercise of multiple literacies among participants, who came to perceive themselves as digital authors through the development of interactive narratives. The projects not only fulfilled the technical and theoretical requirements established by the course but also demonstrated participants’ critical and creative expression in the construction of digital comics, as they applied a range of semiotic modes in an interconnected manner to produce meaning.