Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling

Tyler Reid, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Definitions and background

Digital storytelling is a broad term described as “a modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling” (Sadik, 2008, p. 490). Stories can be produced using programs such as Microsoft Photo Story or Movie Maker and digitally enhanced by importing and editing images from a camera or online, inserting headings, adding narration, and background music (Yang & Wu, 2012). Similarly, digital storytelling can be accomplished using Slowmation, a slow animation defined as “a narrated stop-motion animation” that uses photos, models, and cut outs to tell a story (McKnight, Hoban, & Nielsen, 2011, p. 43). Multimodal comics are another method of digital storytelling which contain a mix of images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips, and music (Vassilikopoulou, Retalis, Nezi, & Boloudakis, 2011). In some cases, web-based virtual communities have been developed to create and share digital stories using avatars in an interactive learning environment (Xu, Park, & Baek, 2011). Digital stories may simply be about a person, place, or event, but are often based on controversial issues (Figg & McCartney, 2010). Stories frequently “focus on a specific topic, contain a point of view, and reflect the interests of the creator” (Gyabak & Godina, 2011, p. 2240).

Links

Options for digital storytelling

Digital storytelling with the ipad

Create videos with free Photo story software

Educational uses of digital storytelling

Digital storytelling activity types

Works Cited

Carbonaro, M., Cutumisu, M., Duff, H., Gillis, S., Onuczko, C., Siegel, J., Schaeffer, J.,Schumacher, A., Szafron, D. & Waugh, K. (2008). Interactive story authoring: A viable form of creative expression for the classroom. Computers & Education, 51(2), 687-707. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2007.07.007

Condy, J., Chigona, A., Gachago, D. & Ivala, E. (2012). Pre-service students’perceptions and experiences of digital storytelling in diverse classroom. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 11(3), 278-285

Figg, C. & McCartney, R. (2010). Impacting academic achievement with student learners teaching digital storytelling to others: The ATTTCSE digital video project. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE Journal), 10(1), 38-79.

Gyabak, K. & Godina, H. (2011). Digital storytelling in Bhutan: A qualitative examination of new media tools used to bridge the digital divide in a rural community school. Computers & Education, 57(4), 2236-2243. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.06.009

Heo, M. (2009). Digital storytelling: An empirical study of the impact of digital storytelling on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy and dispositions towards educational technology. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 18(4), 405-428.

Heo, M. (2011). Improving technology competency and disposition of beginning pre-service teachers with digital storytelling. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 20(1), 61-81.

Hur, J. & Suh, S. (2012). Making learning active with interactive whiteboards, podcasts,and digital storytelling in ELL classrooms. Computers in the Schools, 29(4), 320-338. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2012.734275

Kearney, M. (2011). A learning design for student-generated digital storytelling. Learning, Media and Technology, 36(2), 169-188. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2011.55623

Maier, R. & Fisher, M. (2007). Strategies for digital storytelling via tabletop video: Building decision making skills in middle school students in marginalized communities. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 35(2), 175-192

McKnight, A., Hoban, G. Nielsen, W. (2011). Using "Slowmation" for animated storytelling to represent non-Aboriginal preservice teachers' awareness of "relatedness to country”. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(1), 41-54.

Nelson, M. (2006). Mode, meaning, and synaesthesia in multimedia L2 writing. Language Learning & Technology, 10(2), 56-76. http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num2/default.html

Sadik, A. (2008). Digital storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 56(4), 487-506. doi : 10.1007/s11423-008-9091-8

Tsou, W., Wang, W. & Tzeng, Y. (2006). Applying a multimedia storytelling website in foreign language learning. Computers and Education, 47(1), 17-28. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2004.08.013

Vassilikopoulou, M. Retalis, S., Nezi, M. & Boloudakis, M. (2011). Pilot use of digital educational comics in language teaching. Educational Media International, 48(2), 115-126. doi:10.1080/09523987.2011.576522

Verdugo, D., Ramirez, B. & Isabel, A. (2007). Using digital stories to improve listening comprehension with Spanish learners of English. Language Learning & Technology, 11(1), 87-101. http://llt.msu.edu/vol11num1/default.html

Xu, Y., Park, H. & Baek, Y. (2011). A new approach toward digital storytelling: An activity focused on writing self-efficacy in a virtual learning environment. Educational Technology & Society, 14(4), 181-191.

Yang, Y. & Wu, W. (2012). Digital storytelling for enhancing student academic achievement, critical thinking, and learning motivation: A year-long experimental study. Computers & Education, 59(2), 339-352. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2011.12.012