Transcript Slide 1

Digital Storytelling
Martin Jenkins & Katie Boase
Centre for Active Learning
University of Gloucestershire
1st November 2007
Presentation structure
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Introduction: what is digital storytelling?
Educational uses
Key considerations
Examples
Analysing the use of digital storytelling
Storytelling
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Storytelling threatened by technological era of
impersonal information?
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‘the end of the story’ Jean Baudrillard
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‘new technologies of virtualised and digitalised
imagining, far from eradicating narrative, may
actually open up novel modes of storytelling…’ Richard
Kearney, 2002
Storytelling
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‘storytelling is a way for storytellers to give meaning
to their experiences’ (Nygren & Blom, 2001: 372)
we use narrative:
 to communicate with others
 to represent and understand ourselves
 to make sense of our experience
 to make sense of the world around us
Storytelling
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‘[story] construction process judgments and
inferences are required at two levels: about
discrete items of information and the
adequacy of the unfolding story. Selecting,
comparing, inferring, arranging and revising
are activities which we regard as cognitive
strategies’. (Robinson & Hawpe, 1986)
What is a story?
‘no single structural representation of a story.
However the prototypical story identifies a
protagonist, a predicament, attempts to resolve the
predicament, the outcomes of such attempts and
the reactions of the protagonists.
Creating an effective story is therefore a matter of
‘effective causal thinking’ (Robinson & Hawpe, 1986)
Oral vs written stories
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Oral presentation is more personal – the personal
voice – connection
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Social – allows development
‘a narrative written down by the storyteller is a more
reflected expression’ (Nygren & Blom, 2001)
‘Writing introduces division and alienation, but in a
higher unity as well. It intensifies the sense of the
self and fosters more conscious interaction between
persons. Writing is consciousness-raising’ (Nygren & Blom,
2001)
Digital storytelling
Digital Storytelling
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Builds on traditional storytelling
Combines with digital technology
Wide application
Can be both a process and a product
Example from Daniel Meadow’s PhotoBus
Digital Storytelling
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it is relatively low tech
requires minimal training
quite accessible
can be user-generated
well-suited to new approaches to learning
and to the technologically competent new
generation.
Early use of storytelling in
education
Technique was considered lightweight and was
used narrowly to
• Convey information
• Express views
• Entertain
• Share with others
• Share experiences (Alterio, 2002)
Storytelling for Reflection
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If educators support students to share and process
practical experiences, then story telling can:
Encourage cooperative activity
Value emotional realities
Link theory to practice
Stimulate students’ critical thinking skills
Make sense of experience
Encourage self review
Construct new knowledge (McDrury and Alterio, 2002)
Storytelling for reflection
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Issue of reflection important – how to
enhance
Means of encouraging students to transfer
their learning
Reflect, sequence, organise …
Storytelling can ‘encourage students to integrate
feeling and thought, the subjective and objective
ways in which we make judgments about our
world’ (Beatty, 2000)
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Reflection
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Individual reflection
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focusing attention on the task
storytelling process requires the organising and ordering of
thoughts
emotional engagement
 Storytelling can ‘encourage students to integrate feeling
and thought, the subjective and objective ways in which we
make judgments about our world’ (Beatty, 2000)
Within a social setting
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allowing students to present their ideas in a public forum
and to engage in the critiquing of their own work
Reflection
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‘a person who speaks hears her or his own
words and is usually in some kind of
interaction with another person. When you
write, you see your own words and you
interact with yourself’ (Nygren & Blom, 2001:
372).
I think it was quite useful actually for the students who did it then to
almost watch it again with our eyes because they were commenting
on it as well which is not something that normally happens in the
traditional way – they just stand up and get it over with and don’t
really want to think about it again, but they were quite critical, more
so than was appropriate actually. Like – if we did it again, we’d do
this bit differently – and so on. Yes, it was very good from that point
of view it forced them, well not forced them, it encouraged them all
to reflect on what the purpose of such a thing might be and how it
could be used so
(Accountancy lecturer)
Collaboration
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Reflection can be enhanced as a social
process
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‘it does seem that sharing stories encourages a
reflective process, especially when storytelling is
accompanied by dialogue and occurs in
formalised settings’ (McDrury & Alterio, 2003: 111)
Reflective digital storytelling :
conclusions
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a formal setting for review of stories may help to
“bring about thoughtful and reasoned change to
practice” (McDrury and Alterio 2002, p111)
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a studio model (Schön 1983; 1987) may assist :
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multiple perspectives to be explored
scaffolding in a peer learning forum
enhanced reflective learning
enrichment of discipline-based learning communities
Key considerations
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Primacy of the story
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Skills development
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Story (script) needs to lead
Personal link can be important
Will help develop technical skills
Encourages creativity
Recognising the netgeneration
Protocols
Student support
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Provide support sessions
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Show examples
Establish protocols
Opportunity to use the software, transfer files
The netgeneration
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‘story as a medium – especially within the
wider and more diverse student population’
(Moon, 2007)
Through the use of social networking sites
students are posting their own short stories,
digital stories, video diaries
Protocols
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Protocols or guidelines need to be provided
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2-3 minutes maximum
300 words
Number of pictures
Use of music?
Provide students with prompts
Examples - University of
Gloucestershire
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Induction
Reflections on design developments
Reflections on personal development
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Role of sport in their development
Reflection on a critical incident during placement
Student induction
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Digital storytelling used as a means of
encouraging student engagement and reflection
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to make reflection explicit in the learning process
incorporating emotional content / personal voice
Recognition that reflection can be improved when
others are involved (McDrury & Alterio, 2002)
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to reflect as an individual or collaborative process
Year One Landscape Design
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Individual stories
Used to make their design process explicit
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Use of pictures to show stages
Explain changes/development
Sport Development
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Module has a community development focus
Students were asked to reflect on the role of
a sport in their own personal development
Analysis of use …
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Feedback from staff and students has been
generally positive
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[include comments]
But does this technique work?
How can we measure its success?
Issues of assessment: product vs process?
Benefits of digital storytelling
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Very practical
Learner-centred
Encourages reflection
Uses tech skills that students use in their
lives anyway
Offers useful format for disabled and less
confident students
Stories can be recycled in pedagogy
Areas for further research
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Enhancement or distraction: Does digital
storytelling add value?
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Issues of if / what / how to assess work
presented as a digital story
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Setting tasks that can be assessed through
the creation of a digital story.
Evaluating students’ reflective
digital stories
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Evaluation of :
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29 group stories at induction
5 individual stories for assessment in a module
Evaluation undertaken using:
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‘Map of Learning’ (Moon 1999)
‘Model of Reflective Learning through Storytelling’
(McDrury and Alterio 2002)
Evaluation using ‘Map of Learning’
(Moon 1999)
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Increasing levels of
reflection :
1: ‘Noticing’
2 : ‘Making sense’
3 : ‘Meaning making’
4 : ‘Working with meaning’
5 : ‘Transformative
learning’
60
50
40
Group stories
30
Individual
stories
20
10
0
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2
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4
5
Framework for evaluation
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The story
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The use of images
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Appropriateness
Technical competencies
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Content (Map of Learning?)
Structure/flow
Sound/image quality
Presentation
Emotional impact
References
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Alterio, M : ‘Using storytelling to enhance student learning’ The Higher
Education Academy, 2002
Barrett, H : ‘Researching and Evaluating Digital Storytelling as a Deep
Learning Tool’
http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/SITEStorytelling2006.pdf
Jay, R : ‘Using Digital storytelling in VET: experiences and reflections’
http://www.icvet.tafensw.edu.au/ezine/year_2006/feb_apr/feature_digita
l_storytelling.htm
Kearney, R : ‘On Stories’, Routledge, 2002
Kearney, R : ‘The Hermeneutics of Action’, Sage, 1995
McDrury, J. and Alterio, M.G. (2003) Learning through Storytelling in
Higher Education Using Reflection and Experience to Improve
Learning. London: Kogan Page.
Mishler, E G : ‘Models of narrative analysis: A typology’ Journal of
Narrative & Life History, 5(2), 87-123
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Moon, J. A. (1999) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development.
London: Kogan Page Ltd.
Moon, J. A. (2007) In press.
Nygren, L & Blom, B (2001) Analysis of short reflective narratives: a method for
the study of knowledge in social workers actions, Qualitative Research, Vol 1
pp369-384
Ohler, J : ‘Storytelling, literacy and learning’
http://www.jasonohler.com/storytelling/storyeducation.cfm
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon. NCB
University Press, 9 (5).
Robinson, JA & Hawpe, L (1986) Narrative thinking as a Heuristic process in
Sarbin, T.R. (ed) Narrative psychology: the storied nature of human conduct,
Praeger Publ
Schön, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action.
New York: Basic Books.
Schön, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner. New York: Jossey Bass.