Digital Storytelling

Description:

Digital storytelling is the art of bringing together audio, images, and text to share information on a specific topic. The purpose is to create a stronger emotional connection with the audience by using the spoken word and a blend of multimedia to convey a story. Combining images and written text also enhances student comprehension of the content for both the narrator and the audience. 

Digital storytelling allows students to foster different skills than those needed to write a reflection paper. In order to complete the assignment, students get practice writing a compelling script, storyboarding, and researching pictures and/or other multimedia. 

Instructional Uses:

  • Instruct students to create a digital story with audio and images in which they are sharing a personal narrative.
  • Instruct students to create a digital story with audio and images that breaks down a process such as cell division.
  • Share a digital story with your students that focuses on a historical event. For example, an audio recording of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address with historic photographs will help give students context to the event (Robin, 2011).

WCU Supported Tools:

Additional Tools:

Tips for using Digital Storytelling:

  • Provide a storyboard template to students so they can effectively plan out their script and associated multimedia.
  • Be mindful of students with hearing and vision impairments when assigning and/or sharing digital storytelling assignments. Research an alternative assignment that would allow them to have the same experience as their classmates.

References:

Robin, B. (2011). The educational uses of digital storytelling. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228342171_The_educational_uses_of_digital_storytelling