I recently stumbled upon some very, very interesting
websites which featured some amazing digital stories, which got me thinking;
how can I use this as a learning tool, if at all? This led to me stumbling upon
an intriguing article written by Bernard Robin, which outlined the benefits of
digital storytelling in the classroom. Robin describes digitally storytelling
as creating a story utilising the technologies and capabilities a computer (or
other technological device) has to offer, such as the incorporation of video,
audio and even interactivity. Benefits of digital storytelling include their
cheap production cost (once created, they can be distributed for free online
rather than having to pay for printing) and the ability to create a very
powerful story in a relatively small amount of time. Because of the ability to
create these stories with software either standard on computers or with free
downloadable software, anyone with access to a computer can easily create a
simple digital story with just a few photos and some text.
Robin also points
out that the incorporation of audio and visual stimulation (through
video/images) allows students to retain the information better, due to a
reduced “cognitive overload” on the brain (Rudnicki et al, page 3). Robin includes
images detailing the construction of a digital story, which can be found at the
end of this post. Robin goes on to say that digital stories are effective at
engaging students and promoting student discussion, and that the creation of
digital stories can provide digital, global, technological, visual and
information literacy skills, all of which are vital to living and working in
the 21st century (Howell, 2012; Scardamalia et al, 2010). Creating
digital stories may even give students experience in criticising the work of
themselves and others, and may provide students with an environment rich in
social learning and emotional intelligence (Robin, 2008). Robin paints digital
stories as being quite versatile methods of teaching, and having found some
very cool, interactive digital stories myself, I can see their potential uses
in the classroom. Why have kids read Shakespeare when they can also hear, see
and even interact with Shakespeare? Digital stories take the learning out of
the boring, pen and paper learning space and place the learning environment in
a digital setting, where students are much more comfortable (63% of the teenage
population use the internet every day, and 73% use social media (1)). Digital
stories could even be viewed on mobile devices, allowing students to access
them anywhere, anytime, like at breakfast or before bed.
References:
Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom – Bernard. R. Robin, 2008
New Assessment and Environments for Knowledge Building - Scardamalia et al, 2010
Teaching With ICT, Jennifer Howell , Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria, 2012
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