Using Digital Storytelling Activities with Adult Learners

There’s plenty of information available online that recommends how to create learning activities that allow students to create digital stories. The digital storytelling process begins with the selection of an idea or concept, gathering information, and developing an outline for the story using storyboards. The rest of the process involves using technological resources to turn the storyboards into digital media and to consolidate all of the pieces into a final product. The last step involves presenting the digital story online for others to review and provide feedback.

As a developer of training materials for adult learners, I would like to see digital storytelling activities routinely incorporated into many adult courses. Here are several suggestions that I think would make the activities successful. Teachers can spend a lot of time developing the steps of the process but they may overlook other key aspects of the learning activity. I think that its important to develop learning objectives for the development process rather than simply grading the final product. For example, to ensure that students are achieving the established learning objectives, teachers should grade the outlines, storyboards, and other products in addition to the final product. Another consideration is whether students should work individually or in groups. There are advantages for using either approach. Although it’s easier to grade each student’s work if they work separately, I believe the level of learning increases when students work together and communicate their ideas. Having multiple perspectives within a group also enhances the learning experience. To maximize learning for all students in a group, each member should perform each step of the development process separately and share it with the rest of the group. Then, the group can work together on the group’s digital story. Teachers can grade each student’s individual work to monitor and evaluate their level of learning.

Another key aspect for a successful learning activity is select a topic that directly relates to the students which creates a degree of authenticity. If one of the goals of the learning activity is for students to learn about a topic, the teacher should have students complete essay papers as part of their research. It’s important that students do not overlook the purpose of the learning activity and inadvertently focus too much on the use of the technology. Teachers should regularly check the progress of students to ensure that they remain focused on the problem rather than trying to create media. Teachers should have examples of the products developed during each step of the process so that students can have a visual example of what’s required. Also, teachers should provide demonstrations on how to use online educational resources. In some cases, the resources do not provide enough information for learners to use the tools without becoming frustrated. As a final point, teachers should incorporate multiple learning activities into the curriculum so that the students can build on their previous experiences.

Reference:

 
Rawlins, P. and Kehrwald, B. (2014). Integrating Educational Technologies into Teacher Education: A Case Study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. vol 51(2) pg 207-217