Tim’s Blog

Freidus and Hlubinka present strong arguments for using digital storytelling in communities of learners and discuss the positive outcomes students can obtain from producing these stories and also viewing and listening to other students’ stories, especially in a digital form. According to Fredius and Hlubinka, through digital storytelling individuals learn to tell a story and in doing so they become more efficient actors in a collaborative work environment. Using digital media to create and tell a story encourages participants to communicate meaning on more than one level; voice, emotional content, point, tension and story arc. Fredius and Hlubinka also state that it allows storytellers to take a fresh perspective on their work.

Freidus and Hlubinka discuss four guiding principals as the basis of using digital storytelling to support reflective practice:
1) Articulation – this refers to students being able to clearly articulate what their narrative is about and what information is necessary to the storyline.
2) Abstraction – this is where students need to think about thew flow of the story and how they should piece together the various elements (images, music, voice) of their piece o ensure clarity.
3) Audience – students must rise to the challenge of communicating with an intended audience that is wider than their usual peer group.
4) Affinity – the notion of creating an online community among digital storytellers.

These ideas, if incorporated into a primary school classroom can open the door to exciting learning experiences that take students to a new level of design, expression and communication.

Freidus, N.& Hlubinka, M. (2002). Digital storytelling for reflective practice in communities of learners. ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin archive. 23(2), 24 – 26