For this week’s class, we had discussed about digital
storytelling. The word “storytelling” is comprised of “story” and “telling”, ever
wondered the difference between them? How does one captivate an audience when
telling a story? Well according to AutoCrit, (n.d.) showing, is an act where
you are describing an action so that the reader or audience can grasp the full
extent of the story. Telling on the other hand, is where you summarize what you
wanted to say, very factual based and can lead to the reader/audience feeling
disinterested. An example to keep the audience’s attention is, instead of telling
the audience, Michael’s friend is leaving. We can say, Michael’s heart ached as he
watched his friend leave. Another example is Maria was forced to marry.
Instead, we can say; My heart was pounding, palms were sweating. My
instincts telling me to run the moment I had a chance! Alas, that window of
opportunity had yet to present itself and here I am, walking down the aisle, my
tongue felt like sandpaper the moment I had repeat the words “I do.” AutoCrit
(n.d.) has many more tips on how to differentiate between showing and telling and
can be found here.
Why is storytelling important? Well, as educators,
we must constantly adapt to the everchanging world where gone are the days when
teachers can just read from a book and the students do self-learning. There had
been multiple studies that goes to show how ineffective this style of teaching towards
the students’ development in addition to now being able to keep the students’
attention hence a missed chance to develop the student’s critical thinking
skills.
A new era of storytelling has emerged and that
is digital storytelling. Digital storytelling in layman’s term, is using different
digital media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and many others to share a
story to the world. The learning portal (2022) did a swell job on explaining
digital storytelling in a concise manner. There are many benefits to digital storytelling,
one of which is the increase in students’ engagement (Beck & Neil, 2020) during
the lesson in addition to resilient interpersonal connections, fostering a more
stimulating environment for idea sharing and improving digital abilities. (Al Khateeb, 2019). I believe
that digital story telling can enhance multiple skill sets in addition to help instil
empathy and understanding in the students.
I had a similar experience when I was a student
in primary school, where I was much more intrigued in the lesson if there was a
digital element involved. Furthermore, I understand that in this digital era, there
are endless possibilities for someone to share stories via online. The most significant
part of digital storytelling for me is, as the world is now moving to a
digitalized reality, it is highly likely that competency in digital storytelling
would be a required skill set in the future. Based on the benefits of digital
storytelling, I aim to incorporate it in my future lessons to promote students’
engagement.
Al Khateeb, A. A.
(2019). Socially orientated digital storytelling among Saudi EFL learners: An
analysis of its impact and content. Interactive
technology and smart education, 16(2),
130-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-11-2018-0098
Beck, M. S., & Neil, J. A. (2020). Digital Storytelling: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Benefits, Challenges, and Solutions. Comput Inform Nurs, 39(3), 123-128.
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