TeachOIT: a Blog for People Who Teach with Technology

In this first episode of the TeachOIT podcast, Tony and JC discuss Digital Storytelling and share advice for instructors considering using it in their teaching. Listen to find out how Digital Storytelling is being used at UMass Amherst and how you can implement it successfully.

TeachOITPodcast-DigitalStory01.mp3 (17 minutes)

TeachOIT Podcast Episode 01:Digital Storytelling

Read more about Digital Storytelling on the TeachOIT blog.

Elizabeth Krause shares with us this example of a Digital Story made in the fall 2008 semester for her course Anthropology 397MM: Memory, Narrative, and Culture.

The Price Students Pay by Kelly Wilson

wilson_121508.mov

Check out more examples of digital stories made by Professor Krause’s students on their course blog: http://blogs.umass.edu/anthro397mm-ekrause-2/digital-stories-2/

Michele snapped a few photos at yesterday’s Emerging Technology & Pie event on Digital Storytelling:

View the whole set on Flickr.

We had the opportunity to work with several classes last semester that were using Digital Storytelling for student projects. Here are some lessons we have learned that will hopefully help facilitate any Digital Storytelling project your students might undertake:

• Focus on the Writing.  The heart of digital stories is not in the technology tools used to assemble them but in the writing. Without a well-crafted script the final product will inevitably fall flat. Students should invest a substantial amount of their total time spent on any digital story drafting and revising a script (usually 200-300 words) that will be the foundation of their digital story.  Ideally, the script is shared with the instructor or other students as part of a graded assignment.
• Collect the materials you need and keep them organized. Once the script has been finalized, students can begin assembling the different components that will piece the story together. The narration can be recorded with an inexpensive USB microphone or a digital voice recorder. Images can be scanned from photographs or located from sources on the Web. Some students may wish to include sound effects, music, and possibly even video. Keeping all these files organized is critical, and student will likely need some sort of storage device (such as an external hard drive or thumb drive) to store their files if they will be using computers on campus to build their stories.
• Know your resources.  No matter which type of project a student is creating, she or he will need to consider their resources (e.g., software, equipment, and even a place to record.) For most first time digital stores we recommend using iMovie or MovieMaker. These free and user-friendly pieces of software are available in OIT’s Computer Classrooms. For recording narration or voice overs, students will want to use USB microphones. Access to microphones and a quiet place to record are important things to consider.
• Give yourself extra time. Whenever students are learning a new piece of software (or even new features in software they’re familiar with), it can take more time than they expect. Remind students to plan ahead and give themselves plenty of extra time to avoid unnecessary stress and aggravation as they get close to the deadline.    

 
Academic Computing is pleased to announce our first ”Emerging Technologies and Pie” event of the semester, Digital Storytelling, on Thursday, March 26th, 1:00-2:15 p.m.

Digital stories are short, reflective video pieces that traditionally combine photos, music, and narration to tell “real-life stories.” Most stories are 5 minutes or less and consist of compelling, emotionally-engaging personal narratives. This event will feature four guest speakers who will show examples of Digital Stories and discuss their experience with using digital storytelling for research or teaching with a range of students. Examples will include stories made by graduate and undergraduate students in Fall 2008.

To register please fill out the form at:

http://www.umass.edu/accoprod/workshop/register.php?s=2009-mar

Aline Gubrium and Tom Schiff were two of the first people we know to use Digital Storytelling at UMass. A rather long time ago we had a chance to sit down and chat with Tom Schiff about his experience using Digital Storytelling in his teaching, here is the recording of our conversation. Our apologies to Tom for the ridiculous delay in getting this edited and posted.

19 minute mp3, (18 Megabytes):

Tom Schiff discusses Digital Storytelling

Click the player above to listen, or download the mp3

Resources Tom refers to:

Course Blog for Public Health 690f – Spring 2008

Joe Lambert – Center for Digital Storytelling

Other TeachOIT posts about Digital Storytelling:

Tony on What is Digital Storytelling

JC on a Journey in Digital Storytelling

This past weekend Tony and I immersed ourselves in the incredibly transformative process of digital storytelling. We rode the Amtrak down to Philadelphia, PA and stepped into a group of 8 other folks with diverse backgrounds and intentions for developing a particular style of communication. The 3-day hands-on tutorial, presented by the Center for Digital Storytelling, led us through the methodology for building digital stories from beginning to end—from nuggets of ideas to finished and polished pieces.

Digital storytelling utilizes computer-based tools to combine writing, narration, photography, sound and video to create reflective stories in the form of digital movies. The stories focus on a specific topic and typically encompass a particular point of view. Though they may vary in length, most of the stories that are being integrated into higher education curriculum tend to be 3-10 minutes long. Stories range from personal accounts, historical reflection, cultural explorations, to humorous metaphor and life experience. They have the potential to be used as poignant pedagogical tools within teaching, research and community building.

(more…)

We’ve already touched on the potentials of YouTube for locating educational materials, but a topic we have not directly addressed on this blog is the potentials of authoring your own video content, or having students author their own original video content. This week’s Web 2.0 blog post looks at incorporating video into the classroom, specifically the type of video creation referred to as “Digital Storytelling.”

(more…)

Our third and final Emerging Technology and Pie event of the semester will be Thursday April 17th, 1:15-2:15. The topic for the event will be Digital Storytelling, our guest speakers are Aline Gubrium and Tom Schiff, instructors for Public Health course “Community Development in Health Education: Technological Approaches to Addressing Community Health and Social Justice.”

Digital stories are short reflective video pieces created by students that traditionally combine photos, music, and narration to tell “real-life stories.” These stories are usually short (less than 5 minutes.) Because digital storytelling is popular for telling personal stories they are often compelling and emotionally engaging.

Aline Gubrium and Tom Schiff will discuss their use of digital storytelling as part of their course. Their students utilized voice recordings, iMovie and Movemaker, Photoshop, and Web resources for photos and sound. Through this project they sought to to help students bring a personal voice to public health issues.

If you are interested in attending this event, please follow this link to the registration form:

http://www.umass.edu/accoprod/workshop/register.php?s=2008-sp-pie

(more…)

During our audio and video workshops this June we’ve seen several faculty give demonstrations of how they have their students produce short video or audio projects as assignments. In some cases, these are simple personal statements (several based their assigments on the format used in the NPR “This I Believe” Project), others had their students create presentations of content in a video format with voice-over narration (rather than a paper or PowerPoint presentation).

This kind of assignment is getting more attention in the Instructional Technology field and is typically referred to as “Digital Storytelling”. For more information on using audio or video assignments in your class, refer to the following links:

ELI: Seven things You Should Know about Digital Storytelling
http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/7ThingsYouShouldKnow/39398

Center for Digital Storytelling
http://www.storycenter.org

EXAMPLE: Video Dean’s Book – Commonwealth College

http://videodbc.comcol.umass.edu/

EXAMPLE: Stories of Service – Digital Clubhouse Network
http://www.digiclub.org/sofs/

EXAMPLE: D.U.S.T.Y.
http://oaklanddusty.org