These are slides (minus playable video clips and speaker's notes) from my March 7th presentation on Digital Storytelling at the Norlin Library Learner's Lunch series at CU Boulder. For a longer version of this presentation, see: http://www.slideshare.net/PerpetualRevision/intro-todigitalstorytellingfor-pdf

1. !!
Digital'Storytelling'
Norlin'Learner’s'Lunch'Presenta2on'
March'7,'2012'
(minus the playable video clips and speaker's notes)
'
Amy'Goodloe'
Digital'Composition'Coordinator'
Program'for'Writing'and'Rhetoric,'CU'Boulder'

2. put!heidi’s!video!here!

3. Overview'
Define!digital!storytelling!
Explore!its!many!uses!in!civic!and!educa9onal!contexts!
Iden9fy!benefits!to!faculty!and!students!
Review!common!approaches!and!storytelling!techniques!

4. !!
What'is'Digital'Storytelling?'
!!

5. "Digital!Storytelling!is!the!modern!expression!of!
the!ancient!art!of!storytelling.!Throughout!
history,!storytelling!has!been!used!to!share!
knowledge,!wisdom,!and!values.!Stories!have!
taken!many!forms.!Stories!have!been!adapted!to!
each!successive!medium!that!has!emerged,!from!
the!circle!of!the!campfire,!to!the!silver!screen,!
and!now!the!computer!screen."!
(Leslie!Rule!2009)!

6. Stories'can'be...'
! imagina9ve! ! educa9onal!
! fic9on,!comics,!TV! ! documentaries!
shows,!movies!
! persuasive!
! informa9onal! ! call!to!ac9on,!
! histories,! poli9cal,!ac9vism!
biographies!
! and!more...!
!

7. We'like'stories'because...'
They!hold!our!aVen9on!
• John!Medina’s!Brain!Rule!#4:!!“We!don’t!
pay!aVen9on!to!boring!things”!
They!move!us!
• Stories!are!oXen!more!engaging!than!
other!kinds!of!informa9on!

8. What'makes'a'story'“digital”?'
composed!with!mul9ple!forms!of!!
digital!media:!
! photos! ! sound!effects!
! graphics! ! audio!narra9on!
! video! ! music!
! anima9on! ! text!
!

9. What'makes'a'story'“digital”?'
viewable!only!on!digital!devices!
• computers,!tablets,!smartphones!
• typically!video!or!presenta9on!
shareable!across!online!social!
networks!
• easily!distributed!to!friends!and!family!
• poten9al!for!global!audience!

10. What'makes'it'“digital'storytelling”?'
The!phrase!means!more!than!the!sum!of!
its!parts!
Just!because!it’s!digital!and!tells!a!story,!
that!doesn’t!make!it!“digital!storytelling”!

11. These'are'digital'storytelling'projects'
photo!essay!documen9ng!an!immigrant’s!
adjustment!to!American!life!
video!reflec9on!on!overcoming!a!learning!
disability!
mul9media!presenta9on!on!the!slippery!nature!
of!gender!iden9ty!!

12. These'are'not'
CNN!story!on!the!“Sissy!Boy!Experiment”!
20/20!segment!on!iden9ty!theX!
History!Channel!show!on!the!Roaring!20’s!

13. Digital'Storytelling'is'Grassroots'
• Amateurs!using!consumeraend!tools!
!!
!
• Purpose!is!to!educate!or!move,!not!sell!!
!!!
!
• Stories!oXen!focus!on!personal!growth!or!social!
! change!
• Enables!us!to!move!from!being!consumers!of!
!!
! digital!content!to!producers!

14. !!
Who’s'Using'Digital'Storytelling?'
!!

15. ! Public!Health! ! Advocacy!Groups!
! Sustainability!
! Social!Services!
! Diversity!
! Community!Organiza9ons! ! Social!welfare!
! Business! ! Ka12!Schools!
! Local!Governments! ! Colleges!&!Universi9es!
! Museums!and!Libraries!

20. !!
Digital'Storytelling'in'the'Classroom'

21. Digital'Storytelling'in'Education'
! All!levels!
! Ka12!!schools!
! undergraduate!and!graduate!classes!
! research!projects!
! student!services!
! Across!all!disciplines!
! Composed!by!students,!faculty,!and!staff!
! For!a!variety!of!audiences!and!purposes!

23. Potential'Uses'by'Faculty'
Convey!course!material!using!a!wider!array!of!
communica9on!tools!than!text!alone!
Share!research!insights!with!broader!audience!
Create!your!own!to!serve!as!an!example!of!the!kind!of!
project!you’d!like!students!to!develop!

24. Topics'for'Faculty'Stories'
Memories!of:!!
• Learning!to!read!and!write!(and!study)!
• Naviga9ng!a!computer!for!the!first!9me!
• What!led!you!into!your!field!of!study!
An!event!that!was:!
• Embarrassing!but!educa9onal!
• Perspec9veashiXing!or!mo9va9ng!
• Par9cularly!relevant!to!a!concept!in!your!
discipline!

25. Potential'Uses'by'Students'
Research!projects!
• Historical:!using!archival!footage!
• Contemporary:!using!footage!captured!by!
students!or!from!fair!use!sources!
Visual!argument!
• Persuade!through!mul9ple!modali9es!
Cri9ques!
• “Talk!back”!to!pop!culture!through!crea9ve!
remix!

26. Potential'Uses'by'Students'
Service!learning!projects!
• Raising!awareness!about!social!issues!or!
communi9es!
• Encouraging!ac9on!on!behalf!of!organiza9ons!
Personal!narra9ves!rela9ng!to!class!topics!
• Literacy!narra9ve!
Reflec9ons!on!learning!&!engagement!
• Selfareflec9ve!essay!

27. Paper'Supplement'or'Replacement?'
Consider:!!why!do!we!ask!students!to!write!
papers!in!the!first!place?!
• what!do!we!want!students!to!learn?!
• can!that!be!learned!through!a!digital!
storytelling!project!instead!of!a!tradi9onal!
paper?!

28. !!
Learning'Benefits'
!!

29. Main'Benefit'to'Students'
Engagement!!
Projects!have!real!and!las9ng!value!!
• con9nue!to!work!on!projects!even!beyond!
semester!
Real!audiences!and!purposes!
• friends,!family,!prospec9ve!employers!
• service!learning!partners!

30. Authenticity'
Digital!Storytelling!allows!students!to!
! !work!on!authen2c!assignments!
! !develop!their!personal!and!academic!voice!
! represent!knowledge!to!a!community!of!learners!!
! receive!situated!feedback!from!their!peers.!!
Due!to!their!affec9ve!involvement!with!this!
process!and!the!novelty!effect!of!the!medium,!
students!are!more'engaged'than'in'tradi2onal'
assignments.!!
(Oppermann!and!Coventry,!2011)!

31. Critical'Analysis'
We!already!teach!students!to!cri9cally!analyze!the!
digital!media!they!regularly!consume!
But!the!act!of!composing!in!digital!genres!gives!them!
greater!insight!into!the!rhetorical!strategies!at!work!in!
these!genres!

32. Writing'Skills'
Being!asked!to!communicate!in!the!“new!
language”!of!mul9media!brings!students!a!greater'
awareness'of'the'component'parts'of!tradi9onal!
wri9ng.!!
Digital!storytelling!helps!students!develop!a!
stronger'voice'and!helps!students!more!accurately!
and!firmly!place'themselves'in'rela2onship'to'the'
arguments'of'others.!!
(Oppermann!and!Coventry,!2011)!

33. Writing'as'a'Process'
Makes!clear!the!value!of!approaching!all!acts!of!
communica9on!as!a!process!
Can’t!produce!a!rhetorically!powerful!digital!
storytelling!project!the!night!before!!
Requires!planning,!research,!collabora9on,!problema
solving,!draXing,!feedback,!revising!

34. Digital'Literacy'Skills'
Helps!students!iden9fy!deficiencies!in!digital!literacy!skills!
and!remedy!them!while!working!on!a!meaningful!project!
Also!helps!deepen!their!apprecia9on!for!the!rhetorical!
power!of!mul9modal!communica9on!

35. What'about'drawbacks?'
Fairly!Easy!to!Address! Less!Easy,!but!Doable!
! Privacy! ! Intellectual!honesty!
(copyright,!plagiarism)!
! Access!to!tools!and!
equipment! ! Student!resistance!
! Technology!as!poten9al! ! Assignment!design!in!light!
distrac9on! of!ar9culated!criteria!
! Availability!of!tech! ! !Assessment!
support!

36. Approaches'to'Digital' !!
Storytelling'

37. Common'Approaches'
! photo!essay! ! miniadocumentary!
! audio!essay! ! short!film!!
! comic!strip! ! skit!
! anima9on! ! remix!
! Xtranormal! ! assembled!with!“reusable”!
rather!than!original!
! Go!Animate! content!

41. Stephanie’s!clip!

42. Clip!from!Meals!on!Wheels!

43. !!
Getting'Started'
!!

44. Overview'of'Composing'Process'
1. Brainstorm!Topics! 5. Apply!Effects!
2. Gather!Assets! 6. Export!Rough!Cut*!
3. Build!Storyboard*! 7. Revise!&Polish!
4. Assemble!Assets! 8. Export!&!Share*!
*!Get!Feedback!(recommended)!

45. Topics:'Identify'a'Purpose'
Inform/Analyze! Persuade!
! history!or!biography! ! Public!Service!
Announcement!
! documentary!
! docudrama!
! reflect!on!personal!
experience! ! call!to!ac9on!
! demonstrate!ac9vity!
! parody!
! illustrate!concept!
! analyze!sources!

46. Topics:'Identify'Content'
Important!People! Important...!
! Character! ! Places!
! Memorial! ! Events!
! Adventure! ! Ac9vi9es!
! Accomplishment! ! Discoveries!
! Rela9onships! ! Ideas!
Joe!Lambert,!Digital'Storytelling'Cookbook'

47. 'Types'of'Assets'
Digital!Media! Sources!
! photos!&!other!images! ! archival!footage!
! video!clips! ! media!labeled!for!reuse!
! audio!clips! ! media!used!with!
permission!
! narra9on!
! selfaproduced!
! music!&!sound!effects!
! anima9ons!
! text!

48. Storyboards'
Elements! Tools!
! Digital!media!clips! ! PowerPoint!
! Narra9on!or!script! ! Word!tables!
! Effects!applied!to!clip! ! ComicLife!
! Music!or!sound!effects! ! Print!or!“virtual”!index!cards!
! Transi9on!out!to!next! ! S9ckies!app!
scene!
! Mobile!apps!

49. Storyboarding:'PowerPoint'

50. Storyboarding:''Tables'

51. Storyboarding:'Pen'&'Paper'

52. Traditional'Techniques'
! Compress!9me!or!“explode”!a!moment!
! Open!with!a!“drama9c!ques9on”!or!hook!
! Build!in!drama9c!tension!with!foreshadowing!
! S9ck!to!one!point!of!view!
! Offer!details!about!setng,!9me!period,!and!
“characters”!!
! Express!conversa9ons!in!the!form!of!dialogue!
! Engage!the!viewer’s!emo9ons!and!imagina9on!

53. Digital'Techniques'
! Change!images!every!10a12!seconds!
! Apply!pan!and!zoom!effects!to!photos,!but!keep!
faces!on!screen!
! Give!viewers!periodic!breaks!with!9tle!cards!and!
transi9ons!
! Select!subtle!transi9on!effects!in!most!cases!
! Use!music!to!establish!a!mood!

54. Closing'Tips'
! Explore!the!wide!variety!of!free!digital!tools!!
! Watch!lots!of!examples!
! Keep!your!expecta9ons!realis9c!
! Experiment,!play,!have!fun!!

55. For'more'info…'
Visit:!!hVp://digitalwri9ng101.net!
! Tag:!!digital!storytelling!
! Also!see!Links!page!
Contact!me:!!hVp://amygoodloe.com/contact!
Please!tell!your!students:!
! ATLAS!3519a900:!!Digital!Storytelling!(Fall!2012)!
!
!