Tales from the digital classroom: engaging staff with digital stories to enhance learning and teaching Jak Radice School of Health Studies / CED Maureen Readle Centre for Educational Development (CED) Dr Caroline Plews School of Health Studies

Overview Why use digital stories? Creating the digital stories Digital storytelling examples Discussion Activity Plenary

Background What is digital storytelling ? "Digital storytelling combines a narrative with images that support and enhance the narrative. The emphasis... is on the story, not the technology" [Gravestock & Jenkins] Gravestock, P. & Jenkins, M. (2009), Digital storytelling and its pedagogical impact. in Mayes, T. et. al. Transforming Higher Education through technology-enhanced learning. York: HEA. Image: Microsoft ClipArt

Caroline Plews – the Lecturer’s viewpoint

Summary Our search for a cost effective methodology has resulted in strengthening the collaboration between patients, teachers and learning technologists.

Maureen Readle – the Learning Technologist viewpoint Maureen Readle – the Learning Technologist’s viewpoint

Creating the digital story v1 Training staff Aim: Train academic staff to create movies Strengths: Relationship between academic and service user Issues: IT skills Time Software used: PhotoStory 3 Audacity

Creating the digital story v2a Recording video Aim: To video service users Strengths: Quicker to produce content Issues: Learning to use camera and editing software Time Software used: iMovie Pinnacle VideoSpin

Review Academic & Learning Technologist Creating the digital story v2b Partnership Aim: To work with academic staff to create movies Strengths: Academic released from production Academic drives content Learning technologist provide production / creativity skills Issues: IT skills Time Software used: PhotoStory 3 Audacity iMovie Pinnacle VideoSpin Record Academic & Patient Transcribe Administrator Select Academic Create Learning Technologist

Example 1 – audio only Linda’s story: the effect of bipolar disorder on her family (audio clip)

Example 1 – audio + images

Example 2 – video

The student experience “You can only guess what is feels like from a book but when someone can tell you because they experience it, it then sinks in better to understand and appreciate.” “Very much more interesting and thought provoking than reading in a text book”. The great majority of students regarded listening to a service user as providing knowledge additional to that which they might gain from text books. Evaluation summary “Hearing it from a service user makes all the theory we learn make sense.” “The personal stories are very interesting.” “Had time to understand experience from patients’ perspective because we are ‘outside’ of clinical setting so can reflect on what we have learned.” “More understanding and a lot of knowledge was gained through Susan’s personal experience.”

Discussion: Value of digital stories for staff and students Audio file vs Movie Value of digital storytelling to the learner Digital storytelling in other subjects Client voice in the classroom 10 mins Discussion:

Activity: Creating a storyboard Create a storyboard from a short transcript (work in pairs) How would you illustrate your story? 10 mins

Plenary: How might you use digital storytelling in your subject? Put your ideas onto a post-it and add it to the post-it wall