Image by ooceey from Pixabay

As language teachers, we strive to make the writing process engaging and meaningful for our students. However, we often encounter challenges when it comes to motivating them to write, particularly when they are faced with lengthy writing assignments. This is where digital storytelling can make a difference. Digital storytelling refers to the practice of using digital tools to tell stories, usually employing multimedia elements such as images, text, audio, and video to convey a message or an idea. If implemented effectively it can be an excellent addition to the language classroom.

The pedagogical value of storytelling (whether digital or not) is well established. In essence, our brains are better equipped to remember and process information when it’s presented as a story rather than as raw facts and figures. A story, at its core, is a series of cause-and-effect relationships, mirroring how our minds naturally operate. This makes storytelling a powerful tool in the classroom, helping students to remember and understand information more effectively (Boris, 2017; Widrich, 2012).

In this short blog post, I’ll provide actionable and timely insights for language teachers on how to incorporate it into their writing instruction. Notably, the last suggestion delves into how storytelling can be used as an innovative way of promoting AI literacy. This post is designed to be practical and easy to read for both in-service and pre-service language teachers. For those who want to dig deeper, I have included links to research articles and other blog posts at the end.

1. Make digital storytelling engaging

Provide a clear and compelling prompt for your students’ digital stories. For instance, you could ask them to create a digital story about a memorable adventure, an encounter with a historical figure, or a journey to an imaginary world. Encourage them to use descriptive language, dialogue, and sensory details to bring their stories to life. This will not only enhance their writing skills but also provide an opportunity to learn new vocabulary, especially if you encourage the use of dictionaries in the process. Ask them to incorporate multimedia elements like images, audio, and video into their digital stories to make them more engaging for readers. You can use this opportunity to add some media literacy elements to your lessons and ask them to reflect on the power (and limitations) of multimedia to convey meaning. 

2. Choose the right platform and train students 

Choose a digital storytelling platform or app that is visually appealing and user-friendly. Select one that is appropriate for your students’ age and skill level. For example, consider using digital storytelling tools like BookCreator, StoryJumper, StoryBoard That, VoiceThread, StoryBird. Most of these platforms operate on a ‘freemium’ model, offering a basic version for free with optional upgrades for expanded functionality. However, it’s essential to regularly check the pricing details, as these can change without prior notice.

Provide clear instructions for your students on how to use the platform. You may want to create a tutorial video to help them to get started, however do not spend too long on the tool itself – if it takes you too long to teach students how to use it then perhaps this tool is not the right tool for you. Once students familiarise themselves with the basics of the tool, be sure to have an in-class session where students will work hands-on on their stories. It is important that you are available to offer support and guidance to your students as they work on their digital stories. Also, students should be encouraged to collaborate and assist one another by providing feedback and answering questions.

3. Promote creativity 

Digital storytelling allows students to experiment with different forms of storytelling and find creative ways to express their ideas. As mentioned earlier, provide students with a clear story structure or outline, but allow them to be creative within that framework. Encourage them to take risks and try new things with their writing even if this means that they will make language errors. They will always be able to edit them later. This is an important point for when we give feedback too. Try to give feedback and guidance that encourages creativity and experimentation. Rather than focusing solely on grammar or language mechanics, give feedback that helps students to develop their writer’s voice and style.

4. Promote collaborative digital storytelling

My own students working on their digital stories (De Montfort University, 2019)

Collaboration is an essential skill for students to develop, and digital storytelling can be a great way to foster this. Create a collaborative workspace for your students using a digital tool like Google Docs, Padlet or MS 365 Word. Provided they have access to the internet during class, this can be a space where they can share their ideas, ask questions, and provide feedback on each other’s work while working on their individual stories. However, you can also set it to work as a follow-up activity after class and ask students to use the collaborative document to add their comments, questions and feedback to one another when they are at home. 

Another important way to promote collaboration is to encourage students to work in pairs or small groups on their digital stories. This can help them to collaborate and support each other as they work on their writing. The feedback you provide in this case should encourage students to work effectively as a team, give each other constructive feedback and be open to suggestions and advice from their peers.

5. Connect students to a wider audience

Do you have a class blog or school social media? Sharing their digital stories via these platforms can help students to connect with a broader audience and receive feedback from readers outside of their classroom. Create a class website or blog where your students can share their digital stories. If you teach young learners you may act as administrator and publish their stories yourself or you may decide to publish them on a password-protected page to which they will be able to share the password with their parents and friends only. Whatever privacy decisions you make, sharing with a wider audience can be a great way for students to showcase their work and connect with readers outside of the classroom. For teens and adults, encourage them to share their stories on social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. This can help them to reach more readers and receive genuine feedback from a broader community, not just the teacher or peers. Whatever the age of your students, use this as an opportunity to offer guidance and support on digital citizenship and online safety. Help your students to understand the importance of being responsible and respectful online, and provide them with guidelines for how to share their stories safely and appropriately.

6. Teach AI literacy through storytelling

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

While storytelling in the classroom offers numerous benefits already outlined, it can also be a powerful tool to introduce and teach AI literacy. With concepts of AI integrated into the stories, students can naturally develop an understanding of how AI works, its potential impacts, and the ethical considerations surrounding it. For instance, you might assign a story prompt that involves characters interacting with AI systems or ask students to envision and write about a future where AI plays a significant role.

As students explore these AI-focused prompts, they will inevitably engage with and explore AI concepts in their writing. This can be further facilitated by group discussions or reflective writing on the AI aspects of their stories. Encourage them to explore real-life examples of AI, to understand how it’s used in society (not just education), and the impact it could have on their lives.

Beyond this, AI-themed storytelling could also inspire students to think critically about the development and use of AI. This may include the ethical implications of AI, the potential for bias inherent in AI systems, and the balance between AI-driven automation and preserving human agency and importance. Through this storytelling process, students will not only become more literate in AI but also develop the critical thinking skills necessary in our increasingly digital world.

For those who want to dig deeper into digital storytelling, check out the following resources. Please let me know of any other articles that should be added to this list, and I will be glad to add them.

Resources

• Digital storytelling in ELT is an excellent compilation of resources that includes articles, tools, multimedia resources, lesson plans, handouts and so much more. 
• Digital Storytelling: Benefits, Examples, Tools & Tips provides an overview of digital storytelling and discusses its applications in education. I found the section Elements of an Effective Digital Story very useful.

Peer-reviewed journal articles 

• Digital Storytelling in Language Education open access peer-reviewed paper by Hamzeh Moradi and Hefang Chen
• Storytelling in early childhood education: Time to go digital by Maila D. H. Rahiem in International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy

Blog posts

• Making Learners Click with Digital Storytelling blog post by Nile Stanley and Brett Dillingham in Language magazine
• Using Digital Storytelling in Language Classrooms by Lesley Lanir on the Medium platform

Sophia Mavridi is a lecturer in technology-enhanced learning and English Language Teaching at De Montfort University (Leicester, UK). She also teaches on the master’s degree programme in Professional Development for Language Education for NILE (Norwich Institute for Language Education). Her research focuses on the intersection of technology and teacher education and she’s currently researching the role of AI in internationalised higher education. In addition to her regular publications in academic journals, her latest volumes include Language Teaching Experiences during COVID-19 (British Council) and English for 21st Century Skills (Express Publishing).