Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Fostering Reflection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v31i1.443Keywords:
Study abroad, Digital storytelling, ReflectionAbstract
Reflection is an essential process for optimizing student learning outcomes in study abroad. Composing digital stories is a promising strategy for achieving high quality reflection. In this project we developed and explicated a rubric for assessing how students used the d igital storytelling format to reflect on their study abroad experiences. We analyzed undergraduates’ digital stories for evidence of both (a) disciplinary thinking in the field of sustainability and (b) intercultural understanding. Qualitative findings sug gest that the digital story format offers students an opportunity to weave together digital artifacts that they often are already collecting. The process of creating digital stories both promotes and displays reflection. We also present an adapted rubric f or assessing targeted learning outcomes manifest in digital stories produce d by learners studying abroad. Applying the rubric revealed variability among students in achieving the aims of a digital story reflection
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References
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service-learning students (Instructor version). Raleigh, NC: Ash, Clayton & Moses..
Association of American Colleges & Universities. (2014). VALUE rubric development project. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics.
Bell, H. L., Gibson, H. J., Tarrant, M. A., Perry III, L. G., & Stoner, L. (2016). Transformational learning through study abroad: US students’ reflections on learning about sustainability in the South Pacific. Leisure Studies, 35(4), 389-405.
Brockington, J. L., & Wiedenhoeft, M. D. (2006). The liberal arts and global citizenship: Fostering intercultural engagement through integrative experiences and structured reflection. In R. Lewin (Ed.), Handbook of practice and research in study abroad: Higher education and the quest for global citizenship (pp. 117-132). New York, NY: Routledge.
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Churchill, E., & DuFon, M. A. (2006). Evolving threads in study abroad research. Language learners in study abroad contexts. In E. Churchill and M. DuFon (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp.1-27). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Czarnecki, K. (2009). How digital storytelling builds 21st Century skills. Library Technology Reports, 45(7), 15-19.
Dawson, P. (2017). Assessment rubrics: Towards clearer and more replicable design, research and practice. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(3), 347-360.
Dietrich, J. W., & Olson, C. (2010). In quest of meaningful assessment of international learning: The development and implementation of a student survey and ePortfolio approach. The Journal of General Education, 59(3), 143-158.
Engle, L., & Engle, J. (2004). Assessing language acquisition and intercultural sensitivity development in relation to study abroad program design. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 10, 219-236.
Genereux, A. P., & Thompson, W. A. (2008). Lights, camera, reflection! Digital movies: A tool for reflective learning. Journal of College Science Teaching, 37(6), 21-31.
Hocks, M. E. (2003). Understanding visual rhetoric in digital writing environments. College Composition and Communication, 54(4), 629-656.
Jakes, D. (2006). Standards-proof your digital storytelling efforts. TechLearning. Retrieved from https://www.techlearning.com/news/standardsproof-your-digital-storytelling-efforts
Lambert, J. (2012). Digital storytelling: Capturing lives, creating community. New York, NY: Routledge.
Lange, E. (2004). Transformative and restorative learning: A vital dialectic for sustainable societies. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 11, 459-475.
Lee, L. (2011). Blogging: Promoting learner autonomy and intercultural competence through study abroad. Language Learning & Technology, 15(3), 87-109. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2011/abstracts.html#lee
Li, M. H., Qu, T., & Petersenn, T. (n.d.) Digital storytelling: Effectiveness on study abroad experiential learning. Landscape Research Record, 5. Retrieved from http://thecela.org/wp-content/uploads/LI-QU-PETERSENN.pdf
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McGury, S., Shallenberger, D., & Tolliver, D. E. (2008). It’s new, but is it learning? Assessment rubrics for intercultural learning programs. Assessment Update, 20(4), 6-9.
McLaughlin, J. S., & Johnson, D. K. (2006). Assessing the field course experiential learning model: Transforming collegiate short-term study abroad experiences into rich learning environments. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 13, 65-85.
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Moore, J. (2005). Is higher education ready for transformative learning? A question explored in the study of sustainability. Journal of Transformative Education, 3(1), 76-91.
Paige, R. M., Cohen, A. D., Kappler, B., Chi, J. C., & Lassegard, J. P. (2002). Maximizing study abroad: A students’ guide to strategies for language and culture learning and use. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.
Pedersen, P. J. (2010). Assessing intercultural effectiveness outcomes in a year-long study abroad program. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, 70-80.
Perry, L., Stoner, L., Schleser, M., Stoner, K. R., Wadsworth, D., Page, R., & Tarrant, M. A. (2015). Digital media as a reflective tool: Creating appropriate spaces for students to become introspective. Compare, 45(2), 323-330.
Perry, L., Stoner, L., & Tarrant, M. (2012). More than a vacation: Short-term study abroad as a critically reflective, transformative learning experience. Creative Education, 3(5), 679-683.
Polanyi, L. (1985). Telling the American story: A structural and cultural analysis of conversational storytelling. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Reddy, Y. M., & Andrade, H. (2010). A review of rubric use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(4), 435-448.
Rhodes, T. L. (2016). The VALUE of assessment: Transforming the culture of learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 48(5), 36-43.
Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory in Practice, 47(3), 220-228.
Rodriguez, K. (2010). Digital storytelling in study abroad: Toward a counter-catalogic experience. International Journal of Media, Technology and Lifelong Learning, 6(2), 219-233.
Rubin, D. L., & Tarrant, M. C. “It changed my life:” Strategies for assessing student learning. In L. Chieffo and C. Spaeth (Eds.), The guide to successful short-term programs abroad (3rd ed., pp. 171-182). New York, NY: NAFSA.
Sadik, A. (2008). Digital storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 56(4), 487-506.
Sandars, J., & Murray, C. (2009). Digital storytelling for reflection in undergraduate medical education: A pilot study. Education for Primary Care, 20(6), 441-444.
Savicki, V., & Price, M. (2015). Student reflective writing: Cognition and affect before, during and after study abroad. Journal of College Student Development, 56(6), 587-601.
Sullivan, D. F., & McConnell, K. D. (2018). It’s the assignments—A ubiquitous and inexpensive strategy to significantly improve higher-order learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 50(5), 16-23.
Sutton, R. C., Miller, A. N., & Rubin, D. L. (2007). Research design in assessing learning outcomes of education abroad programs. In M. C. Bolen (Ed.), A guide to outcomes assessment in education abroad (23-60). Carlisle, PA: The Forum on Education Abroad.
Taylor, E. W. (2008, Fall). Transformative learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 119, 5-15.
Trilokekar, R. D., & Kukar, P. (2011). Disorienting experiences during study abroad: Reflections of pre-service teacher candidates. Teaching & Teacher Education, 27(7), 1141-1150.
Twombly, S. B., Salisbury, M. H., Tumanut, S. D., & Klute, P. (2012). ASHE higher education report: Study abroad in a new global century: Renewing the promise, refining the purpose, 38(4). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Walters. C., Charles, J., & Bingham, S. (2017). Impact of short-term study abroad experiences on transformative learning: A comparison of programs at 6 weeks. Journal of Transformative Education, 15(2), 103–21. doi 10.1177/1541344616670034
Walters, L. M., Green, M. R., Wang, L., & Walters, T. N. (2011). From heads to hearts: Digital stories as reflection artifacts of teachers’ international experience. Issues in Teacher Education, 20(2), 37-52.
service-learning students (Instructor version). Raleigh, NC: Ash, Clayton & Moses..
Association of American Colleges & Universities. (2014). VALUE rubric development project. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics.
Bell, H. L., Gibson, H. J., Tarrant, M. A., Perry III, L. G., & Stoner, L. (2016). Transformational learning through study abroad: US students’ reflections on learning about sustainability in the South Pacific. Leisure Studies, 35(4), 389-405.
Brockington, J. L., & Wiedenhoeft, M. D. (2006). The liberal arts and global citizenship: Fostering intercultural engagement through integrative experiences and structured reflection. In R. Lewin (Ed.), Handbook of practice and research in study abroad: Higher education and the quest for global citizenship (pp. 117-132). New York, NY: Routledge.
Buckner, M. J. (2015). Investigating digital storytelling as an assessment practice in study abroad programs. (Unpublished dissertation). University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
Churchill, E., & DuFon, M. A. (2006). Evolving threads in study abroad research. Language learners in study abroad contexts. In E. Churchill and M. DuFon (Eds.), Language learners in study abroad contexts (pp.1-27). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Czarnecki, K. (2009). How digital storytelling builds 21st Century skills. Library Technology Reports, 45(7), 15-19.
Dawson, P. (2017). Assessment rubrics: Towards clearer and more replicable design, research and practice. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(3), 347-360.
Dietrich, J. W., & Olson, C. (2010). In quest of meaningful assessment of international learning: The development and implementation of a student survey and ePortfolio approach. The Journal of General Education, 59(3), 143-158.
Engle, L., & Engle, J. (2004). Assessing language acquisition and intercultural sensitivity development in relation to study abroad program design. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 10, 219-236.
Genereux, A. P., & Thompson, W. A. (2008). Lights, camera, reflection! Digital movies: A tool for reflective learning. Journal of College Science Teaching, 37(6), 21-31.
Hocks, M. E. (2003). Understanding visual rhetoric in digital writing environments. College Composition and Communication, 54(4), 629-656.
Jakes, D. (2006). Standards-proof your digital storytelling efforts. TechLearning. Retrieved from https://www.techlearning.com/news/standardsproof-your-digital-storytelling-efforts
Lambert, J. (2012). Digital storytelling: Capturing lives, creating community. New York, NY: Routledge.
Lange, E. (2004). Transformative and restorative learning: A vital dialectic for sustainable societies. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 11, 459-475.
Lee, L. (2011). Blogging: Promoting learner autonomy and intercultural competence through study abroad. Language Learning & Technology, 15(3), 87-109. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2011/abstracts.html#lee
Li, M. H., Qu, T., & Petersenn, T. (n.d.) Digital storytelling: Effectiveness on study abroad experiential learning. Landscape Research Record, 5. Retrieved from http://thecela.org/wp-content/uploads/LI-QU-PETERSENN.pdf
Lou, K. H., Vande Berg, M., & Paige, R. M. (2012). Intervening in student learning abroad: Closing insights. In M. Vande Berg, R. M. Paige, & K. H. Lou (Eds.), Student learning abroad: What our students are learning, what they’re not, and what we can do about it (pp. 411-420). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Marx, H., & Moss, D. M. (2011). Please mind the culture gap: Intercultural development during a teacher education study abroad program. Journal of Teacher Education, 62(1), 35-47.
McGury, S., Shallenberger, D., & Tolliver, D. E. (2008). It’s new, but is it learning? Assessment rubrics for intercultural learning programs. Assessment Update, 20(4), 6-9.
McLaughlin, J. S., & Johnson, D. K. (2006). Assessing the field course experiential learning model: Transforming collegiate short-term study abroad experiences into rich learning environments. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 13, 65-85.
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (1990). How critical reflection triggers transformative learning. In J. Mezirow (Ed.), Fostering critical reflection in adulthood (1-20). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Montgomery, K. (2002). Authentic tasks and rubrics: Going beyond traditional assessments in college teaching. College Teaching, 50(1), 34-40.
Moore, J. (2005). Is higher education ready for transformative learning? A question explored in the study of sustainability. Journal of Transformative Education, 3(1), 76-91.
Paige, R. M., Cohen, A. D., Kappler, B., Chi, J. C., & Lassegard, J. P. (2002). Maximizing study abroad: A students’ guide to strategies for language and culture learning and use. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.
Pedersen, P. J. (2010). Assessing intercultural effectiveness outcomes in a year-long study abroad program. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, 70-80.
Perry, L., Stoner, L., Schleser, M., Stoner, K. R., Wadsworth, D., Page, R., & Tarrant, M. A. (2015). Digital media as a reflective tool: Creating appropriate spaces for students to become introspective. Compare, 45(2), 323-330.
Perry, L., Stoner, L., & Tarrant, M. (2012). More than a vacation: Short-term study abroad as a critically reflective, transformative learning experience. Creative Education, 3(5), 679-683.
Polanyi, L. (1985). Telling the American story: A structural and cultural analysis of conversational storytelling. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Reddy, Y. M., & Andrade, H. (2010). A review of rubric use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(4), 435-448.
Rhodes, T. L. (2016). The VALUE of assessment: Transforming the culture of learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 48(5), 36-43.
Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory in Practice, 47(3), 220-228.
Rodriguez, K. (2010). Digital storytelling in study abroad: Toward a counter-catalogic experience. International Journal of Media, Technology and Lifelong Learning, 6(2), 219-233.
Rubin, D. L., & Tarrant, M. C. “It changed my life:” Strategies for assessing student learning. In L. Chieffo and C. Spaeth (Eds.), The guide to successful short-term programs abroad (3rd ed., pp. 171-182). New York, NY: NAFSA.
Sadik, A. (2008). Digital storytelling: A meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 56(4), 487-506.
Sandars, J., & Murray, C. (2009). Digital storytelling for reflection in undergraduate medical education: A pilot study. Education for Primary Care, 20(6), 441-444.
Savicki, V., & Price, M. (2015). Student reflective writing: Cognition and affect before, during and after study abroad. Journal of College Student Development, 56(6), 587-601.
Sullivan, D. F., & McConnell, K. D. (2018). It’s the assignments—A ubiquitous and inexpensive strategy to significantly improve higher-order learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 50(5), 16-23.
Sutton, R. C., Miller, A. N., & Rubin, D. L. (2007). Research design in assessing learning outcomes of education abroad programs. In M. C. Bolen (Ed.), A guide to outcomes assessment in education abroad (23-60). Carlisle, PA: The Forum on Education Abroad.
Taylor, E. W. (2008, Fall). Transformative learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 119, 5-15.
Trilokekar, R. D., & Kukar, P. (2011). Disorienting experiences during study abroad: Reflections of pre-service teacher candidates. Teaching & Teacher Education, 27(7), 1141-1150.
Twombly, S. B., Salisbury, M. H., Tumanut, S. D., & Klute, P. (2012). ASHE higher education report: Study abroad in a new global century: Renewing the promise, refining the purpose, 38(4). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Walters. C., Charles, J., & Bingham, S. (2017). Impact of short-term study abroad experiences on transformative learning: A comparison of programs at 6 weeks. Journal of Transformative Education, 15(2), 103–21. doi 10.1177/1541344616670034
Walters, L. M., Green, M. R., Wang, L., & Walters, T. N. (2011). From heads to hearts: Digital stories as reflection artifacts of teachers’ international experience. Issues in Teacher Education, 20(2), 37-52.
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Published
2019-04-30
How to Cite
Hamilton, A., Rubin, D., Tarrant, M., & Gleason, M. (2019). Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Fostering Reflection. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 31(1), 59–73. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v31i1.443
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Research Articles
