Digital Story Telling
Everyone has a story to tell. Perhaps you are an undergraduate student living the latest exciting chapter of your life at Northeastern University. Maybe you are a professor glimpsing how your research and teaching can alter the course of a student's life. Or, possibly you are a graduate student discovering what it means to delve deeply into your field of study. Whatever your place in the university community, you most likely have a rich story to tell.
To create a digital story, you'll write a script, then add narration, images, video and a soundtrack. Once you move your story to the web, others can see and hear your experience and learn from your perspective.
Make Your Own - Faculty may want to produce their own digital stories for teaching portfolios, tenure dossiers or research funding. Some faculty have produced digital stories to convey best practices in teaching, while others have used this persuasive medium to convince granting organizations to support their projects.
Assign Your Students - Faculty recognize that producing digital stories requires students to hone their writing, critical analysis, and multimedia skills. Drafting, editing and producing a powerful digital story will provide students a portfolio piece that may give them an edge when applying to graduate schools or seeking post-graduate employment.
Educational Uses for Digital Stories
For Faculty
Course Assignments - A digital story can be an effective assignment in nearly any course in nearly any discipline that requires a major project or presentation.
Learning Object - One professor developed a digital story called The Look in which he explained the concept of Science Fiction; another developed one to teach the themes & symbolism in All Quiet on the Western Front.
Teaching Portfolio - A digital story uses multimedia to bring alive faculty's best practices in teaching.
Research Projects - Digital stories can convey complex concepts in an accessible manner. Grant-funded projects with Web sites that feature digital stories about the research can attract additional funding, student participants, other members of the research community, etc.
For Students
Undergraduate Research - Students involved in undergraduate research can develop digital stories to reflect on their research experience and/or present key findings.
Student Reflections - Students can develop stories to recount their experiences collaborating with peers and developing projects during their studies, or ponder their future as they get ready to graduate.
Course Project - Currently, students studying journalism and biology are working with their professors to develop various types of digital stories.
Portfolio Piece - Students develop a presentation in this dynamic medium to show potential employers or to submit with a graduate school application.
Co-op, Study Abroad or Experiential Education Reflection - Students can complete digital stories as a required assignment for experiential education programs. The stories can serve as a portfolio piece for the students and a marketing piece for these programs to attract students.
