Literacy Skills
Robin (2008a) credits Brown, Bryan, and Brown (2005) as defining 21st Century literacy skills as being:
- Digital Literacy – communicating with community to discuss ideas and issues, ask and answer questions, and gather information.
- Global Literacy – an understanding of the interconnectedness of people globally and the possibilities and constraints people face.
- Technology Literacy – the ability to use technology for performance and production.
- Visual Literacy – communicating through images and video.
- Information Literacy – locating information and the ability to analyze and synthesize.
Students participating in digital storytelling have opportunities to:
- learn with a community of learners, including those from other cultures and backgrounds;
- use computers and a variety of hardware and software tools;
- select images to show rather than tell their intended message;
- discuss issues, research, evaluate, and synthesize;
- ask and answer questions;
- critique and reflect;
- express point of view;
- participate in script writing (Di Blas, Garzotto, Paolini & Sabiescu, 2009; Dreon et al., 2011; Robin 2008b).
Communication Skills
When creating digital stories there are opportunities for students to work in groups or with a partner to brainstorm story ideas, ask and answer questions, and critique stories. Some stories might include interviews or information gathered during an interview session. Students learn to communicate through voice, text, images, music, and sounds as they create their stories (Dreon et al., 2011; Salpeter, 2005).
Organizational Skills
Although guided, students are participating in a complex project that provides them with opportunities to develop organizational skills. To create a successful story, planning including goal setting and effective time management for task completion needs to be employed (Dreon et al., 2011; Robin 2008a).
Creativity Skills
Students can use found images provided that they are aware of copyright issues and are instructed how to credit sources. They can add an additional personal element to their stories by creating their own visual images through a variety of visual arts media. These pieces can be photographed or video recorded and added to digital stories (Chung, 2007; Sadik, 2008).
During the storyboarding stage students learn to communicate by combining images, text, voice, and sound effects. When they begin producing their stories they learn to
combine visual elements to develop a rhythm that complements the plot and helps retain the viewers attention (Chung, 2007).
Critical Thinking Skills
Creating digital stories allows students to practice critical thinking skills including: problem solving, making decisions, meeting challenges, and critiquing. By working in groups, and with partners, students have opportunities to express likes, dislikes, ideas, and opinions and listen to peers’ contributions. They can participate in discussions, reflect on contributions, and recognize gaps in understanding or flaws in reasoning (Chung, 2007; Salpeter, 2005).
Technological Skills
Digital storytelling incluces the use of multimedia authoring and editing software and hardware such as; digital cameras, video cameras, scanners, and microphones. Students and teachers may benefit from online tutorials that provide instruction in editing media for digital stories. The YouTube Photo Story 3 tutorial below is just one example.