What is the connection between digital storytelling and study abroad?
Why Would you want to incorporate digital storytelling into a study abroad program?
Students
who study abroad often consider their program a life-changing experience. Programs not only provide a way for students
to take classes, but also are designed to foster language proficiency and an
awareness and interest in international culture and politics.
Universities aim to provide students with the knowledge and tools necessary to maximize their study abroad experience. One of the ways universities prepare students is by implementing a pre-departure orientation. The orientation is the standard method for relaying to students the information that they will be useful to them (Allen, 2010). In this orientation, topics such as logistics: packing, housing, healthcare, security, and budgeting are covered. In addition, orientation acts as a support group where topics such as culture shock and homesickness, are raised. Culture shock is primarily a set of emotional reactions to the loss of perceptual reinforcements from one’s own culture, to new cultural stimuli, which have little or no meaning, and to the misunderstanding of new and diverse experiences” (Adler, 1975). The orientation is designed for students to talk about their fears and anxieties in addition to their excitement.
However, once students return home, re-entry support is often limited or non-existent. This lack of support means that students are not given the proper channels to reflect upon their experience. Reverse culture shock is commonly experienced by students who feel helpless or disregarded by society upon re-entry into the United States (Allen, 2010). Students often find it difficult to adjust back to everyday routines, reconnect with family and friends, and to start taking regular classes. To limit reverse culture shock, scholars have found that it is necessary to implement some form of mediation that gives students the ability process their abroad journey and begin to re-integrate themselves back into their pre-study abroad routine.
Digital storytelling provides a creative way for students to build skills in reflection and critical thinking after returning from their program. Digital storytelling within the study abroad community can be used to allow students to reflect by narrating what they did while abroad and to provide a venue for photos and stories to be shared. Furthermore, digital storytelling also connects individuals to others who shared similar experiences and who underwent similar emotions. In addition, through digital storytelling, study abroad students gain the skills to refute common cultural stereotypes or to provide an alternate outlook on customs, religions, and traditions that they experienced abroad as they use digital storytelling to inspire critical thinking and discussions amongst their peers. Digital storytelling therefore has the potential to help students gain a greater insight on processing their time abroad and beginning the process of coming to terms with how they have changed as individuals and scholars.
Universities aim to provide students with the knowledge and tools necessary to maximize their study abroad experience. One of the ways universities prepare students is by implementing a pre-departure orientation. The orientation is the standard method for relaying to students the information that they will be useful to them (Allen, 2010). In this orientation, topics such as logistics: packing, housing, healthcare, security, and budgeting are covered. In addition, orientation acts as a support group where topics such as culture shock and homesickness, are raised. Culture shock is primarily a set of emotional reactions to the loss of perceptual reinforcements from one’s own culture, to new cultural stimuli, which have little or no meaning, and to the misunderstanding of new and diverse experiences” (Adler, 1975). The orientation is designed for students to talk about their fears and anxieties in addition to their excitement.
However, once students return home, re-entry support is often limited or non-existent. This lack of support means that students are not given the proper channels to reflect upon their experience. Reverse culture shock is commonly experienced by students who feel helpless or disregarded by society upon re-entry into the United States (Allen, 2010). Students often find it difficult to adjust back to everyday routines, reconnect with family and friends, and to start taking regular classes. To limit reverse culture shock, scholars have found that it is necessary to implement some form of mediation that gives students the ability process their abroad journey and begin to re-integrate themselves back into their pre-study abroad routine.
Digital storytelling provides a creative way for students to build skills in reflection and critical thinking after returning from their program. Digital storytelling within the study abroad community can be used to allow students to reflect by narrating what they did while abroad and to provide a venue for photos and stories to be shared. Furthermore, digital storytelling also connects individuals to others who shared similar experiences and who underwent similar emotions. In addition, through digital storytelling, study abroad students gain the skills to refute common cultural stereotypes or to provide an alternate outlook on customs, religions, and traditions that they experienced abroad as they use digital storytelling to inspire critical thinking and discussions amongst their peers. Digital storytelling therefore has the potential to help students gain a greater insight on processing their time abroad and beginning the process of coming to terms with how they have changed as individuals and scholars.
How is digital storytelling implemented?
Documenting study abroad experiences is not a new construct. It is common to find a variety of travel brochures, university websites, and private and public organizations dedicated to collecting testimonial insight and photographs from students to showcase a particular program.
As digital technology becomes a staple in today’s world, forms of digital storytelling are seen within the study abroad community in many ways. As exemplified below, students use traditional digital storytelling videos to share information and as a form of self-reflection. Lundby describes how digital storytelling constitutes as self-representational because they are told from the first person point of view and therefore constructions of identity are formed through the relationships and stories told. The video below shows the process of a student coming to terms with homesickness. This particular example constitutes as digital storytelling because it is a short video under three minutes, that merges photos of Italy with her voice-over documenting her day-to-day life abroad. The creation of this video shows self-reflection, as the student reveals how she learned to fall in love with the city she was staying in. The video provides a space for the student to describe the differences between home and abroad, particular moments that stand out to her such as her favorite sandwich shop, and the moments she spends with newly made friends. At the end of the video, she reveals how not only her attitude, but also her behaviors and outlook on life changed at the end of her study abroad trip and that she cannot wait to return to Italy one day. While this is an excellent example of how a student's study abroad can be translated into a digital story, it is important to consider, when watching this video, authenticity within self representation. While the student offers multiple examples of what Italy means to her, the representation that she creates for herself is merely reflective of a moment in time and how this changes the construction of her identity.
As digital technology becomes a staple in today’s world, forms of digital storytelling are seen within the study abroad community in many ways. As exemplified below, students use traditional digital storytelling videos to share information and as a form of self-reflection. Lundby describes how digital storytelling constitutes as self-representational because they are told from the first person point of view and therefore constructions of identity are formed through the relationships and stories told. The video below shows the process of a student coming to terms with homesickness. This particular example constitutes as digital storytelling because it is a short video under three minutes, that merges photos of Italy with her voice-over documenting her day-to-day life abroad. The creation of this video shows self-reflection, as the student reveals how she learned to fall in love with the city she was staying in. The video provides a space for the student to describe the differences between home and abroad, particular moments that stand out to her such as her favorite sandwich shop, and the moments she spends with newly made friends. At the end of the video, she reveals how not only her attitude, but also her behaviors and outlook on life changed at the end of her study abroad trip and that she cannot wait to return to Italy one day. While this is an excellent example of how a student's study abroad can be translated into a digital story, it is important to consider, when watching this video, authenticity within self representation. While the student offers multiple examples of what Italy means to her, the representation that she creates for herself is merely reflective of a moment in time and how this changes the construction of her identity.
While these short videos are one of the most common forms of digital storytelling, students have also utilized online forums, discussion boards, blogs, and podcasts to provide a space where they can record their life abroad. New structures of technology, labor, and economy in the 21st century, have lead to a plethora of independently written blogs and personal social networking profiles. The formation of these platforms has ultimately served to transform the mass media to be more user-generated. Posts on blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook constitute as digital storytelling because posts are made chronologically, which puts things into a historical perspective and allows audiences to easily follow along. Students can post relevant articles and photos that coincide with what they have experienced and show how what they have been through abroad connects to the larger global community. Blogs and social networking sites also allow people at home to understand the struggles of cultural adaptation and the difficulties experienced being away from loved ones. A blog or social networking profile exemplifies digital storytelling because individual posts that might not mean anything when looked at individually fit into a narrative when looked at as a cohesive whole and this allows for readers to interpret work and think about how each post speaks to each other and contributes to understanding the students collective experience. This is radical, because while digital storytelling does not necessarily capture a student’s experience in the way face-to-face communication does, the stories map personal testimonials and open up the potential for critical discussion (Rodriguez, 2010).
When I went on my own study abroad trip in 2008, Facebook was primarily used to connect students from other universities who were on the same program. Using Facebook, students introduced themselves, asked questions about classes, found people to travel with, and even acted as a space where people could vent if frustrated with not knowing what they were about to get themselves into. Facebook in this way, served as a collaborative learning experience because people were able to engage in discussion, get answers from one another, and ultimately all of these incidents were documented and archived on the Internet, which made it possible for me to access the posts five years later.
Below are a few examples of postings made in 2008 from the study abroad group that I went on. Here, students paint a vivid picture of the insecurities felt before departure. Students show being frustrated that they were overwhelmed with all the information being given to them without anyone to explain what was happening, and tried to work together to figure out if staying in a homestay was the best decision. While some students show excitement about staying in someone else’s home others are anxious about distance and fearful about stepping out of their comfort zone. Ultimately, this Facebook group as a form of digital storytelling is unique as it provides an opportunity for average students with basic technological tools to alter communication practices by proving a first-hand experience of their inner feelings. When going back and reading all of the archived posts, the message thread read like a story as ultimately the conversation evolved into people being excited about being in Paris and talking about what they thought of classes, what the best restaurants near campus were and where people went on weekend vacations. At the end of the semester, the Facebook group was filled with peoples ‘favorites’ and ‘dislikes’ and serves as a great guide for any student considering studying abroad on this program or for anyone who wants to get a glimpse on what happens during a study abroad trip.
When I went on my own study abroad trip in 2008, Facebook was primarily used to connect students from other universities who were on the same program. Using Facebook, students introduced themselves, asked questions about classes, found people to travel with, and even acted as a space where people could vent if frustrated with not knowing what they were about to get themselves into. Facebook in this way, served as a collaborative learning experience because people were able to engage in discussion, get answers from one another, and ultimately all of these incidents were documented and archived on the Internet, which made it possible for me to access the posts five years later.
Below are a few examples of postings made in 2008 from the study abroad group that I went on. Here, students paint a vivid picture of the insecurities felt before departure. Students show being frustrated that they were overwhelmed with all the information being given to them without anyone to explain what was happening, and tried to work together to figure out if staying in a homestay was the best decision. While some students show excitement about staying in someone else’s home others are anxious about distance and fearful about stepping out of their comfort zone. Ultimately, this Facebook group as a form of digital storytelling is unique as it provides an opportunity for average students with basic technological tools to alter communication practices by proving a first-hand experience of their inner feelings. When going back and reading all of the archived posts, the message thread read like a story as ultimately the conversation evolved into people being excited about being in Paris and talking about what they thought of classes, what the best restaurants near campus were and where people went on weekend vacations. At the end of the semester, the Facebook group was filled with peoples ‘favorites’ and ‘dislikes’ and serves as a great guide for any student considering studying abroad on this program or for anyone who wants to get a glimpse on what happens during a study abroad trip.