Ψηφιακή αφήγηση στην προσχολική εκπαίδευση και Δεξιότητες του 21ου Αιώνα. Δυνατότητες και προεκτάσεις στην εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευση

Abstract

Digital Storytelling, as the evolution of traditional storytelling, offers an interesting frame of developing groundbreaking ways of learning and teaching, suitable for all levels of education. The aim of this article is to examine the correlation of the digital storytelling to preschool education and to the development of the 21^st century skills amongst the preschool students. At the same time, the place of the digital storytelling is being viewed in relation to the distance education and in particular, the role that digital education, digital literacy and distance education play in the experimental learning. Through literacy review, the multiple role that the use of digital storytelling techniques can offer to preschool education is highlighted.

From the early 1990s, when the term Digital Storytelling was emerged for the first time to this day, a number of definitions have been formulated. For Robin and McNeil (2012) digital storytelling is the combination of different kinds of multimediatized material, such as pictures, text, video extracts, audio narration and music in order to create short stories of a specific subject. Already from 2005, Lathem (2005) connects digital storytelling to the skills of 21^st century, establishing the foundations for her introduction to the educational settings. Digital storytelling is being used as a tool for the development of the 21^st century skills as well as for the understanding of elusive concepts.

Numerous models of creating a digital storytelling have been developed since (i.e. Μοrra, 2013, Ξέστερνου, 2013, Μπράτιστης, 2021, etc.). The common point of all models, however, is the presence of a structured methodology, that is important to be followed in a systematized manner through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in order to create quality digital storytelling.  By applying a model or a synthesis of those, each creator can be supported and guided through the structure and the steps of creations that each model offers, resulting to an attractive outcome.

The potential of digital storytelling to constitute a useful education tool in the field of education has been shown by a number of surveys (Robin, 2016). The possibilities offered render digital storytelling a pedagogical tool, through which appropriate educational environments are being created for the development of linguistic abilities, communicational relations and enrichment of students’ knowledge. The growth of these elements is one of the crucial goals of the kindergarten (ΙΕΠ, 2021), a fact that allows us to take into consideration the validity of the use of digital storytelling in preschool ages. As far as preschool education is concerned, the use of digital storytelling can contribute to the improvement of the communication and interaction abilities both towards the classmates as well the teachers. Moreover, it can facilitate the most detailed recall and retelling of the context of a story but also the construction of the suitable -for the age- literacy. (Wening, Rahmanto, & Satyawan, 2022). 

Accordingly, the results of Rubegni and Landoni (2018) ascertain that the use of technology for the creation of digital stories improved significantly the cognitive and social skills of the students and contribute at their emotional growth. It was also noted a boost of focus and motive and amelioration of the communication and self-expression. Last but not least, the survey of Papadimitriou et al (2013), showed positive effect of digital storytelling to the interaction of the students and teachers and the development of the cooperation, the responsibility and the confidence of the children. The students seemed to be more motivated and were participating actively in the exercises when the educational context combined material and empirical activities with technological tools.

The benefits that come up from the use of the digital storytelling vary depending its creator. In the case where the digital storytelling is used by the teachers, it acts as a teaching tool, facilitating the presentation of an object in a way that captures the attention of the students and favorizing the interaction with the material and the multifarious understanding of the subject in matter. In the case where the digital storytelling is been used by the students, then the development and reinforcement of a sum of literacy skills aligned to what is called nowadays «21^st century skills» is observed (Μουταφίδου & Μπράτιτσης, 2013). Digital, global, technological, visual and computer literacy are amongst the skills that are flourishing during the creation of digital storytelling by the students (Robin, 2016). To these skills, it is possible to add three more learning outcomes that emerge through the sharing of the students’ digital stories (Garcia & Rossiter, 2010 as referred to Robin, 2016). That is the empathy and perspective-taking, the self-understanding and the community building. For the researchers, those are considered important characteristics of the 21^st century citizen. Lastly, the creativity, the imagination and skills as the expression of ideas, problem-solving and decision making are reinforced through the use of computers (Bratitsis et al., 2012).  In combination with the development of critical thinking, co-operation and initiation (Μπράτιτσης, 2015), digital storytelling seems to offers all the necessary elements so that the students be able to cope with the demands and challenges of the 21^st century.

Distance education can be implemented with success even in the young ages of preschool students when quality criteria are being applied. Those criteria referred to the concrete design and organization of the context, the training of the teachers, the students and their parents as well as the creation of appropriate educational material (Τάλλου, 2021).  The use of digital storytelling and the practice of digital literacy consist of two important factors that can contribute to the realization of distance education in quality terms. As, in one hand, digital storytelling can grandly be occurred in the cadre of synchronous distance education by the presence and support of teachers,- on the other hand, the practice of digital literacy is necessary for the implementation of distance education at preschool education in  case complementary distance education is needed (for example in case of suspension of schools due to extreme weather conditions, long-term absence of students, etc.), but also distance education contribute at the development of digital literacy. We conclude therefore that digital storytelling, digital literacy and distance school education are a threefold that can be implemented qualitatively.

Digital storytelling appears to be a pedagogical that offers a rich educational environment of development of multiple literacies, of the imagination, the creativity and the communication. Digital storytelling, with appropriate adaptations, can be implemented in cases of distance education, reassuring the establishment of a creative and collaborative working environment, so for the students as for the teachers too. The distance use of digital storytelling can be applied complementary to the basic education or even completely, suspending the spatial and time limitation of face-to-face teaching.