When personal stories go digital

With its emphasis on creativity and technology, digital storytelling is changing the way both teachers and students in Goan colleges see learning.

| OCTOBER 30, 2018, 04:04 AM IST

JAY JOSHI  


The world today is becoming increasingly digital, there is a need to foster creativity and encourage developing computer-skills. That is the exact purpose behind the course which was recently introduced in some colleges around Goa: Digital Storytelling.   

Digital storytelling is a relatively new term that entails people using digital tools to tell stories. The term generally refers to stories created using still images, background music and a narrative. DST, is often used as an educational tool, and made its entry into Goan colleges somewhere around early 2010s.   

“The purpose behind introducing this course was that as students create DSTs, their communication skills in English and their computer literacy skills would simultaneously improve,” says Augusto Pinto, associate professor of English at SS Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Bambolim. Pinto was a part of a group named ‘DSTkars’ which was formed with the intention of bringing DST to Goan colleges. After the concept was implemented, the experience has been mixed, says Pinto. “Some students worked really well, but these were very few in number. For many students, writing a story for the digital medium is a bit of a problem. Also, when you have to work with a class of around 60 students, it is difficult to get students to tell personal stories,” says the professor, who admits that initially, he too found it difficult to teach the subject.   

“Perhaps it is because the students are used to a fixed system, like getting notes, copying things. This new way of learning forces you out of that comfort zone.” Though, he notes with satisfaction that the group faced to hassles from the bureaucracy when it set out to take DST as a subject in colleges. DST is being taught as a part of English classes across a number of undergraduate colleges in Goa.   

Greg Acuna, an Assagao-based American writer and game-developer who has worked with digital stories, underlines the importance of the concept. “Storytelling is the basis of much of our creativity, and Indian schools need to value creativity more. You are going to need creative people to generate new ideas and do innovative things in the future. Being able to tell a story emphasizes the creative side of the brain, so it very important.”   

And Goan colleges do seem to be evolving to meet the challenge with the introduction of the DST course.   

“The role of the teacher in dealing with DST is more of a facilitator and collaborator, than that of a sage on a stage and that’s a refreshing paradigm shift,” says associate professor of English, Dr Prema Rocha from St Xavier college, Mapusa while commenting on her experience of teaching the new course. “There are teething issues like large numbers of students in a class, internet bandwidth and connectivity for such numbers at a time. For instance we at Xavier’s have 4 divisions of FYBCom students 60 in a class. But we’ve found a way to deal with these issues by dividing students into groups and making the best of our resources,” says Dr Rocha who further notes that establishing a well-equipped language laboratory is the key to successfully implementing a DST course in college.   

Teachers say the course has been well received by the students. “Students find it immersive. You can say that the principal ‘brevity is the soul wit’ works perfectly here,” says professor Vividh Pawaskar from Shree Mallikarjun College Of Arts & Commerce, Canacona. “Students are really involved with their assignments, and one often finds purgation of emotions or psychological release in the stories,” says Pawaskar. “Some students struggle with technology, but AV is a good engaging tool”  

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