Digital Storytelling Assignments A Guide for Students

“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.” - Ursula K. LeGuin

Setting the stage: What is digital storytelling?

Digita​​​​​​​l storytelling is one form of a varied process that includes oral history, documentary video, ethnography, and many others. Each of these forms follow their own guiding principles and structures, as well as expectations of format and style. Key components of any digital storytelling product are:

1. Narrative - This is the core distinguishing feature. There must be a progression of ideas moving from a place of questioning or seeking with a resolution (or at least the attempt at one). This also necessitates that there is a guiding narrative voice, whether that is recorded audio/video or text.
2. Multimedia elements - All digital stories must also incorporate digital multimedia, such as images, videos, audio, etc. Written essays are not digital stories on their own.
3. Design and aesthetics - Creativity is a hallmark of digital stories, and the consistency of the work's design and construction should match and support the narrative.

Digital stories often include:

• Interactivity - Many digital stories provide the viewer/reader with the ability to interact with the content. This may be as simple as scrolling through an infographic or as complicated as choosing a path through a group of webpages.
• Calls to action or next steps - While digital stories are at the heart about the creator's understanding of the narrative, viewers/readers are often encouraged to take steps inspired by the story's content.

Video Digital Stories

The most common format of digital storytelling is the short video format utilized by StoryCenter, an organization dedicated to creating and sharing the stories of people for over 20 years.