Publication:

Digital narratives for biology learning

Digital storytelling (DS) implies creating reflective or instructive stories, which engage the learner and may promote higher order thinking skills and deeper learning. Moreover, digital technology allows for creating meaningful and attractive stories at low cost and with little technical requirements, enhancing motivation and engagement with the task. However, successfully implementing DS requires good digital competence and sound content knowledge. Here we present the results of a five-session training programme that sought to provide specific instruction and to accompany teachers in the implementation of digital storytelling. It comprised tools for structuring scientific knowledge, ideas about good questions, representations of modes alternative to written language, and the integration of art and editing tools. The teachers had major difficulties in organizing information in meaningful ways and working with crosscutting concepts. From the analysis, it became evident that the complexity of the digital artifact attracted most of the time and effort, detracting from treatment of the scientific concepts; although the teacher attendees assimilated effectively the technical tips offered, there was considerable resistance to changing the way of teaching, which may preclude the implementation of innovative methodologies of this kind.