Abstract:

This case study examines students’ experiences regarding the infusion of digital storytelling in their high school fourth-year Spanish class. The aim of this case study is to determine if digital storytelling can be an effective tool for language learners to communicate emotion and present information to an audience.  Sources of information for this case study include pre- and post- open-ended questionnaires, pre- and post-focus groups, semi-structured subsequent interviews, as well as observation and reflection journals.  The findings reveal an epistemological shift that frames students’ perspectives. The data recount a shift in the understanding of the purpose of the digital storytelling task in the sense that the learners’ focus changes from the elements of language and technology to a meaningful project as a whole. The findings also confirm that digital storytelling projects adhere to the presentational mode of communication, follow the writing process, and as well as engage students in a meaningful, real world task in the foreign language classroom.

Author: Martha E Castañeda