Design and evaluation of an online digital storytelling course for seniors

David Kaufman, Diogo Silva, Robyn Schell, Simone Hausknecht

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this proposed project was to develop and evaluate an online version of a digital storytelling course delivered through the university’s Canvas learning platform. Background. In digital storytelling, participants write their personal stories in a clear and linear structure, and then create short movies using relatively simple video editing software. This provides an opportunity to share life lessons, leave a legacy, and engage socially with their peers. Method. We adapted the content and activities from the earlier face-to-face course into weekly online modules. The target audience comprised 15 older adults between 60 and 75 years old. A Research Assistant (RA) provided online assistance when requested using Skype. A qualitative approach was employed to collect data, including a demographic questionnaire, module questionnaires, a course evaluation survey near the end, and individual interviews. Results. The findings of our evaluation showed that 9 of the 15 participants were able to complete the online course in varying timeframes. Participants’ feedback was very positive and all participants who completed the course reported that they would recommend it to a friend. Conclusion. Two key suggestions emerged for improving the course. First, make the time and workload requirements clear during the recruitment process. Second, investigate ways for reducing the time required to complete the course in future offerings. Despite these suggestions, the results appear to provide support for offering the digital storytelling online course to a wider audience of older adults.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2018 - Volume 1
EditorsRahul Bhatia, Kohei Arai, Supriya Kapoor
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages1133-1141
Number of pages9
ISBN (Print)9783030026851
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes
EventFuture Technologies Conference, FTC 2018 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Duration: 15 Nov 201816 Nov 2018

Publication series

NameAdvances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
Volume880
ISSN (Print)2194-5357

Conference

ConferenceFuture Technologies Conference, FTC 2018
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityVancouver, BC
Period15/11/1816/11/18

Keywords

  • Digital storytelling
  • Online course
  • Seniors

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