Digital Learning Stories - Digital Learning Stories (DLS) are digitally supported and documented, self-reflective narratives of the process of constructing and representing understanding. Student-documented DLS tend to be more effective with children who are elementary age and older and therefore more capable of both documenting their learning, as well as reflecting on the process. Teachers of younger students can support the construction of these stories by assisting in the documentation of the work that is being done, and by providing useful scaffolding at each step in the process. It is thoughtful support by teachers and sometimes parents that allows this approach to serve the needs of younger learners.
The process takes place in the following general manner.
1. Interacting with learning materials
Students are presented with a learning opportunity either through their own interest or by an assignment from the teacher. As they explore materials relevant to the topic (such as books, videos, web pages, etc.) they keep track of the process of their investigations (with age-appropriate scaffolding from the teacher). This documentation can take the form of notes, photos, bookmarks, journal entries and other records. Part of the process of exploring is then to begin to describe the topic and the emerging understanding. The narrative that students begin to generate should serve both as a means for tracking progress, as well as a vehicle for self-scaffolding understanding.
2. Developing an understanding
Throughout this process of exploring materials, students should be encouraged to reflect on the ideas that they are generating. This reflection may be concurrent with the construction of their narratives, at times it may also emerge through discussions with peers regarding insights, conclusions and questions that arise from their work. Ideally a result of the reflection and discussion will be the pursuit of further resources to explore. Again documenting this step in the process is critical as students work to construct understanding.
3. Constructing representations of understanding
The final element is developing a representation of understanding. This can take the form of a report, slide show, paper, multimedia presentation, dance or other construction. As part of the presentation, students should be prepared to describe not only their final understanding, but also the process they went through to reach this understanding. When students share select elements of their narrative and reflections on the process, it can provide teachers and peers with insights about the students' understanding that are far greater than a typical project submission might contain. This presentation provides teachers with the ability to authentically assess student understanding.
Those moments most important to document for the elucidation of emergent understanding, are those times when students are faced with a choice point. This may involve options regarding how to continue to explore a topic, it may involve competing theories or explanations for the topic that is being explored, or it may be manifest as a decision between different forms for displaying understanding. These conceptual or procedural forks can provide insight into students' developing schema and can be an instrument for understanding students' conceptions or misconceptions regarding the topic.
The use of digital learning stories is a pedagogical approach that can have a number of significant benefits. The use of narratives, whether textual or graphical, provides students with material that can foster reflection, support collaboration, and assist in the construction of meaningful understanding. This is an approach that by design allows differentation as it supports a range of student abilities, styles of learning and various constellations of intellectual orientations. Giving students the ability to authentically represent their understanding, and providing teachers with a medium for authentic assessments makes this approach particularly powerful for all participants in the process.
