Conceptualizing learning issues throughout the creative process of digital storytelling: case studies of three learners' video making

Lee, Ji Yeon

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Description

Title

Conceptualizing learning issues throughout the creative process of digital storytelling: case studies of three learners' video making

Author(s)

Lee, Ji Yeon

Issue Date

2012-06-27T21:20:00Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Delacruz, Elizabeth M.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Delacruz, Elizabeth M.

Committee Member(s)

• Bresler, Liora
• Parsons, Michael J.
• Chung, Sheng Kuan

Department of Study

Art & Design

Discipline

Art Education

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Digital Storytelling
• Digital Art Education
• Video Storytelling
• Video Narrative
• Narrative Video Production
• Case Study
• Autoethnography
• video making conceptual framework
• Postmodern art making strategy

Abstract

I believe that digital storytelling through narrative video production is a beneficial practice that translates an individual’s synthesis of human experiences, memories, and aspirations into visual metaphors by means of multi-media tools, combining music, video and still images with an individual’s creative voice. I also maintain that narrative video production has tremendous potential to engage the viewing audience, thus helping both the creators and spectators of the videos to discover the power of creative visual communication. This research involved my own journey towards creating narrative video production and provides a unique insider look at the process as well as cross-discussion with the creative processes of two more individual learners. This research provides an introduction to the basic practices of digital video production, with an emphasis on the building of narrative, planning of action, and sequencing of imagery, texts, and sound. I considered these practices in relation to each individual’s learning experiences and processes regarding digital video creation. In the literature review, I provide brief overviews of selected discourse from various disciplines about the nature of narrative, telling a story in a digital age, aspects of digital video production, and notions about postmodern art pedagogy as they might apply to narrative digital video pedagogy. I also review varying definitional claims regarding narrative and digital video production as posited by media scholars, art educators, and film critics. The primary research question of this study focused on identifying the learning issues surrounding the artistic, conceptual, and technical aspects of digital storytelling via the experience of three learners engaged in video making practice. These three case reports shows how the process of making a digital video impacts each of the individuals’ iii notions of digital storytelling, and how the students in my study uniquely perceived their learning experiences in a classroom setting. Each case has its own set of learning experiences, varied constructions of meaning, particular technology adoptions, and artistic expressions, even while situated in the same course setting. I described how individuals’ knowledge and understanding of digital storytelling grew throughout the semester. I used synthesis and reflection to determine how digital storytelling experiences can be embedded in individual digital stories. The cross-case discussion integrates the study findings within the framework of my research questions. Based on the cross-case discussion, I generated five important learning issues regarding digital making process, as described above: a) acknowledgement regarding the purpose and meanings of digital video making, b) technical learning issues regarding technology, c) creative process of video making, d) completion and demonstrating craftsmanship, and e) creative tension between storyteller and audience. Together, the three case reports and the cross-case discussions lead to valuable research findings and potential implications in art education. This study presents empirical evidence identifying the learning issues and strategies of actual learners of digital storytelling, highlighting the complexity of digital video making and reinforcing the significance of learner autonomy. Digital video making can serve as an alternative learning practice to facilitate improvisational, self-regulated, creative, and work-based learning. This understanding of the purpose of amateur digital video production is significant because it allowed the individual learners in this study to enjoy freedom and imaginative space while working with their digital videos, exploring and experimenting in the vast world of digital technology, narrative, and artistic iv approaches, instead of trying to adhere to a fixed storyboard, afraid to make mistakes. Unlike professional films, which are constrained by commercial purposes, digital stories can encompass a broad set of subjects, topics, objectives, content, attitudes, and working strategies. The findings of this study have important implications not only for the areas of media education and art education, but more broadly for learning theories in general.

Graduation Semester

2012-05

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2012 Ji Yeon Lee

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