*Interested students should attend the first class to get a better sense of the project requirements. Because of the collaborative project-based features of this course, class size must be kept small to ensure teaching quality. A selection process will be determined in the event that student demand exceeds maximum class size.

In recent years, digital storytelling has emerged as a new and influential media form among educators, artists, and social activists. One might broadly define digital storytelling as short videos that “incorporate imagery, data, and narrative stories to teach complex content in an approachable way” (Shelton, 2016). Features of mainstream digital storytelling include but are not limited to: 1) self-revelatory, 2) told in the first-person, 3) about lived experience, 4) combined with still images, 5) accompanied by a soundtrack or ambient sound, 6) brief, minimal, raw and direct, 7) privileges self-awareness and self-expression (Lambert 2013).

With their training in literary narrative and criticism, literature majors are exceptionally positioned to make use of this innovative media to participate in public discourse and make a positive impact through civic engagement. After an theoretical module on narrative modes applied to literary and cultural texts, the course will then enter the creative phase of storytelling development, production, and dissemination:

A. Development: In this phase, the course focuses on narrative and storytelling techniques. Students will select a theme with personal and social relevance, experiment with different narrative methods, and create a story to be narrated verbally.
B. Production: In this phase, students will convert their verbal narratives into digital content, recording themselves and adding visuals and sound while adjusting their stories for use as digital media.
C. Dissemination: With the successful production of digital content, students think about how best to propagate their message online, to reach a wider audience, and to make a social impact.

Weekly meetings emphasizing peer critique and instructor feedback will be required to sharpen and fine-tune students’ narrative techniques, with the objective of producing a professional, finished piece of digital storytelling. Technical support will be provided by the MOE Teaching Practice Research Program grant.