Can a digital story substitute for an intensive research paper, successfully?
While creating a research paper the individual chooses a topic, finds relevant information on the topic, states a thesis using critical thinking skills, creates a tentative outline that contains an introduction, the body, and a conclusion, organizes notes into the first draft, revises into a second draft, and lastly creates a final copy.
Can all this be done using digital story technology? What do I think - absolutely! As long as the individual follows the same criteria. The topic chosen should be content relevant. If the research paper assignment is for a history class , then the digital story should have historical relevance. Likewise if the research paper assignment is for a science class, then the digital story should reflect a topic in science.
After the topic is chosen for the digital story, the individual then has to do research to decide how their topic is going to evolve from an idea to facts. The student should create a thesis or statement of what they want the viewer to see or learn and then research information to support and defend their thesis. For instance, if an individual decides to create a digital story about the events on 9/11, then they should know and understand all the important facts such as a timeline of the events. Random pictures thrown onto the screen, while they can be emotional, do not reflect the idea of what the individual is trying to state. Which can be confusing for a viewer. The digital story should flow.
The student should then create a storyboard or informal outline. This would include choosing pictures that would be relevant to the topic. As the student chooses their pictures they could then begin formulating what each picture should state. How they want to arrange the pictures into an introduction , the body of the video, and finally a conclusion - all which would support the main idea.
After the student has done all this, they could then begin plugging all their materials into a program such as Photo Story. As they are "plugging in" their story the individual has to make sure the picture delivers the message they are trying to create, the picture is clear, the text or voice prompts added are understandable, and the pictures flow seamlessly so that the viewer does not lose focus of the message being presented.
Obviously, after all this is done the individual has a full grasp on their topic. They have done the research and found relevant interactive media to backup the research. In fact, I think they have gone a step further. In developing a video on the research information they have followed ISTE NET standards. If the video is a success, then the student has a full understanding of the technology (#6) for Photo Story. Which includes uploading pictures and tweaking them, adding text or voice prompts, and/or adding music. If the digital story flows and supports the main idea and the message is successfully delivered to the viewers then the student has satisfied #2 ccommunication and collaboration. Taking the students idea and creating a movie to support that idea follows standard #1 creativity and innovation. During the creation progress of the digital story the student has to gather information and systematically organize photos, the student finds on their own, to fit the story. This would satisfy #3 research and information fluency. As the student organizes the photos and adds text or voice prompts to support the main idea, it becomes applicable to life. The student is using all the information gathered and applying it. If the student makes a successful conclusion in their video, then the digital story would support standard #4 critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. #5 digital citizenship, is a bit trickier. This comes down completely to how the student delivers the message. Obviously a digital story is very unique to the creator and their message. Ethical issues can be fuzzy at best. There are obvious ethics that everyone follows and then there are some that are not so obvious. Depending on the research done whether it be through a research paper or a digital story, sometimes the message delivered can step on toes. But assuming the student did not break a major ethical faux pas then digital citizenship can be satisfied as well.
I think its safe to say, from my standpoint, that digital stories can equal and often out class a research paper. The information is transformed from black letters on a white sheet of paper to an interactive host of information download-able by the world.
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