Johanna Penttilä & Anne Kuokkanen, Cicero Learning, University of Helsinki & DiSEL22 Ltd

1. What could we learn
from children as digital
storytellers?
Johanna Penttilä, CICERO Learning, University of Helsinki
Anne Kuokkanen, DiSEL21 Ltd

2. Background –
Where do we
come from?
 FINNABLE2020 and SAVI projects (2010-2015)
 Experimenting with digital storytelling in school context
 From kindergarten to upper comprehensive school
 Variety of subjects and topics
 Developing a digital storytelling platform for educational use

3. Digital
storytelling for
’digital natives’  ‘Remember the times when we had only three television channels,
cassette recorders, or cell phones that could only make phone
calls…’
 ’Digital generation uses digital technology transparently, without
thinking about it, marveling at it, or wondering about how it
works’ (Jukes, McCain & Crockett, 2010).
 Today’s children are used to capturing photos and videos during
their free time, and thus, digital storytelling allows them to
express content-area understanding familiar ways (Ohler, 2013.)
 However, digital storytelling is not just about using technology for
learning. Moreover, it is about story scripting, knowledge building,
creativity, communication, and collaboration.

4. (Pedagogical)
digital story
 Short duration (1-4 minutes)
 Multimedia production that contains video clips, photos, music,
animation, and written or narrated content
 Multiple shapes and forms: autobiographies, portfolios,
documentaries, informative and instructive narratives…
 Mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) for capturing the
story material
 Editing with a variety of software and apps
 The final product is often shared through social networking site(s)

5. Tool for
creating digital
stories
• An Internet based video service developed atTampere
University ofTechnology and University of Helsinki
• Open for users having an user ID for the system, but closed
from outsiders
• Enables easy-to-use video editing tools, collaboration, and
global sharing

6. Frontpage

7. Editing tool

8. Inviting others
to collaborate

9. Communicate
through
private
messages

10. Features of
children’s
digital stories
 Using formats familiar from Internet’s video sharing servides, e.g.,
tutorials
 Strong pursuit for ’teaching others something new’, and offering a
window to their own reality
 Privacy protection or being camera shy: hiding faces, cropping
images
 Natural born commentators!
 Behaviour adopted from social media: willingness to know, what
others think about their videos and eagerness to give feedback /
discuss with others

11. Example
stories
 Slippery slime
 http://cicero-movie.edu.helsinki.fi/?l=0&c=1&g=145&d=mnstge&ms=0&mx=0&a=wtch&vw=1&med=4875&stg=2
 What does the surface tension do?
 http://cicero-movie.edu.helsinki.fi/?l=0&c=1&g=0&d=frntpg&ms=0&mx=280&a=wtch&vw=1&med=7050&stg=0
 Bio bag
 http://cicero-movie.edu.helsinki.fi/?l=0&c=1&g=145&d=frntpg&sw=bio%20bag&ss=3&a=wtch&vw=1&med=1855&stg=0

12. Key take
aways
 Story comes first – scripting is important
 Give room to your own voice and personality
 Define your purposes, and find a right kind of technology
 Curious and experimental attitude towards technology

13. Kiitos!
johanna.penttila@helsinki.fi
anne.kuokkanen@helsinki.fi