Digitalization and the Writing Classroom

Navigating Digital Storytelling in the Writing Classroom: Bridging the Gap Between Digital Natives and Digital Literacy

Crystal Bickford, Ph.D., MA

Professor of English

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)

Introduction

At an international conference, a presenter and her students made a compelling case for digital storytelling. Their presentation showcased the wide range of topics students selected and the imaginative integration of images, video, music, and narration that produced engaging, thoughtful projects. Intrigued, I returned home determined to implement similar assignments.

The process has been challenging, but I am pleased that I took the risk. Over the years I have received remarkable projects—from original rap performances to hand-drawn animations. Yet these successes have been matched by lessons learned. Most notably, students adeptly use video within social media platforms, but often lack basic digital hardware and software skills beyond those platforms. Many are hesitant to incorporate personal identity into their work, and they struggle to understand how visual meaning can extend the power of their writing.

After more than a decade working with multimodal composition, I continue to challenge students to create digital stories because they offer depth and flexibility. This article presents two contrasting classroom contexts: one in which students struggled to represent their identities, and another in which digital stories enhanced their communication of research in vibrant, unexpected ways.

At their core, digital stories are short (1–10 minute) multimodal videos consisting of still photos, video clips, music, and a narrator’s voice (Hull, 2003; Robin, 2016). They invite creators to move beyond text while still engaging rhetorical appeals—pathos, ethos, and logos. Digital stories are personal precisely because authors control the narrative and purposefully cultivate emotional, visual, and intellectual effects for their audience.

The Case for Digital Stories

Digital stories are increasingly touted as essential learning tools in college classrooms that emphasize writing and audience-centered communication. They allow students to strengthen technical abilities (Westman, 2012), articulate creative decision-making (Porter, 2006), and “speak to…reason and emotion” while integrating research and writing skills (McLellan, 2006, p. 28; Robin, 2016). As Dreon et al. (2011) note, drawing from Ohler (2006), the creation process demands a wide range of competencies—researching topics, writing scripts, storyboarding, and assembling the final product using video editing software.

Students must therefore consider how they produce meaning: outlining, storyboarding, script writing, layout, and design intersect with the final message. This requires critical thinking, creativity, information literacy, and technological dexterity. Throughout this process, academic content remains central.

Producing meaning that is both task-based and linguistically oriented teaches students to recognize the “interdependent roles of visual, spatial, and auditory inputs in the construction of meaning” (Strassman & O’Dell, 2012, p. 341). They also must make responsible choices about audience, purpose, and ethical use of information. In my courses, writing-based activities—peer review, drafting, and reflection—become vital components of digital storytelling.

Digital stories do not replace traditional research papers; rather, they extend students’ capacity to create and share knowledge. They span disciplines, connecting to other writing assignments as closely or as independently from course outcomes as instructors choose.

As institutions emphasize career readiness, digital competencies have become essential. Gilchrest (2018) argues that rhetoric and composition courses increasingly bear responsibility for preparing future leaders to communicate through multimodal composition. Employers actively seek graduates with proven digital skills: by 2020, 77% of U.S. jobs required technological literacy (Harris, 2017), and digitally intensive middle-skill jobs pay more than non-digital roles.

Multimodal projects also support students who struggle with traditional writing. Visual learners, in particular, benefit from understanding how meaning is constructed visually—knowledge that can strengthen their writing. When students create digital stories, they engage in integrated tasks requiring cognitive, interpersonal, organizational, and technological skills (Dreon et al., 2011).

Finally, creativity—whether or not listed as an explicit learning outcome—encourages deeper engagement. With personal investment comes sustained problem-solving. As George (2002) observes, “our students have a much richer imagination for what we might accomplish with the visual than our journals have yet to address” (p. 12).

Digital Natives

Despite these benefits, instructors must carefully consider who is in the room. The terms Millennial, iGen, and digital native are frequently applied to students born after 1980 (Prensky, 2004). Because they have never known a world without smartphones and constant connectivity, educators often assume they possess advanced technological competence.

This assumption is misleading. Being immersed in digital environments does not equate to mastery of software design, media editing, or sophisticated presentation technologies (Smith, 2012; Bennett & Maton, 2010). Interpretations of “digital native” vary widely. Some emphasize preferences for speed, multitasking, and social learning (Prensky, 2001; Rosen, 2010). Others focus on competency—whether students can move beyond apps to broader creative toolsets.

Regardless of definition, the classroom implication is clear: instructors who fail to incorporate technology are often seen as failing students (Thompson, 2013). Yet educators must simultaneously avoid assuming students already know how to use these tools.

Robin (2016) outlines common learner characteristics: students tend to be technologically curious, multimedia-oriented, emotionally expressive, and eager for continuous feedback. Digital stories channel these tendencies while challenging students to develop authentic digital literacy and showcase personal style. But thoughtful implementation is essential.

The Tale of Two Classes

The two instructional experiences described below illustrate how gaps between instructor expectations and student outcomes can emerge when integrating digital genres into writing classrooms. Educators may intend to uphold traditional writing instruction while also embracing digital forms, but assignments often fall into an uncomfortable space between process and product.

Non-fiction Storytelling

Integrating digital stories into a storytelling course seemed intuitive. Yet students in a cohort of thirty first-years—enrolled simultaneously in an introductory writing course, introductory psychology, and a social constructs seminar—struggled more than expected.

They spent the semester reading young adult memoirs exploring trauma, identity, addiction, incarceration, and peer pressure. They discussed how these narratives connected to their own lives and maintained personal response journals. On paper, this community seemed primed to translate their stories into digital form. In practice, the shift to video created anxiety.

Students readily share personal information online, yet many hesitated when asked to present personal stories digitally. The perceived permanence of video—despite being limited to classmates—became intimidating. They feared exposing vulnerability, even after months of open dialogue.

Final projects varied widely. Some produced authentic digital stories with images, voiceover, and music. Others recorded themselves speaking, circumventing multimodal requirements. One submitted a self-written rap performance. Some relied on animation tools that eliminated visual self-representation altogether. Yet even these simplified products required planning, scripting, and editing, revealing the writing-centered nature of the digital process.

When I teach this course again, digital storytelling will be integrated throughout the term rather than introduced mid-semester. More discussion will focus on narrative content before technical requirements. I was prepared for technological complaints—but not for students’ discomfort with vulnerability, especially after an entire semester grounded in personal storytelling. It may also be worth examining whether first-year and second-year students differ in confidence, intellectual maturity, and narrative depth, and how these differences influence outcomes.

Research Writing

Ironically, implementing digital stories in a research course—initially a dubious endeavor—produced stronger student outcomes. The class, composed of sophomores, focused on secondary research and information literacy. While the overarching theme varied (higher education, conspiracy theories, social media marketing, civic engagement), student projects consistently demonstrated depth, creativity, and rhetorical sophistication.

Students had the same preparation as those in the storytelling course. Yet because their projects were not autobiographical, they were less intimidated. Instead of sharing personal identity, they presented ideas, evidence, and arguments. This resulted in richer multimodal engagement.

However, the digital native myth persisted. Students struggled with downloading content, editing media, arranging timelines, recording narration, and working within video software. To avoid lost class time, I posted tutorial videos, created handouts, shared examples, and hosted small technical workshops.

The final stories skillfully combined ethos, pathos, and logos. Students curated information based on what they deemed most persuasive. They used music to establish tone—somber, energetic, urgent—and employed original images or creatively licensed media. Technical ability improved alongside critical thinking: they learned how technology informs meaning, not merely how to manipulate software. Peer feedback sessions and post-project screenings fostered collaboration and community.

Classroom Implementation

Limited student preparation should not deter instructors from using digital stories. Rather, it should motivate educators to integrate them meaningfully within course outcomes. Like any new practice, digital storytelling requires patience, experimentation, and revision.

Best Practices

• Introduce the assignment early.
• Revisit it throughout the term so it becomes part of the curriculum rather than an end-of-semester add-on.
• Share examples.
• Use available digital stories to illustrate tone, structure, and multimodal choices.
• Avoid rigid rubrics.
• When students work to satisfy checklists, creativity narrows. Holistic assessment tends to yield more authentic products.
• Provide workshop time.
• Whether during class or office hours, peer collaboration encourages early engagement.
• Partner with campus IT.
• Students and IT departments often welcome opportunities to support digital projects.
• Clarify expectations.
• Provide guidance on length (4–5 minutes works well) and multimodal requirements.
• Connect digital and traditional writing.
• Brainstorm how visual and audio elements communicate ethos, tone, and argument.
• Make projects public.
• Sharing encourages accountability, pride, and audience awareness.
• Teach source documentation.
• Model appropriate licensing of images, videos, and music.
• Keep videos concise.
• Most effective stories evolve meaningfully within 4–5 minutes.

Conclusion

Regardless of the timeless and emerging literacies required for twenty-first-century learners—digital, visual, informational, or technological—digital storytelling offers powerful pedagogical opportunities. Integrating multimodal projects into writing classrooms yields substantial benefits. But assuming students possess digital competencies simply because they grew up with technology is a persistent misstep.

Educators must define course goals, examine how digital tools support them, and plan for student growth in both content development and technological skill. When instructors provide time, structure, and support, digital stories not only transform how students communicate—they transform how students see themselves as communicators.