Digital storytelling and reflection in higher education: A case study of pre-service student teachers and their lecturers’ at a University of Technology

Abstract

Employers in South Africa are calling for students graduating from higher education institutions (HEIs) to exhibit the capacity for reflection. However, many tertiary institutions fall short in allowing opportunities for reflection. As a result, HEIs are grappling to find ways of fostering reflection amongst their students. This paper argues that digital storytelling if implemented properly is one of the ways which can be used to help HEIs in this accomplishment. It documents results of production of digital stories by 29 final-year pre-service student teachers at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), South Africa, as part of their assessment in their professional development course. The study was informed by structuration theory and levels of reflection and cognitive processing to help the researchers understand the potential of digital storytelling in enhancing reflection. Qualitative methods of collecting data were utilized. Focus group interviews were conducted with the students and their facilitators to elicit whether production of digital stories led to reflection. Findings showed that the production of digital stories promoted the three levels of reflection and thus deep learning and higher-order thinking skills.