The Role of Digital Storytelling in Language Teaching: Developing Narrative and Multimodal Skills in Virtual Environments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/ASCE/1369.1391/2025Keywords:
Digital Storytelling, Language Teaching, Narrative Skills, Multimodal Competencies, Virtual Environments, Digital Literacy, Educational Innovation.Abstract
This study analyzes the influence of digital storytelling on the enhancement of narrative and multimodal competencies in language education within virtual environments, while adhering to contemporary pedagogical frameworks. It emphasizes the contemporary educational environment, which progressively digitizes instruction by centralizing digital narratives in pedagogical practices. These narratives convert digitalization into an essential, innovative, and communicative multimodal transmedia proficiency. A mixed-methods approach with a qualitative emphasis was utilized, employing an action research design in two secondary educational institutions. A selected sample of 60 students aged 14 to 17 engaged in virtual workshops centered on the development of digital narratives utilizing interactive platforms including Canva, Genially, and Storybird. The data were organized via participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and analysis of the narrative texts generated by the students. The findings demonstrate that the pedagogical use of digital storytelling improves the formation of coherent narrative discourse, critical thinking, and the utilization of diverse semiotic resources, including images, sound, text, and animation. Moreover, an enhancement in student engagement and a rise in peer collaboration were noted. Digital storytelling enhances language instruction and cultivates multimodal competencies vital for 21st-century communication. This study emphasizes the necessity of reevaluating conventional teaching methodologies and using digital resources with a critical and innovative perspective into the language education process.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mercy Florencia Yépez Avilés, Nury Dixiana Coronel Vanegas, Ana Isabel López Montoya, Erik Esteban Abad Ordóñez, Walter Eduardo Pala Tierra
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