We have just posted three new e-learning resources onto our learning resources toolkit (at the top of the page), which provide a useful introduction to digital reflection, its various potential uses and benefits, and the resources available on this website.
We heard yesterday that we have been selected for funding for our ‘Mobile Reflections’ pitch to the JISC Elevator. We will be running this extension to the Digitalis project throughout June/July/August, and will post updates here. Here is the original JISC Elevator bid, and the video is here.
Joanna Spicer from Stockport College used Twitter to help her illustration students get under the skin of the characters that they need to work with. The full case study is here.
One of the participants on our CePRA funded digital storytelling workshop, Tina Richardson, contacted me recently to ask if it is possible to edit the audio from a PhotoStory 3 digital story. Every slide started with an annoying ‘click’ where she had pressed record. I worked out how to edit the audio by saving it as an MP3, importing it to Audacity to edit, and then stitching it back again using Windows Live MovieMaker. This video shows you how.
One of the things that we have learned from the project is that video tutorials can help students (and staff) to quickly learn the technologies required for digital reflection. All of the video tutorials that we have made available in our Learning Resources Toolkit, and all of the bespoke video tutorials were created using Camtasia. I found this software simple to learn how to use with the help of their video tutorials (which also demonstrate ‘best practice’ in the design of video tutorials). Joslin McKinney, our Performance Design project contributor, used Camtasia to develop an example photostory and created two video tutorials demonstrating the first activity and how to use the software. The first tutorial was created with some support from me, and took about 2 hours. The second tutorial was created by Joslin on her own, again in about 2 hours. Whilst it was time-consuming, Joslin felt that she would use Camtasia again, mainly when she needs to ‘show’ something to the students that they might need to keep going back to (e.g. how to make a good model). Camtasia is very space-intensive on the PC and this does need to be taken into consideration.
This case study was written and developed by Claudia Sternberg in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.
This case study explains the use and integration of digital stories in a module on representations of migration and diaspora in contemporary cinema. The module is ‘conventional’ in terms of teaching and student participation (screenings, readings, seminars, assessed essay), but is enhanced by the viewing and discussion of student-produced, autobiographical digital self/family-portraits. The case study covers the rationale for integrating personal reflection, addresses practicalities of using digital storytelling and includes an assessment of how the practice works. Sample digital stories illustrate the work done by students. Module documentation and links and resources are available as downloadable attachments.
This presentation is directed at tutors who have no or very little prior knowledge of digital storytelling and are considering the integration of a creative and reflective task in a teaching context which is predominantly text- and writing-based. The presentation may also be of interest to anyone teaching on migration and diaspora.
The presentation is about 27 minutes long; its parts can be viewed individually. Each of the four sample digital stories is approximately three minutes long.
The curriculum development phase for PECI2506 Performer Training in the 20th and 21st Century is now complete. The use of Flip Cameras to record performer training exercises has now been embedded into the module. For the assessed presentations, students incorporate video of their performance of a training exercise as the ‘crux’ of their presentation. The full review can be downloaded here (PDF).
I’ve just posted a bid for a small extension to the project to look at the use of mobile devices for creative digital reflection. The JISC Elevator is a new and innovative funding scheme designed to encourage small, innovative projects. It uses crowdsourcing to decide who gets funding i.e. the ideas that get enough votes get considered for the cash. Please have a look at our idea, and if you think it’s a good one, vote for it!
Edit (12 March): We’ve reached our voting target! Thank you to everyone who voted for the idea. We now wait to hear from JISC, who are considering our bid.
One of the issues we have encountered on the project is sourcing images that are copyright free. This tutorial from JISC Digital Media explains issues around image copyright, and from page 20 onwards links to a number of useful websites for image searching.
We have just posted three new e-learning resources onto our 
One of the things that we have learned from the project is that video tutorials can help students (and staff) to quickly learn the technologies required for digital reflection. All of the video tutorials that we have made available in our 
The curriculum development phase for PECI2506 Performer Training in the 20th and 21st Century is now complete. The use of Flip Cameras to record performer training exercises has now been embedded into the module. For the assessed presentations, students incorporate video of their performance of a training exercise as the ‘crux’ of their presentation. The full review 
One of the issues we have encountered on the project is sourcing images that are copyright free. This