Date of Award

11-1-2011

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Lynn Schofield Clark, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Renee Botta

Third Advisor

Christof Demont-Heinrich

Fourth Advisor

Luc Beaudoin

Keywords

Digital storytelling, Identity, International education, Narrative, Reentry, Study abroad

Abstract

Digital storytelling is a multimedia genre that has been steadily gaining recognition since its inception in the early 1990s. Study abroad is also on the rise among U.S. undergraduates. Study abroad returnees often lack opportunities for structured reflection upon their experiences abroad. Digital storytelling is one reflective tool that may be useful for stimulating reflection as part of a narrative process, which connects past events with current life choices and solidifies identity. Five undergraduates and three graduate students attended digital storytelling workshops, created digital stories, and were interviewed. Analysis of these case studies found that while graduate students were more adept at identifying life-changing moments, both groups benefited from narrative closure. The study confirms that digital storytelling is an important resource for study abroad returnees to help them uncover the significance of their experience abroad and can be used as an institutional assessment tool.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Nicole Hubbell

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

99 p.

Discipline

Communication, Mass communication, Higher education

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