Digital Stories in Port Elizabeth

On Monday, 28 August 2017, the respective teams from University of the Western Cape and Rhodes University met at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth. The purpose of the meeting was for the group to using an existing tool to create their own digital story.  It afforded them the opportunity to not only experience the process but also how to use such a tool.

All participants split into groups to create and upload their own digital stories as per topics provided. Di and Johan attempted a story on “My first taste of a foreign country”, Sharli and Isabella considered “If it’s good for the planet” and Alida and Deidre were a philosophical and considered “What matters?”. They were asked to produce a story of no more than 4 minutes.

Whilst doing the exercise, the teams also determined the shortcomings of the tool that was used and defined some of the functionality that will be required by the new solution to be used in this project.

After attempting the making of a story, the group considered the benefits of producing a digital story and listed the following:

• It is a way of sharing knowledge;
• It is a way of gaining advice;
• It represents exposure of the participant and his/ her solution;
• Its exposure to best practices;
• It is exposure to possible partnerships and funding;
• It adds value to assets.

The group then also agreed with the notion expressed by Dr Brené Brown from the University of Houston that “Stories are just data with a soul.”