DH-OER Digital Story Telling Workshop

On the 31 October 2023, I ran a workshop about Digital Storytelling. My aim was to get participants consider the way in which they wanted to introduce their work at a showcase event. Then give them the opportunity to practice a short and attention grabbing lighting talk, using well known structure called a Pecha Kucha

The workshop was based upon a Pecha Kucha talk experience I gave in 2013 at the HELTASA conference (hosted at UNISA) combined with mentoring work that I have done for OE4BW . Over the past few years, I have mentored a number of developers who wish to explore open education. Each developer at the OE4BW event has had to do a talk about their work. And to assist them, I have developed a pitch deck. I thought I’d tighten the pitch deck up using Pecha Kutcha or after my short stint at ALT, a Gasta Presentation

In hind sight it was probably a bit ambitious. Many academics are carrying to much responsibility to devote their time to scripting out a very specific talk. I certainly struggled doing my live example. The combination of technology and nerves made my live example not the best.

I do think that the principle of thinking out your story first on paper and in a storyboard, is a good habit to develop. I know for myself, I always jump head first into the technology and let the thoughts come afterwards. It results in imprecise thinking. Software has values coded into it. it influences one in hidden ways. I cannot however read my hand writing. So I hauled out the simplest thought capture package, note pad. Wrote my script based on these ten prompts

• What big issue is your OER is addressing?
• Is there a compelling story that brings home a truth about your OER?
• Identify the intent that underlines your OER?
• What traction, momentum or validation does your OER have thus far?
• Who is/are the intended beneficiary/ies of your OER?
• Is there a link to the OER in production?
• What is the value of the OER?
• What do you see happening with your OER in the future?
• Do you have a plan to enact that future?
• Finally, in a simple sentence, restate the key purpose behind your OER?

It isn’t compulsory to do a pre-recorded lightning or Gasta talk. Those who are presenting at the showcase have the option of doing a live interview, where they supply me with three prompts. And we talk about their work.