HCC faculty and staff learn digital storytelling to improve student retention and interest

Jul 10, 2015

The story Norma Alfaro wanted to tell involved her childhood bicycle. Growing up, the veteran Houston Community College Software/Hardware Technician had a 10-speed bike that she treated as well as a brand new car.

"I would wash and shine that bicycle daily," she read from her script in a small sound studio set up with a microphone connected to a laptop. "I loved that bike."

There was a sad ending to the story though. Someone stole her bicycle, Alfaro explained. Her expressive reading recalled the pain of that loss.

Such are the stories emanating from the four-day Digital Storytelling class designed to help faculty impart their coursework in a highly engaging, student friendly way.

The Center for Digital Storytelling, a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, California (storycenter.org), held the workshop for district employees at the Central Campus. HCC staffers such as Alfaro were trained on writing, editing, recording, and adding photos and videos to a piece to create a digital story. Alfaro was in class so she can later train other HCC staff and faculty members on how to do the same. After a little coaching and practice, Alfaro's results sounded as good as any story on National Public Radio.

"Digital Storytelling helps students learn and become engaged," said Charlotte Hamilton, director of College Educational Technology Services. “It also helps students improve their listening skills."

Other higher-education institutions, including the Community College of Denver, the University of Maryland and the University of Colorado-Boulder are already incorporating digital storytelling into their course curricula, Hamilton said.

Stories developed by HCC faculty and staff will be made available for listening at edutube.hccs.edu.