Engagement in Emergency Remote Education

Abstract

Digital storytelling (DST) has been effective for student engagement in second language (L2) education. Yet, its impact on engagement has commonly been examined in the classroom through synchronous DST tools and platforms. This study enquires whether DST can be equally engaging in the context of emergency remote education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants of the study are 42 student-teachers of English who developed an asynchronous online DST project. Data were collected through a DST questionnaire and were analysed using quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. DST was found to generate mainly cognitive engagement through self-reflection processes and behavioural engagement in the form of effort and time invested in the speaking and writing parts of the project. Emotional engagement was less frequent and emerged through positive emotions. Insufficient technology skills, the wrong timing and duration of the project, negative emotion arousal, and the absence of teacher and peer feedback and support appeared as potentially disengaging factors.