PERCEPCIÓN DOCENTE DEL DESARROLLO EMOCIONAL Y CREATIVO DE LOS ESCOLARES DERIVADO DEL DISEÑO COLABORATIVO DE DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Abstract

Collaborative digital storytelling design can become an effective strategyto promote multiple abilities and competences in schoolchildren, providingthem the opportunity to create their own stories, using digital tools. Morespecifically, this research verifies: a) the change perceived by instructorsregarding emotional and creative development reached by preschool and primary students (N=282), after taking part in a collaborative digital storytelling project, supported by the Education Department; b) the level of emotional and creative expression showed in the final stories. The descriptive analysis shows the qualitative teachers’ assessment related to the change perceived in emotional and creative abilities level developed by the students, making use of 13 qualitative indicators. Afterwards, the level of emotional and creative expression of the stories created (N=14) is analysed by means of an expert evaluation. The results point out that –according instructors’ opinion– this digital collaborative narrative has fostered emotional abilities in preschool children. However, girls stand out because they empathise and carry about others, and achieve what they resolve to do. Likewise, taking into account their emotional abilities, girls adapt better to new situations and identify and resolve problems creatively. Similarly, primary girls stand out because of their emotionaland creative development, and higher stages students show a greaterempathy, caring about other people, critical thinking and aesthetic sensibility.After analyzing the final stories, the experts recognise that all of them show originality and adequacy to its purpose. Nevertheless, they are mainly logo centric whilst their emotional impact is reduced. They point out the characters’ persuasive power and their ability to generate empathy, especially in Primary Education. It can be stated that the topics, the audiovisual techniques adopted and the collaborative performance provided a suitable environment to practise emotional and creative abilities.