“We all contributed to tell stories to the best of our abilities”: collaborative digital storytelling to promote students’ positive interdependence in an online course of Italian as a foreign language

Abstract

Positive interdependence is defined as a mutual relationship between people who are driven to achieve the same task goals- Considered as the foundation of collaborative language learning, it can surface in group activities of digital content creation. Digital storytelling may enhance skills of positive interdependence as it enables digital narratives to be told through mixed media (Robin, 2016). However, prolonged exposure to technology might cause distraction, motivation loss, and fatigue among language students, hampering the establishment of positive interdependence. To encourage interdependent interactions in digital learning environments, this study presents the results of educational activities conducted using the ThingLink and StoryMaps platforms by learners of Italian as a foreign language during an online language course. The results stemming from online questionnaires, transcript analyses, and focus group interviews highlight how students’ positive interdependence can be boosted by telling stories through immersive technologies.