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Digital Narratives – Fostering first year student’s identity development

“Stories move in circles. They don’t move in straight lines. So it helps if you listen in

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Digital Narratives – Fostering first year student’s identity development

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  1. “Stories move in circles. They don’t move in straight lines. So it helps if you listen in circles. There are stories inside stories and stories between stories, and finding your way through them is as easy and as hard as finding your way home. And part of the finding is getting lost. And when you’re lost, you start to look around and listen.” - Corey Fischer, Albert Greenberg, and Naomi Newman A Travelling Jewish Theatre from Coming from a Great Distance Digital Narratives – Fostering first year student’s identity development Tate Conference Spring 2011

  2. Introduction Andrew Williams – Director of CLA Diversity Student Support Programs Fred Williams – CLA Access to Success Academic Advisor Leah Milojevic – CLA Access to Success Academic Advisor

  3. CLA -ATS Program Mission • To help students adjust to the new academic demands of learning at the University of Minnesota. • To provide students a supportive learning community and the opportunity to get connected to other students. • To help students identify and work towards their academic and personal goals. • To support students’ efforts to get connected to campus & community organizations, campus offices and resources,e.g., financial aid office • To assist students in more quicklyidentifying a potential major, career goals, and a professional pathway.

  4. CLA ATS Program Overview • First-year students engage in a first year learning cohort of courses for their Fall and Spring semester schedule of classes. • First year students are supported by both advising and Peer mentoring (2 appointment/semester with an Advisor and Peer Mentor) • Students are also supported in their core liberal arts courses with Peer-Assisted Learning sessions offered through the Smart Learning Commons

  5. CLA 1005 and CLA 2005 CLA 1005examines college transition issues, major and career planning, wellness, financial literacy, and cultural identity. A primary focus is on community-building & self-awareness, i.e., learning styles, strength inventories, intercultural sensitivity, time utilization CLA 2005is a service learning course where all students complete 20 hours of community engagement work. Students examine a number of issues including poverty, education, disaster relief, food systems & hunger, homelessness, environmental justice & sustainability, democracy, and citizenship

  6. Digital Stories • As a Final Assignment in CLA 1005 and CLA 2005 students are asked to create a Digital Story reflecting upon their freshman year and service-learning experience • Digital stories combine video, images, voice, text, and/or music to preserve memory, write history, entertain, mobilize, and heal. It is in the telling of stories that individuals and communities build identities, construct meaning, and make connections with others and the world

  7. Digital Stories • “As we are made of water, bone, and bio-chemistry, we are made of stories” – Joe Lambert Seven Elements of Constructing a Multimedia Story* • Point of View • Dramatic Question • Emotional Content • The Gift of Your Voice • The Power of a Soundtrack • Economy • Pacing SOURCE: Joe Lambert, Digital Story Cookbook

  8. Digital Story Assignment Purpose • Bring to life, the narratives of our students • Reflection upon the identity, personal history, strengths, and overall life changes in transitions as a first year student at the University of Minnesota • Encourage high retention and graduation rates • Push students to not only reflect on their identity, but also look at how it relates to their academic and career choices • Build community and develop their intercultural awareness through hearing the stories of their peers

  9. Supporting Research • Values Affirmation (Cohen et al., 2009) • Values which are affirmed can improve a students academic performance • Self-Authorship (Baxter Magolda & King, 2004) • Students who develop internal beliefs and values systems can further understand their lives in the context of mutual relationships in their communities • StrengthsQuest (Clifton & Anderson, 2001) • Self-identity and personal values become more clear • Helping students discover, develop, and apply their talents

  10. Identity Development In College “The college context offers a wide array of potential experiences that may cause emerging adults to rethink their identities and reconfigure them in new ways” (Azmita, Syed, & Radmacher, 2008) “Emerging Adulthood is a developmental period characterized by continued identity negotiations” (Azmita, Syed, & Radmacher, 2008) “Identity formation involves trying out various life possibilities and gradually moving toward making enduring decisions” (Arnett, 2000) Our digital story assignment brings to life, the narratives of our students and requires reflection upon the identity, personal history, strengths, and overall life changes in transitions as a first year student at the University of Minnesota

  11. Student Learning and Development Outcomes • Through digital story telling student are asked to be reflective and provide a comprehensive view of their experience at the U of M and their service-learning experience • Through Digital Story telling student gain self-awareness, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, appreciation for differences, effective communication, and new skills in digital media formats

  12. Student Digital Stories CLA 1005 – My Freshman Year By, Abiola Abu-Bakr CLA 2005 – Volunteers of America – Service Learning Experience By, Lynesha Oudavahn and Thomas Nguyen

  13. Wrap-up Questions • What stood out about these student stories? • How do these stories capture the lived experience of our students and how might we apply this knowledge to our work?

  14. Q & A Questions ?

  15. References Arnett, J.J.(2000).Emerging Adulthood. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480. Azmitia, M., Syed, M., & Radmacher, K. (2008). On the Intersection of personal and social identities: Introduction and evidence from a longitudinal study of emerging adults. In M.Azmitia, M. Syed, & K. Radmacher(Eds.), The intersections of personal and social identities.NewDirections for Child and AdolescentDevelopment, 120, 1–16 Baxter Magolda, M. & King, P. (2004). Learning Partnerships. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. Clifton, D. & Anderson, E. (2006).StrenghtsQuest.New York: Gallup Press. Cohen, G., Garcia, J.,Purdie-Vaughns, V.,Apfel, N., & Brzustoski, P.(2009). Recursive processes in self-affirmation: Intervening to close the minority achievement gap. Science. Vol.324(5925), Apr 2009, pp. 400-403. Lambert, J.(2007).Digital Storytelling Cookbook. San Francisco, CA: Digital Diner Press.

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