Digital Storytelling and Student Engagement: A Case of Pre-Service Student Teachers and their Lecturers' at a University of Technology

One of the challenges facing higher education institutions in South Africa is low throughput (throughput is the number of undergraduates who complete their studies in the prescribed time) of students. Although there is empirical evidence to support the view that enhancing students' engagement increases student's academic performance, little is known about effective approaches to create students' sustained engagement with learning resources. In response to the above challenge, this study investigated the potential of digital storytelling in enhancing student levels of engagement with their studies amongst 29 final year pre-service student teachers and their lecturers' at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), South Africa, as part of their final year professional development course. Using Andersons (2003) model of learning interactions, the researchers were able to understand and describe the potential of digital storytelling in enhancing student engagement with their studies. The study employed qualitative methods of collecting data. Focus group interviews were conducted with the students and the facilitators of the project to elicit whether the production of digital stories led to student engagement. Findings of the study showed that the production of digital stories enhanced student levels of engagement with their studies, which led to a deep understanding of the subject matter.