Last November Digital Storytelling traveled in Beijing where Veera Kallunki and myself discussed previous research experience and findings with Primary School Teachers, Principals, Professors and Post-graduate students at the Department of Educational Technology, Peking University. It was a warm welcome for our presence there as members of CICERO Learning-University of Helsinki Research team specialising on the integration of digital technologies in pedagogical practices. The interest in Digital storytelling as pedagogical method developed during the Round Table discussions that Professor Hannele Niemi (Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, HU & Scientific Leader of our team) hosted and co-organized with Professor Jiyou Jia (Graduate School of Education, PKU).
The delegation of Chinese scholars agreed about the potential of digital storytelling to enhance student engagement and deeper learning and a joint plan for research collaboration between PKU and HU was established. Our visit in Beijing was an opportunity to meet with professionals and scholars and get further and deeper into the details of storytelling. Also it opened up new perspectives in approaching storytelling from both a scientific and a pedagogical lens.
And, most certainly, this new twofold experience and how it develops and grows is something that we are all looking forward to.
