Digital Storytelling as a Reflective Tool in Occupational Therapy Curriculum.
Amshuda Sonday
PMID 34621147WHAT IT FOUND
OT students found digital storytelling helpful for reflection if they were visual learners, but burdensome if they preferred writing.
Grading the stories felt unfair due to vague criteria. Unequal access to technology and software made the assignment stressful for many.
Key findings
01Digital storytelling aided reflection for visual and interpersonal learners, but intrapersonal learners preferred writing reflective logs.
02Students perceived the assessment as unfair because the rubric was vague, subjective, and did not reflect the effort required.
03Barriers included unequal access to devices and software, as well as the emotional weight of sharing personal professional experiences.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted by final-year students as part of their coursework, which may affect the depth of analysis or objectivity. Participants were from a single university in South Africa, limiting generalizability to other educational contexts. The number of participants is not explicitly stated, making it difficult to judge the saturation of themes. Findings are based on student perceptions rather than measured learning outcomes.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources are declared in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the students' negative reactions to grading as evidence that digital storytelling is ineffective for learning. The dissatisfaction stemmed largely from the assessment structure and technical barriers, not necessarily from the reflective process itself, which some students found valuable.